Inattention occurs when a learner fails to pay attention to a task that is important. Inattention is sometimes a natural by-product of  fixation. Learners fixate on one task and become too busy to attend to other tasks. Inattention also happens when learners are not  busy: attention may drift when they become bored or think that a task does not deserve their attention. In some cases, this type of  inattention is difficult to eliminate through training and practice. For example, it is well known that humans perform poorly when  placed in the role of passive monitor. Many studies have shown how performance rapidly deteriorates when humans are asked to  passively monitor gauges or the progress of an automated system such as a GPS navigation computer or autopilot. Furthermore, it  seems that the more reliable the system becomes, the poorer the human performance becomes at the monitoring task. The first line of  defense against this type of inattention is to alert the learner to the problem, and to help develop habits that keep their attention  focused.  One way for instructors to identify problems with fixation and inattention is to try and follow where learners look. To accomplish this,  instructors can glance at a learner’s eyes to try to determine where they are looking. Learners who appear to look at one instrument  for an extended period of time might have a problem with fixation. Learners whose gaze is never directed toward engine instruments  might have a problem with inattention.  The technique of following learner eye movements is useful, but has limitations since looking in the same direction is not the same as  “seeing” what the learner sees.$_{ }$ Research and practical experience have demonstrated the usefulness of practicing in realistic scenarios—ones that resemble the  environment in which knowledge and skills are later used. Instructors should devise scenarios that allow learners to practice what they  have learned. This is challenging because different learners need to practice different things at different times, and because different  working environments present different practice opportunities.  What makes a good scenario? A good scenario:  For example, Bill is introducing Beverly to a low-fuel emergency. His objective at this early stage is to simply enable Beverly to  recall the sorts of actions that are appropriate for a low-fuel emergency. He decides to use the classroom environment as a first  practice scenario. He asks Beverly about what sorts of actions she might take if such an event would occur. She has some good ideas  but he asks her to think more about before her next lesson. On her next lesson he gives her the same exercise. This time her answers  are consistent and insightful. Bill decides that this scenario has served its purpose and moves on.  During their next flight, Bill’s objective is having Beverly recall and carry out the steps that she was able to cite in the classroom. As  they arrive at their home airport, he presents Beverly with a low-fuel scenario. He notes that she remembers much of what she was  able to recall in the classroom, but amidst the excitement, has forgotten a few things. He uses the same scenario at a different airport  on their next flight, and she performs admirably.  Later in her training, Bill’s next objective is to enable her to recall and perform the emergency steps in concert with other piloting  duties. They depart on a cross-country flight from a populated area to a remote area. While en route, Bill presents Beverly with a low- fuel emergency scenario knowing that there is only one airport nearby and that it is not easy to spot. She successfully uses her  available navigational resources to locate and arrive at the airport. Upon returning home, Bill attempts to generalize her new abilities  and put yet a different spin on the same problem. He presents the low-fuel scenario, taking advantage of the fact that there are eight  nearby airports. All of the airports are in plain view, and she can choose one.  Each of these scenarios taught Beverly something she needed to learn next, and made good use of the surroundings and available  circumstances. As these examples illustrate, there is no list of “canned” scenarios that can be used for all learners. Instructors should  devise their own scenarios by considering what each learner needs to practice, and exploiting features of the local environment that  allow them to do it.  3-31  ⦁ $_{Capitalizes on the nuances of the local environment. }$ ⦁ $_{Is tailored to the needs of the learner. }$ ⦁ $_{Has a clear set of objectives. }$ Scenario-Based Training (SBT)  How to Identify Fixation or Inattention Problems 