The FY23 version of the WOC Human Factors Track will be released in November 2022. If you are a forecaster in your forecast office who wants to sign up for the next available WOC Human Factors, please complete the WOC Human Factors Registration Form. Note: You should coordinate with your local training facilitators (e.g., SOOs) before completing this form.
Warning Decision Training Division
Office of Chief Learning Officer
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The FY23 version of the WOC Human Factors Track was released in November of 2022. If you are a forecaster in your forecast office who wants to sign up for the next available WOC Human Factors, please complete the WOC Human Factors Registration Form. Note: You should coordinate with your local training facilitators (e.g., SOOs) before completing this form.
The Warning Operations Course (WOC) Human Factors Track is a course that consists of approximately 9 hours of training material on topics that are relevant to warning decision-making, but not tied to a specific weather or warning type. There are 4 different instructional components in the Human Factors Track covering topics including situation awareness, office strategies, and public response.
The WOC Human Factors Track modules include a combination of learning technologies including videos, web-based training, and assignments. The course is designed to allow every NWS Forecaster (Meteorologist and Hydrologist) to participate with the assistance of an on-site facilitator (SOO, DOH, or locally appointed training officer). Each instructional component for NWS employees are tracked by the WOC on-site facilitator using the NWS Learning Center.
The WOC Human Factors Track is designed to improve the performance of NOAA’s NWS offices in issuing a variety of watches, warnings, and advisories.
Click on the panels below to access the content for each topic of the course. For most lessons, there will be two ways to access the training materials:
The lesson content is the same for each link. NWS employees enrolled in the WOC Human Factors Track should already have all of the WOC course content provided on their personal transcript. However, you can also use the LMS Version link to access the content and ensure you receive completion credit.
Brief Description: This module orients you to the WOC Human Factors track, including key concepts and methods for course completion.
Delivery Methods: Teletraining and printed materials
Approximate Completion Time: 10 minutes
Content:
Brief Description: This section of the course focuses on individual and team mindsets in the context of the operational warning environment. Topics include the three levels of situation awareness (SA) and how they fit into the decision making process, methods for maximizing mental resources available for decision making, and elements that contribute to a deterioration of situation awareness will be presented.
Delivery Methods: Web Modules
Approximate Completion Time: 1 hours
Content:
Brief Description: This section of the course provides a framework for executing in the complex and challenging NWS warning operations environment. Topics include staffing strategies, individual and team resilience, delivering effective warnings and quality control of incoming information.
Delivery Methods: Web modules
Approximate Completion Time: 100 minutes
Content:
Brief Description: This topic focuses on putting together strategies that allow the decision maker to best use their skills and those of the warning team. These lesson will include a discussion on the value of expertise, the ways in which expertise can be developed, and what expertise looks like among NWS warning forecasters. One of the primary ways in which expertise can be developed is via post event evaluations. Ways in which these evaluations can be effectively and efficiently accomplished will be presented. Examples of the uses and applications of expert strategies during significant events will be presented.
Delivery Methods: Web modules, exercises and web support materials
Approximate Completion Time: 2.5 hours
Content:
Brief Description:This instructional component discusses crisis communication and the use of Social Media in the Weather Forecast Office (WFO) operational environment.
Delivery Methods: Web module
Approximate Completion Time: 2.5 hours
Content:
Optional Content:
Other Documentation:
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