The Army determined in 2015 that its learning method was outdated and required significant changes. The U.S. Army Learning Concept for 2015 spells out how it wishes to educate its personnel and produce an agile and proficient force. Instead of a curriculum that is course-based with static presentations, the Army restructured to a learner-centric model. The critical points of the concept can be spelled out in the acronym LEARN. Learner-centric, Engaging, Adaptive, Rigorous & relevant, and Networked (Longo, 2011).
In learner-centric education platforms, the learner is responsible for their performance and how they participate during instruction. The concept is also referred to as ‘Student-Centric’ instruction and is the primary methodology in the U.S. Army. Learners play a big part in setting their own goals and paths to success. The knowledge gained is directly connected to their ambitions. As illustrated by Keller & Deimann (2018) in Trends and issues in instructional design and technology, meaningfully linking knowledge to goals motivates learners to learn. Distributed Leader Courses are career-based and provide education throughout a soldier’s career. The courses are self-paced and online, making them accessible when the soldier needs them. The Army has made great efforts to make all of its curricula focused and relevant and not just a ‘check-in a box’ to complete a requirement. To advance in the Army, soldiers must complete the required courses. The learner has complete control over his or her success. The learner can also track their progress in real-time; thus, soldiers are fully vested and can visualize the outcome of their efforts. Control instills confidence which in turn motivates students to learn (Keller & Deimann, 2018). The ALM is not learner-centric alone; It also increases focus on peer-to-peer or collaborative team instruction. Soldiers learn to master critical -thinking and problem-solving skills in a group structure. Research shows that cooperative education engages learners at a greater level, retaining material longer (Staff, 2020).
The concept focuses on individual learning to enable individualized and career-long learning that is integrated seamlessly with unit training capabilities to support the conduct of joint combined arms operations.
(TRADOC, 2017)
The learning model combines adaptive learning that is technology-enabled and provides learning at the point of need. The Army wants its soldiers to learn faster and to be engaged in their progress. Also, the new model aligns well with young soldiers who know and appreciate digital technology. The army learning model fully supports technology integration for instructional delivery at the point of need, including online gaming, mobile learning, learning enablers, and dynamic virtual environments. The use of technology to deliver content motivates soldiers to learn and master the content on a familiar platform (Keller & Deimann, 2018, pg. 81). The army Learning model assures that the internet's full power is utilized to deliver learning technologies inside and outside the traditional places of learning. The end goal is to challenge and inspire the soldier-learner and apply feedback from peers and teachers (Richard C. Longo, 2011). The Army is no different than any other organization that is required to educate and train its workforce. To stay relevant and maintain the ability to compete, it must use the latest technology and educational concepts. In the case of the U.S. Army, its competitors are those who may wish us harm. The new Army model, which is constantly adjusted to stay in line with technological changes aims to produce superiorly trained leaders and soldiers who can adapt and learn in a global environment during persistent conflict (Miranda, 2016).
Anna T. Cianciolo, Jeff Grover ,William R. Bickley David Manning . (2011). Problem-based learning: instructor characteristics, competencies, and professional development. arlington: dynamics research corporation.
ARMY, U. (2010, OCT). Army learning concept 2015. Retrieved from YOTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD9NGAV3-3k
Miranda, R. A. (2016). The army learning model. american society for quality.
Richard C. Longo, P. E. (2011). Concept. developing adaptable soldiers, leaders and units to meet the challenge of persistent conflict. fort monroe: u.s army training and doctrine Command.
Staff, E. (2020). Student-centric learning: why adaptive learning is important. retrieved from focus education: https://www.focuseduvation.com/student-centric-learning-why-adaptive-learning-is-important/
TRADOC. (2017). THE ARMY LEARNING CONCEPT. UNITED STATES ARMY.
Keller, J.M. & Deimann, M. (2018). Motivation, volition, and performance. In R.A. Reiser, & J.V Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (4th ed.) (pp. 80-81). New York, NY: Pearson
In The army's new way to educate! an overview of the Army’s requiring significant changes due to its methods being outdated. The Army restructured its learning environment to an acronym LEARN: Learner-centric, Engaging, Adaptive, Rigorous & relevant, and Networked (Longo), 2011.
Learning Engagement 1: Motivation to learn is promoted when learners anticipate and experience satisfying outcomes to a learning task.
Having served in the Army, I’m fully aware of how completing a task and required training results in a satisfying outcome to a learning task. Not only is there required online training, but the physical training is mentally, emotionally and physically exhausting. With this article, it’s mentioned that “learners play a big part in setting their own goals and paths…
Expectations of Success are Positive
With new and younger recruits coming in, many of them were probably skeptical of their training success due to outdated learning paradigms. Many of this generation’s learners were born with technology in their hands. Having a technology-based learning environment with the proper scaffolding is in place is essential to their progression. However, engagement should be mediated somehow for students to interact with the subject in technology classes continually. This mediation could take the form of an instructor in a hybrid learning program or scaffolding built into the curriculum (Chaw and Tang, 2019). The army recruits in the instance reported in this blog are given a blended learning program in which knowledge is available at all…
Peer to Peer
In the case study “The army's new way to educate!”, the ARMY updated their outdated learning philosophies in order to adapt to the modern soldier. One of the ideas was to drastically increase collaborative learning. The concept is also referred to as ‘Student-Centric’ instruction and is the primary methodology in the U.S. Army. (ARMY, 2010) Just like what was mentioned in animation, collaborative learning is great for engagement. Motivation to learn is promoted when learners believe they can succeed in mastering the learning task. (Reiser & Dempsey, 2018) If one is able to learn something new and then immediately turn around and teach that to a peer, that is a powerful tool for engagement. The soldiers get…
Meaningfully Related to One’s Goals
One of the most salient points of this blog post was that the shift in the army education system has re-aligned the learning system to specific individual goals. As Keller and Diemann (2018) highlight, the relevance of on activity to the learner greatly affects motivation to actively participate in the coursework. For example, learning at the point of need is incredibly useful for active army recruits. Learning how to apply a particular bandage can easily be forgotten outside a classroom, but through offering modules that are available when needed, individuals can directly use the information when needed. The program encourages a constant feedback loop so that individuals are aware of their progress toward their goals…
Motivation to learn is promoted when the knowledge to be learned is perceived to be meaningfully related to one’s goals.
Much like being in college, the Army is an educational setting where each “student” chose to be there. In contrast, I am a high school teacher where not every students wants to be at a particular class - especially the core classes: Math, Science, and English. The Army is already ahead of the game because at least they have a foundation on which to build on: everyone in the Army joined by choice. As states, “the child-centered learning approach encourages children to take learning into their own hands and learn through the activities they choose to participate in” (Choi).