The vision of U.S. Army Training and Education is expressed in the new Army Learning Model, a paradigm shift defined in the Army Learning Concept for 2015. Army Training and Education was traditionally defined as either classroom or distance learning with a clear distinction in the use of instructor led activities. The new Army Learning Model focused more attention on the blending of these two modalities.

For the Army, a major advantage of blending classroom with distance learning is efficiency of scale. On classroom presentation for twenty can be made to reach a larger audience of 40 to 60. But how large is too large and what are the effects in terms of teaching and learning effectiveness? Obviously, such a strategy has major advantages in reducing the resources needed, but what are the tradeoffs?

The Army Distributed Learning Program has been producing asynchronous courseware for a number of years but has failed to define a design strategy for using that same content in the classroom to supplement a synchronous presentation. This strategy must include a method for resourcing the course with instructors in the classroom and off-site if needed.

This talk will describe the process the Army is following in developing the Course Resource Model for Resident and Non-resident Learning Activities such as collaborative learning to engage learners using digital learning content, relevant operational scenarios, and blended learning approaches. Using a research based approach and a quantitative model, the Army plan relooks the way in which distance learning is resourced by instructional methodology. This approach provides a well documented structure for planning and staffing of instructors as well as for developers of distance learning content.

Peggy Kenyon

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