The Air Force is transforming the way Airmen learn through opportunities that allow Airmen to train as they fight using experiential and multi-modal options. Concurrently, the Air Force is rapidly adapting to the challenges of the future security environment, where it should draw upon situated learning (SL) theory (Lave & Wegner, 1991) as a framework for training Multi-capable Airmen (MCA). Supporting the concept of Agile Combat Employment (ACE) through deploying in smaller, agile teams, MCA must perform tasks outside their core specialty, and a recommended method for training MCA to perform these new tasks is through SL-based learning. The Air Force is also accelerating change through increased use of virtual reality (VR) technology, which is well suited to experiential learning (EL) (Kwon, 2019). However, these new methods introduce new challenges to the Air Force. A review of literature finds that most VR applications focus on learning outcomes without supporting learning processes like EL (Fromm et al., 2020). Few studies exist on combining SL and EL using VR-based training. The Air Force is increasing its use of EL, yet it must go beyond the mode of the VR experience and leverage all four learning modes as described in Kolb’s (1984) EL theory. By designing SL-based VR training around EL as a process, MCA will be able to cycle through the four learning modes (i.e., concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation) which can accelerate new skills by allowing them to learn from their own virtual experiences (Kolb & Lewis, 1986). Drawing on data available through open source, the paper develops best practices for SL and EL integrated with VR technology. This analysis will develop principles to inform and guide MCA instructional design and present recommendations on how to establish effective MCA training.
Keywords
EDUCATION,FEEDBACK,FRAMEWORK,IMMERSIVE,MILITARY LEARNING,TEAM TRAINING
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