Acquisition of Operator Skills Through Part-scope Simulator Training

The aim of this paper is to outline the utilization possibilities of part-scope simulators in nuclear operation. We investigated the suitability of part-scope simulator training for skill development in basic operator training and identified the types of tasks it is especially appropriate for. A small number of operator trainees were interviewed twice, separated by a year. Overall, the part-scope simulator was considered especially suitable for self-learning as part of system training. The most significant potential benefits were seen in its greater availability compared to the full-scope simulator and in the possibility to test the operations before actually implementing them in the plant. Two main factors were seen as limiting the use of part-scope simulators. First, not many systems can be appropriately simulated. Such systems should be complex enough to require simulator training, and independent enough from other systems to allow realistic simulation. Second, part-scope simulation training was seen as relevant for a brief period only. There was, however, no clear consensus on the most appropriate timing of the part-scope simulation training in the curriculum. Some periods of training, though, were suggested to be performed with a full-scope simulator. To conclude, part-scope simulators were considered to have potential for developing operator competence, especially by means of self-learning in the system training, or during the early full-scope simulator training phases of the curriculum. For the training to be most effective, the content as well as the phase when the part-task training is introduced in the training curriculum should be carefully planned.