The same factors that create a greater need for U.S. Army Soldiers and leaders to learn quickly make it more difficult to receive instruction via the traditional Army education system. Lifelong Learning Centers (LLCs) leverage advanced technologies to enable anytime, anywhere learning throughout the career of Army personnel (Wilson & Helms, 2003). In the present research, a comprehensive, generalizable framework was developed to conceptualize the effectiveness of LLCs and was used to conduct a formative evaluation of a pilot LLC situated at the U.S. Command and General Staff College. The framework, based on public sector program evaluation techniques, was a useful tool for capturing LLC functioning, from the acquisition of resources to the achievement of organizational impact. The evaluation findings indicated that although the pilot LLC was technologically stable and cost-effective, system adoption rates were lower than criterion due to human factors involved in collective information management and organizational change. Recommendations for further validating the LLC assessment framework and enhancing LLC implementation are provided.
U.S. Army Lifelong Learning: Program Assessment Metrics and Initial Results
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