Drawing on interim findings from an ethnography of a cycle mechanics' workshop, this article demonstrates how the work of the mechanics rests on not only specific and contextualised craft expertise but also on distributed networks of both people and things, within which highly specialist instances of expertise or competence manifest alongside more…

Schools are becoming complex facilities that need skilled, specially trained personnel to maintain mechanical systems. (Author/MF)

Results of a one-year research program to study maintenance procedures for operating mechanical equipment were based on the determination of--(1) the present condition and level of performance of operating mechanical equipment, (2) the problems encountered by school administrators and custodial engineers pertaining to operating mechanical…

The implementation and subsequent evaluation of the PLATO IV system in an Air Force vehicular maintenance training program are described. Outcomes of this project, which was designed to test the effectiveness of the PLATO IV instructional system in a technical training environment, indicate that PLATO could be successfully incorporated into the…

The report, the first of two documents examining the relationship among job requirements, training, and manpower considerations for Army aviation maintenance Personnel, discusses the development of task data gathering techniques and procedures for incorporating this data into training programs for the UH-1 helicopter mechanic sPecialty (MOS…

Learning activity packages are presented for instruction in tractor mechanics. The packages deal with the duties involved in maintaining the fuel system. The following fourteen learning activity packages are included: servicing fuel and air filters, servicing fuel tanks and lines, adjusting a carburetor, servicing a carburetor, servicing the…

Several intermediate performance objectives and corresponding criterion measures are listed for each of six terminal objectives for an intermediate diesel mechanics course (two semesters, 3 hours daily) designed for high school students who upon completion would be ready for an on-the-job training experience in diesel service and repair. Through…

The Army Research Institute developed and made operational a computer-based maintenance performance management information system that monitors technical activities of maintenance personnel. The implications of data from eight months of system operation for training programs, training material development, estimating manning requirements,…

This guide is designed to assist industrial vocational instructors in teaching a course on fluid power and basic hydraulics. Covered in the unit on the basics of fluid power and hydraulics are the following topics: the fundamentals of fluid power and hydraulics, basic hydraulic circuits, and servicing a hydraulic jack. The second unit, consisting…

Learning activity packages are presented for teaching tractor mechanics. The first of two sections deals with miscellaneous tasks and contains learning activity packages on cleaning the tractor and receiving new tractor parts. Section 2 is concerned with maintaining and servicing the electrical system, and it includes the following learning…

This instructional package, one in a series of individualized instructional units on automotive steering and suspension, consists of a student guide and an instructor guide dealing with automobile front-end types. Covered in the module are three common types of passenger car front suspension systems and their major components as well as two types…

This instructional package, one in a series of individualized instructional units on automotive steering and suspension, consists of a student guide and an instructor guide dealing with prealignment checks. Covered in the module are the following steps in a prealignment check: checking the ride height of a vehicle, checking the ball joints and the…

This instructional package, one in a series of individualized instructional units on automotive steering and suspension, consists of a student guide and an instructor guide dealing with automobile alignment and adjustment procedures. Covered in the module are identifying positive and negative cambers, positive and negative casters, and toe-ins;…

An experiment examined effects of training task repetition on retention and transfer of maintenance skill. Five groups of 15 student Fuel and Electrical Repairmen, 630 Military Occupational Specialty, performed from zero to four repetitions on testing charging system electrical output using the 500A Sun Test Stand. Each group received test stand…

Forms for student self-checks and the instructor's final checklist (student evaluation) are provided for use with thirty-three learning modules on maintaining and servicing fuel and electrical systems in tractor mechanics. The student self-check asks the students questions about their understanding of the modules' content. The instructor's…