In 2011, the Joint Staff J7 (Joint Training) directorate initiated the Continuum of eLearning project in order to integrate blended learning into joint exercises. This three-year research and development effort included construction of both the blended learning instructional materials (e.g., best practices for online instructional delivery [andragogy] within Joint Knowledge Online) and the processes required to implement blended learning within the existing joint training enterprise. Although the capacity for blended learning has existed for decades, such large-scale institutionalization of it presented unique challenges, which have previously limited its use within the joint training community.
Joint Training personnel built the blended learning system iteratively, concurrently, and incrementally over the three-year project. We also systematically measured the effectiveness of implemented components. This paper presents an overview of this process as a case study for others, and it summarizes the results of the empirical testing. The paper builds upon two previous I/ITSEC presentations, each of which detailed separate portions of the ongoing project (i.e., effectiveness of blended online courses in 2012 and integration of a part-task team-training simulation in 2013). This paper adds to those earlier articles by presenting holistic project outcomes, along with previously unpublished data from the empirical trials. For instance, some notable results included 21% higher learning outcomes (knowledge) when complementary e-learning courses preceded an exercise, and when an additional team-training simulation was added to the pre-exercise preparation, 62.9% of participants indicated that they felt more confident performing their assigned tasks as a result. Finally, this paper includes ten recommendations for other organizations seeking to formally implement a blended learning system, including don’t assume that trainers know how to “blend� from an instructional perspective and to truly implement a robust blended learning system the organizational culture and its shared narrative about training must evolve.