Threshold Knowledge Testing
Threshold Knowledge Tests (TKTs) are an integral part of teaching that provides the instructor with assurance that the lesson is delivered to a student at the level of complexity that matches the student’s state of understanding. At one extreme, the instructor incorrectly talks “over the head” of a student who knows very little about the new subject matter, while on the other end, an instructor might be waisting time by reviewing material the student already knows and understands—something a well-prepared student will find totally frustrating. Both are uncomfortable teaching situations for the student—often accompanied with the instructor having no awareness and understanding. Students are quite unlikely to correct the situation—you won’t typically hear a student say “. . Excuse me but I already know this stuff . .” or “. . I’m afraid I haven’t the slightest clue as to what you are talking about . .” Those responses from the student are indeed rare. Having sufficient empathy for the student’s level of understanding is a crucial prerequisite for the Flight Instructor’s qualification. While there is limited application in air instruction, TKTs serve a crucial role in Preparatory Ground Instruction (PGI).
TKTs in PGIs
A really good way to ensure TKTs are always an element of your PGI presentation is to focus on definitions. What is a stall? What are attitudes and movements? What is the critical angle of flight? What is the definition of autorotation? Flight lessons are packed with concepts and expressions that need to be defined. The simple strategy is to always check to see if your student is able to define a concept or expression before you do. Simply lead with the question:
“Frankie, today we're going to look at stalls, and I want to begin with a definition of exactly what is a stall—if someone asked you what a stall was, what would you say?”
“Frankie, today we get to do attitudes and movements, and lets begin with a definition. Do you have a sense of what attitudes and movements refer to?”
Remember, these questions have to be pitched “softly”—don’t even get close to presenting them as a test or interrogation, as this will quickly shutdown your student. Think of it like a gentle probe. If your student is well prepared, they will know, and you in turn will know the proper level of engagement with your student. Remember, if students have done their readings and research, they will know their stuff, and your job then is to simply confirm that they know the material. You do this through conversational questions as if your doing so over a coffee. And don’t be afraid to be direct yet informal—“If I were to ask you what is the ‘critical angle of attack’, what would you say?’ “Good Frankie, do you know how many attitudes and how many movements there are?” Keep it going, when ever something has to be defined—a concept term or process, for example. Simply ask your student.
Be aware, however, that there are hard limits to informal questioning. There some subjects the student does not know. These answers require the expertise of the instructor: What is the aim of the exercise? What are the reasons why learning this exercise is important to pilot training? What are the safety threats that must be addressed while performing this exercise? The answers to these sorts of questions are the purview of the flight instructor.
TKTs in Air Instruction
What about TKTs during air training. The answer relates to the function of the Pre-flight Briefing (PFB), and the fact that instructors must make sure students are ready to fly—and have the sufficient level of knowledge to perform the targeted maneuver—before launch. While TKTs are a central function to the PFB, they have no real function in the air. It doesn’t mean that we ignore the learning principle of “readiness”—this is always integral to teaching and learning—but readiness in the air relates here to a more basic level—e.g., properly transitioning between exercises, or deploying proper instructor patter while demonstrating a maneuver.