ASCI 638 Case Analysis Effectiveness

In UAS human factors applications, a case analysis is an effective tool for making decisions that guide policies and procedures. A case analysis looks at a problem, examines alternative solutions, and proposes the most effective solution based on the collected evidence (Ashford, 2013). For this course specifically, applying a case analysis to a human factors problem required collecting evidence and solutions from other similar types of UAS operations or manned operations and applying lessons learned. This proved to be a challenge, as UAS human factors, especially in commercial small UAS applications, is a relatively new area of study. No studies (to date) have been conducted on the human factors implications of the DJI “GO” mobile application for remotely piloting their products, but studies have been conducted on the relationship of the size of displays and a pilot’s ability to fly precisely, so an implication can be inferred.

In my prior career in UAS defense contracting, informal case analysis was an internal business tool used to approach solutions for government needs. For example, the first step for a government agency to express interest in a technological solution is to publish a request for information (RFI) that can to a request for proposal (RFP), and a company can have the ability to influence the RFP by presenting a case analysis based on prior research (Bame, 2016). However, in the UAS defense industry, RFPs, proposals, and contract awards moved at a breakneck speed (compared to the rest of government), so I did not observe a regular practice of conducting formal case analysis studies to decide an approach to a business solution – it was more common to aggressively pursue flexibility in meeting all parameters of a RFP.

I think case analysis studies will be an important piece of my current line of work in UAS higher education, especially in the human factors areas of study that involve training. Manned aviation training has been addressed in multiple human factors studies, particularly for general aviation and modern technologically advanced aircraft (TAA). UAS training is only just getting started as a formal segment of a quickly-growing industry. There are no industry standards for UAS training, and the U.S. government does not currently maintain UAS training standards to a similar degree as manned aviation training. Therefore, when making decisions on approaches to curriculum development or potential industry partnerships, I will seek to utilize case analysis as a tool much more often than I have in the past.

For this course (ASCI638), the requirements, format, and topical focus seemed appropriate to the course objectives. It was actually quite difficult to select a topic in UAS human factors, as there are so many potential areas of study that have not been extensively covered by past research and can benefit from formal case analysis. One recommendation would be to provide a greater amount of peer interaction with the case analysis by submitting the case analysis presentation to a discussion board in addition to a course assignment. The only interaction we had with peer case analysis studies was through the initial peer review of abstracts and the proofreading of rough drafts. It would have been nice to see a summary of the completed case analysis in a presentation format that makes it easy to view and submit comments.

Overall, this was a fascinating course and a topic I hope to study further in the future.

References:

Ashford University. (2013). Guidelines for writing a case study analysis. Retrieved from https://awc.ashford.edu/tocw-guidelines-for-writing-a-case-study.html

Bame, M. (2016, August). Overview of the DoD procurement process. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/overview-dod-procurement-process-1052245