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Learning Experience Architect
Learning Experience Architect

Augmented Reality Engine Assembly Training & Job Aid

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Role: Lead Instructional Designer | Format: Augmented Reality | Audience: Novice to Intermediate Maintainers | Scope: 4 Procedures, 20 Hours of Training

Project Summary

The goal of this project was to create a more effective solution for aircraft maintenance and assembly procedures that were experiencing production errors and long completion times.

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We leveraged Augmented Reality to support both training and on-the-job performance. Learners could first rehearse procedures using detailed 3D models and guided interactions in a virtual experience. Because the models were highly precise and the procedural sequence was carefully refined, we were then able to adapt the same experience for use directly on the job.

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The on-site version overlaid instructional content onto the actual equipment, giving maintainers step-by-step guidance during real procedures. This allowed them to rely less on outdated technical publications and paper-based resources while gaining a more intuitive view of the equipment and procedure. The solution was well received by on-site personnel, particularly because it provided an “X-ray” style view of the equipment as maintainers worked.

 

At the conclusion of the project, we evaluated the AR solution against the traditional resources normally used during the procedure. The maintainer using the AR-guided experience completed the task hours faster and with zero errors, demonstrating the potential of immersive performance support to improve both productivity and procedural accuracy.

Challenges and Solutions

One of the primary challenges was consolidating information from multiple departments that relied on different technical resources and processes. I worked directly with Subject Matter Experts from each department to understand their requirements, compare existing procedures, and identify the critical steps, checks, and information that needed to be preserved.

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The result was a unified procedure that supported the full workflow from the shop floor through production. Each department’s requirements were represented without losing the core actions and quality checks needed to complete the process correctly.

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A second challenge was designing instruction that could support both the solution’s Practice Mode and On-Site Mode. To keep development efficient and cost effective, we wanted to reuse as much instructional content as possible between the two experiences.

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This required writing each procedure carefully enough to support learning and rehearsal, while remaining concise and practical enough to guide an experienced maintainer during a real task. I developed the instructional approach so that the same core sequence could serve both purposes, creating consistency between training and on-the-job performance while reducing the need for separate content development.

My Role

As the Lead Instructional Designer, I was responsible for consolidating the available technical resources into a clear, usable instructional experience. I worked closely with Subject Matter Experts to validate the correct procedural steps, identify areas that required additional emphasis, and ensure the content supported both training and real-world application.
 

A major focus of my role was developing procedures that could work effectively in both Practice Mode and On-Site Mode. The challenge was to make the training detailed enough to teach the procedure while keeping the on-the-job guidance concise and efficient. I wrote the instructional content for the full program and helped structure the experience so the same core content could support both modes without creating unnecessary development cost or schedule impact.
 

I was also responsible for quality assurance and functional testing across both versions of the experience. This included extensive testing of Practice Mode throughout development, along with on-site testing at the facility using the actual equipment to verify that the instructional flow, interactions, and AR guidance worked as intended in the real environment.

By the end of the project, I had developed such a strong understanding of the procedure that members of the team jokingly suggested I could step into a maintainer role myself. More importantly, that reflected the depth of procedural knowledge required to design, validate, and successfully deliver the training.

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