Simlog Blog
Simulation for training, as we know it today, began back in 1934 when Ed Link sold his “Pilot Maker” to the (USA) Army Air Corps to help train people to fly the first airplanes. But simulation for training people to operate heavy equipment in forestry, construction, mining, and material handling, continues to be something “new”, and so this blog is meant to help you learn more.
The fact is, after almost 25 years as Simlog’s President (and Founder), and 15 years of work before that in engineering and university research, I’ve developed a unique perspective on what’s really important (and what’s not), and so I hope that you’ll find these entries informative.
Paul Freedman, Ph.D., P. Eng.
Jun 8
2021
2021
When developing skills, how you train is just as important as what you practice. And often overlooked is timing, especially for how long you should practice “in one shot”, what kind of a “break” should you take between training “sessions”, when is the best time to train during the day (...)
Apr 5
2021
2021
Organisations that own and operate heavy equipment are always looking for new operators. And to do that, they are primarily targeting: current employees who are now doing other kinds of work, to grow their own people with work experience in other fields, including military veterans [1]. In both cases, people (...)
Dec 11
2020
2020
“What I hear, I forget. What I see, I remember. What I do, I understand.” (Confucius) Yes, doing is the best way to learn, but the ancient Chinese scholar was only “half right”, because just any old “doing” … won’t do! The fact is, my father taught my mother (...)
Jun 12
2020
2020
Time was, training to become a blacksmith, baker, or candlestick maker required person-to-person interaction. Today, that’s just as true for heavy equipment operators. And that’s because developing any kind of skill means first showing me what to do, and then watching what I do to help me learn to (...)
Jan 8
2020
2020
As part of a previous blog post, I indicated that women are few and far between in the construction trades, especially at the controls of heavy equipment (just 2% in my part of the world). Perhaps there’s some kind of “biological handicap” at work? Well, industrial psychologists have identified three (...)