Next Generation JKO
Written by Joseph Camacho
The Next Generation JKO Will Take Online
Joint Training to New Levels of Technology
Application, User Friendliness, Convenience
and Learning Impact.
In two years’ time, JKO has delivered profound mission impact and proved distributed learning a valued venue and force multiplier for military training as greater numbers of individuals are receiving training prior to arriving in theater operations. Service men and women are accessing JKO from around the world to take required training at their convenience and at their pace. The joint training enterprise is dramatically enriched with improved quality of joint training curriculum, the increase of joint content and cost-effective availability to globally dispersed users. To date, JKO reports over 100,000 registered users and 230,000 course completions, with over 330 certified joint courses amounting to over 1,550 hours of online instruction available. Compared to the industry standard for schoolhouse delivery of training ($250 per hour) for a commensurate number of similar training hours delivered, the operational fielding of the JKO capability has returned an estimated $75 million in cost savings. Since the launch JKO has effectively reduced distribution costs (i.e., money spent on activities required to make distance learning courses available to the end-user) from $300 per hour to less than $6 per hour (based on the number of users per courses completed). And JKO has reduced courseware development costs (i.e., costs associated with activities to produce and host distributed learning compliant courseware on JKO) from $34,000 per hour to $10,000 per hour.
Upon this proven platform, JKO is focusing on advanced technologies to enhance learning and target identified training gaps. The next generation JKO includes higher-level interactive courseware utilizing immersive simulation environments, and the next generation learning management system making the learning content far more intuitive to access and navigate.
NEXT GENERATION COURSEWARE
The JKDDC program is investing research and development in advanced technology capabilities such as courseware-embedded intelligent tutor-based, immersive learning environments to enhance Web-based training of joint operators and enhance their performance in joint assignments.
The Virtual Cultural Awareness Trainer (VCAT), available via JKO this fall, is the first such product moving through prototyping into operational capability this year. VCAT is considered the forerunner of next generation JKO courseware. It is the benchmark of a collaborative development effort to address a critical, immediate training need with a Web-based solution. VCAT is Web-based, game-based, interactive multimedia instruction, fully integrated with JKO that teaches cultural awareness and gives trainees opportunities to apply their knowledge in simulated missions.
Cultural training focused on the development of mission-relevant, inter-cultural competence that is readily accessible to deploying personnel is an immediate and critical joint training objective. Classroom lecture-based cultural instruction gives learners little opportunity to practice cultural skills in realistic settings. Typical personal computing and learning management system-based courseware is primarily concerned with presenting cultural facts and information, and gives little opportunity to develop and practice cultural skills. Immersive, simulation-based training experiences are well-suited for cultural training as a substitute for immersive experiences in country. However, such simulations often require special hardware and/or software installations, and so are less convenient than Web-based solutions. VCAT incorporates some of the most advanced learning techniques available, such as game-based learning, storytelling, intelligent tutoring and remediation, to help learners to quickly and efficiently develop operational cultural knowledge, and acquire cultural skills.
The first application of VCAT focuses on the cultures of the Horn of Africa. Unique mission scenarios are generated for each country/region and consist of potential missions for civil affairs operations, security operations, and humanitarian operations. During fiscal year 2010, JKDDC will be collecting and responding to stakeholder requirements, so that future scenarios and areas of operations can be created using the VCAT applications based on prioritized senior leader guidance.
NEXT GENERATION LEARNING CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
The JKO portal channels provide access to the JKDDC tailored learning content management system (LCMS) for creating and managing delivery of self-paced, Web-based training, including the tracking, documentation and reporting of student progress. Course status and completions are recorded in the LCMS so that students can track their training progress. Training accomplishment and management information, including qualification points under the new Joint Qualification System for officers, is directly entered into service and DoD personnel records. JKDDC works with its stakeholder community tailoring the LCMS to meet unique training management needs in an effort to establish the JKO LCMS as the single application supporting Web-based individual training requirements for the entire joint training enterprise—an objective responding to the DoD Training Transformation goal of a universal service to provide consolidated online training.
Through a growing partnership with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) and the Advanced Distributed Learning Collaborative Laboratory (ADL Co-Lab), JKDDC technical projects are leading to the roll-out of the next generation JKO. These initiatives include infrastructure redundancy through the deployment of additional JKO LCMS sites integrated with the parent capability; increased functionality of the LCMS and its Web-based, content authoring application, the Rapid Online Content Creation Environment (ROCCE), and the deployment of the ADL-Registry to the NIPRnet. JKDDC is also introducing a streaming media capability, allowing the provision of training seminar videos captured during mission rehearsal exercises and other operationally relevant training opportunities captured on video. These videos will be directly available via JKO and incorporated to enhance associated courseware development.
LCMS improvements funded by other organizations that use the same LCMS software are leveraged as part of this process. For example, the DAU has partnered with JKDDC to fund and incrementally improve the capabilities of the LCMS and ROCCE for both organizations. These improvements, collectively characterizing the next generation JKO LCMS, dramatically enhance usability with easy navigability, and making it easily customizable by users. The LCMS is role-based, providing role-based functions and features for training administrators and training managers. The new LCMS allows user organizations to easily customize training administration roles to their particular organization. It also provides a “push capability” allowing training managers to push required and re-occurring training to their JKO account holders.
DISTRIBUTED GROUP TRAINING CAPABILITY
The Small Group Scenario Trainer (SGST) is another harbinger of the Next Generation JKO as we extend the distance learning capability beyond an individual focus, to serve the online training needs of small groups. SGST is a JKO-hosted, Web-based exercise framework for multi-player, small group teams, cells and Joint Task Force (JTF) battle staff training exercises.
Developed using the latest Web technology, SGST supports distributed team training via JKO for improving training readiness of individuals and small staffs. SGST was developed specifically with internal combatant command battle staff training in mind.
JKO’s SGST integrates technology that incorporates interactive curriculum responding to a student’s skill level. The system uses interactive capabilities that teach creative thinking skills to address problems encountered during virtual sessions. Initial operational capability was directed specifically to support NORTHCOM training requirements. Future versions of SGST have application for all of DoD, as well as interagency and intergovernmental agencies.
The framework allows for reusable and flexible scenario creation, validation, exercise and after-action reviews. It immerses the training audience quickly by providing scenario background, assignment of roles and action injects to facilitate whatever staff process needed to train. SGST provides file-sharing, video-viewing and collaboration that enable the staff processes and procedures established as training objectives.
SGST complements existing collective mission rehearsal exercises and assists battle staffs and small groups with problem solving as it facilitates contingency planning and course-of-action analysis. SGST supports the complete training life cycle from the initial establishment of training objectives to final after-action reviews, while capturing lessons learned throughout the process. Other features include real-time remediation, learning content navigation, and tools for creating avatar-delivered performance support, as well as delivering these avatars for the purpose of stimulating critical thinking and learning.
Successful acceptance testing conducted with NORAD/NORTHCOM during FY09 has readied SGST for follow-on enhancements to the first “battle staff trainer.” JKO stakeholders can now create tailored group training scenarios for up to 20 participants. Stakeholders will continue to collaborate with JKDDC to develop, enhance and refine future versions of SGST. The next step is to develop the “Builder” module for the Web, providing users the capability to develop scenarios, provide training on scenario development and group manager role for all users, and develop additional scenarios based on prioritized training requirements.
NEXT GENERATION METRICS
JKDDC’s first generation metrics appropriately captured and reflected adoption and cost-effectiveness of distributed learning. Next generation metrics further refine effective feedback capture and response mechanism capabilities, focusing particularly on assessing training effectiveness. JKO measures of effectiveness are prioritized on learning assessment and warfighter readiness requirements. Next generation metrics focus on the tools and methods to capture and provide full feedback of impact on the warfighter readiness.
The next generation of JKO assessment will characterize the capabilities of JKDDC knowledge services to meet the training, education and job performances of the combatant commands as exercised in their joint training plans. Competency assessment will be tailored to support for the management of individual staff billet requirements as well as top-level support for the Joint Staff Joint Headquarters Staff billet program, and will continue to support JTF staff trainers.
Assessment of competencies will expand to evaluate the contribution of different pieces of the Joint Learning Continuum (JLC) at key phases in order to inform the requirements and planning phases of the Joint Training System (JTS). At a minimum, assessments will include the evaluation of JLC training at the entry to mission rehearsal exercise level training environments and during the staging phase of Reception Staging Onward Movement and Integration activity. These assessments will correlate practical knowledge with the various sources of that knowledge to evaluate the effectiveness of the sourcing programs. JKDDC will support the implementation of tools to manage service and combatant command individual performance models for joint individual training. ✯
Editor’s note: Joseph Camacho is program director, JKDDC.