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We are building a computer-based instructional system for teaching the operation of complex physical mechanisms. The system is based intimately on the use of simulation. Our goal in this paper is to describe the system we are attempting to construct, discuss its origins. and identify what we perceive to be its implications for psychological research into instruction.Propulsion engineering is a major training problem for the U.S. Navy. Indeed, it is commonly judged by officers to be the single greatest training problem. Much of this is due to the complexity of the system. Not only are the propulsion plants physically large (approximately one third of the space on a ship), but they also comprise thousands of complex components (valves, pumps, tanks, etc.). The plants are operated by 10 to 20 watch standers who have prescribed sets of duties and work as a team. The team members range from the Engineering Officer of the Watch, through enlisted supervisors responsible for operations in various compartments, down to junior enlisted personnel who turn valves, operate panels, keep logs, and so on. The primary function of all these operators is to control the plant, monitor its operation, and recover from any casualty conditions that might arise.The operators of these plants must be trained to comprehend and carry out hundreds of procedures. A typical collection of operating procedures (in the form of annotated checklists) runs to two (or more) 4-in. thick volumes. Mistakes can lead to expensive damage and even deaths. Operators function in the midst of a vast control process that they all manipulate to some extent.We are using a set of new technologies derived for work in artificial intelligence (AI) and cognitive science. These technologies make it possible to construct "intelligent" computer programs that can serve as tutors. Our goal is to build an intelligent computer-aided instruction (leAl) training system to enhance Navy training in propulsion engineering. Primarily, the focus is On conceptual training. We want to train students in the primary principles of propulsion engineering. This is motivated by our belief that it is impossible to memorize all of the operating procedures. Furthermore, in many casualty situations, operators must literally invent the appropriate procedure to correct the casualty condition or to troubleshoot the steam plant. The system is referred to as STEAMER. STEAMER: THE BASIC IDEACurrently, there exists a full-scale mock-up simulator of a 1,200-psi steam plant. This system is located at the U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer School in Newport, Rhode Island. The essential idea in STEAMER is to take the math model that underlies this simulator, modify it, and use it as the basis for our development. We plan to put the modified model into a tabletop computer, provide a graphics interface to permit students access to inspect and manipulate the steam plant, and build an intelligent tutor to supervise the student's interaction and provide explanations. STEAMER is a 5-year project consisting of ...