ALTP News September 16, 2000
Edited by Richard Brincefield

Recent ALTP News

Reminder: ALTP BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING (OPEN)

Wednesday, September 20, 2000
7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. 

• Phoenix: US WEST, 3033 N. Third St., Room 208.09
• Tucson: US WEST, 333 E. Wetmore, Room 323

Dial-in attendance: contact tkraver@qwest.net

ACTION AGENDA         Saturday,  September 16, 2000

Arizona Learning Technology Partnership, Inc.
Governors Strategic Partnership for Economic Development

E-LEARNING HOT TEAM FORUM CUTOFF IS SEPTEMBER 19^th

IDEA’s AND CRITIQUE NEEDED NOW.

Over the next 3 days, the Breakthrough Ideas of the E-Learning Hot Team will be formulated. If you are on the team, then sign in at http://www.rfpforum.com/ and provide your wisest comments. If not, then email your E-Learning comments to tkraver@qwest.net and I will try to get them posted into correct section of the discussion.

ACTION 2

ALTP OPEN BOARD MEETING NOTICE

US WEST => QUEST has set up our video conferenced board meeting for 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., September 20^th, 2000, We will have a working meeting prior to the open E-Learning Hot Team meeting.

Phoenix: US West 3033 N 3^rd St. (Third and Earle )

Tucson: US West 333 E. Wetmore, room 323

Again, thank you Quest for providing this video conference site.

ACTION 3

E-LEARNING HOT TEAM

Meeting #2: September 21, 1:00 - 4:00 PM

ASU Downtown Center, Room 356

502 E Monroe, Phoenix

Be sure to attend this the Hot Team meeting and provide your input. The Hot Team especially needs input from K-12 educators.

This action agenda is a special issue. It has only the 9 page summary report of my trip to the Advanced Distributive Learning conference in Orlando last week. Lots of important information that can be used as we provide input to the APNE Hot Team.

Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative (ADL)

World Leading Implementation of E-Learning Technology

Military, Government, Business, K-12, College, Workplace, Self

Education, Professional Development, Embedded Training

Model and Resource for Arizona

Summary of Notes from September 6-7 Orlando Meeting

Introduction

About 15 years ago a number of visionaries started working the on opportunity of applying advanced computer technologies to education and training. These included Henry Kelly of the Office of Technology Assessment for Congress and the White House, Dexter Fletcher at Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA) and many others in DARPA, NASA, NSF, DOE, DOL and military training and research laboratories. Their twin goals were to reduce professional development cost and increase performance of all federal employees (including military) and to also provide standards, learning support technology research, and leadership for education and training for America’s work force and K-12, College, and life long education.

During the middle 1990’s these innovation leaders decided that the most significant impediment to effective adopting of what is now called E-Learning was the lack of standards on learning support data and applications. The "stovepipe" computer based educational and training software products could not be used together, could not share learning objects or data, and there was significant time and cost to development each new product from scratch, and it was very difficult to create distributive learning systems. Innovative and highly effective E-Learning new products like knowledge bases, intelligent agents and tutors, simulations, and virtual reality were stand-alone and hard to apply over a wide range of applications. In the fall of 1997 the White House and Department of Defense held the kickoff meeting for the Advanced Distributive Learning (ADL) initiative. Military, government, education, vendors and business people 350 strong, and I attended and participated in the design of working groups. Three years later the second meeting in Orlando, FL, September 6-7, 2000 reported on progress and plans for the future. Orlando is touted as the center of the universe of simulation based training.

The following is my summary report on the Orlando meeting and some supplementary information from Dee Andrew’s and Harry O’Neil’s new book: "Air Crew Training and Assessment." The ADL is aligned with the current set of APNE E-Learning breakthrough ideas. It also has a three year head start with $100 of millions being invested in implementation. It is my recommendation that the APNE E-Learning initiative:

1. Use the ADL results as a prime resource to design Arizona’s E-Learning initiative;
2. Join ADL as a partner by working within a number of their activities and tapping into their head start on research, design, implementation and marketing the global ADL – E-Learning system.

SYNTHESIZED NOTES ON ADL INITIATIVE

The Future

We need to get ready for premature arrival of the future. How will we work, do business and live lives in future? What is the future planning horizon? Do not think about schoolhouse learning. Focus on future of 10 to 20 years when E-Learning technologies just now emerging are embedded in all aspects of life. Then work backwards. What operations need to change? What new organizations need to be designed? What are changes and incentives for changes need now?

Technology is ahead of humans. We must change thinking: Costs => return on investment; Training => professional development. Hunger for learning will grow as E-Learning technology opens access and easily fulfills needs not felt now.

This very disruptive innovation will increase performance improvement on the job and academic performance in education. Over 100 years are invested in current system. Almost no examples in history that show current companies and organizations intact after innovation transforms industry. Example: Ice companies had most research in refrigeration at the time but never got into refrigerator business. It is not ice vs. refrigerator. Actual value is food preservation and cold beer. Will schools, trainers and colleges remain ice companies or become refrigerator manufacturers. The instructor barrier is lack of effective professional development to transform practice. The institution barrier is the fact that they are an institution.

Current Situation

Non-military training and education is $772 billion in USA and equals 9% GDP. Corporate training is $66 billion. Higher education students want not just graduate programs but life long learning. 54% of colleges offer distance learning courses. = By 2002 will have 42 million students online.

Problems within business, military, education, and government are the same. There are major opportunities for collaboration between these sectors. Return on investment is driving companies delivering military simulation and training to market to the public sector. Developers seduced by high end technology (get "likkered-up" by technology). Need to go for the cheeseburger. Curriculum development, content development and focus on the learner are leading issues. E-Learning standards will be critical between K-12 and higher-ed. E-Learning is catalyst for E-Business solutions.

When learning in digital/knowledge environment, technology does not know the difference between training, education and performance support. ADL addresses: embedded training, C3, connected simulations, intelligent tutors, multi-media learning objects etc. Must be integrated with hardware and software interfaces. Focus in individual is moving toward teams. Team building and learning exercises can result in collective training requirements: teams of teams.

Department of Defense – White House

Moving forward Vision 2020. Need to expect simultaneous terrorist attacks and foreign threats as coordinated threat to our open society. Battle space could be in the U.S. With reduction of overseas bases, will have to project to foreign countries and reach back for logistics. Significant time compression between action and planning.

Past: moved like football, set plays,

Today: like soccer free flowing, some set plays

Tomorrow: like basketball very free flowing offence to defense, no line, quick changes.

Military services expect distributive learning. Distance learning at Staff College has the same quality education as residency education. Operation Reach training uses Sherman March to Sea in civil war as scenario. Also on a CDROM based war game. Simulations, multimedia making the doctrine enjoyable and making it stick. Officers can practice being a joint force commander. These games can move forces as effectively as in real situation. Four skill levels of control where computer relinquishes control to student. Fourteen scenarios from major War to humanitarian support. Starts with operation doctrines and then test them with simulation.

Full spectrum dominance requires education, training and performance support to be able to effectively use advanced technologies. Must have training that arrives the day that system arrives. Interagency, multinational and interoperational is critical. Must have ADL to educate and train international peacekeeping forces in Europe. Provide any education and training, any time, anywhere for all members of any of the Armed Forces, government employees, and the K-12 American dependency schools worldwide, seamless and career long. Need for ADL to reach reserves, and regular forces scattered around the world. Want all service people and their family to take academic degrees via giving each one a laptop.

It is not just combat training and training embedded in operations. ADL also supports education at the $25 billion K-12 American Dependent international school system and military universities like Air University. ADL delivers the competitive advantage and the edge. By year 2010, war colleges will be a blend of resident and distance learning, a blend of synchronous and asynchronous learning. Harbinger for the country’s colleges and universities?

Embedded training (ET) uses operational systems that have connectivity. Can take realistic training wherever there are employed units. Military spends over $110 Billion a year for physical training, but only $3 billion for instrumentation for feedback and assessment of training. Must substitute effective simulations where possible, but no substitute for live training. Link together live, virtual and schoolhouse training. Must also expand into home, community and schools.

DOD is creating a virtual network. National Guard has test classrooms with 200 on network. The Dept. of Labor has "yellow pages" of training and talent banks going on system. Presidential task force has all agencies alerted for involvement including Post Office.

The US Military has a huge challenge in attracting and retaining quality people for high skill jobs. Military personnel want three things: a cool job, training and education, and their family taken care of. ET makes cool jobs even cooler. E-Learning delivers the training and education effectively and timely. The family also has access to the E-Learning systems, enabling them to meet their life goals.

Army

Army has 350,000 students each year. 520 out of 700 courses are slated for distance learning. Army started with two video training networks. Now shifting to Web based system. Army schoolhouses are becoming obsolete. Classrooms are dropping 10% a year in number. Benefit is improved readiness plus costs down and less time in classroom. Must be SCORM compliant, and are sharing courseware. $35 million a year is invested to build courseware using contractors and based on Army specifications. Camp Dodge Iowa also builds courseware.

Army wants to harness entertainment energy for training. They are partnering with game companies to improve learning performance. Army is funding a year-old collaboration with the Institute For Creative Technology – University Of Southern California. Show Biz has creative energy and makes it a profitable business. Goal is to enhance training and make it more effective. Star Trek Holodeck is full immersion virtual reality. But it has limited number of people and not networked to other locations. Redefine the concept with inclusive simulation. Playstation 2 and Microsoft X station are integrated with immersive learning system and effective audio using coaches and simulated humans. This system delivers learn by doing with lifelike adventures in place and in time. Any past or future, anywhere on earth. Will combine immersive environment with head set, cape and simulations. Virtual world, motion and environment. Interactive cognitive problem solving with learning system. Sound is 40%-50% of experience.

Navy

Navy has 45,000 in training at one time. The Navy learning network is focused on 300,000 enlisted trainees. Navy has invested $450 million in automated electronic classroom. 400 courses will be on line in December 2000. Distributed training ranges setup scenarios for the Marines to train prior to battle. Distributed education allows a Coast Guard master chief petty officer to learn his Ph.D. BFTT is an embedded on board training system which can evolve to a decision support tool. The Navy is shutting down shore schools and using BFTT to take up the gap. Funds saved are assigned to other priorities.

The country’s technical colleges are skilled and can step up to the need. Example is the Navy relationship Miami Dade’s Community College. Another community college has targeted specific areas like locksmithing. Community colleges turn on the dime. Phoenix University in Arizona is moving ahead of public universities with distance learning.

Air Force

Air Force has 150,000 students in courses. Military is living and leading in the information age. Personnel must be absolute experts because military tempo is higher, and Inputs and outputs are assessed in real time. Any issue can be resolved in seconds based on communications. Need high level of visuals in education. In Kosovo used 10 times bandwidth than used in Desert Storm. After converting to E-Learning the course washout rate went from 40% to 6%, time to complete was cut in half. Major push to net-centric mode raises the challenge to move instructors to a difference teaching process? Making this change is 75% structural and 25% behavioral.

Business

Chase Manhattan Bank, 80,000 employees worldwide. Distributed learning supports their reach and access to customers. Provides access at home for continuous learning. They can put tape message "E-LEARNING IN PROGRESS" across office doorway to ward off interruptions. This helps to force culture change to accept training at work area. Individuals who self-select complete 60% of course, many to just get a specific piece of content. Not OK for training program success. But OK for individual and job performance.

In 1992 IBM had 300,000 employees worldwide with everyone doing their thing. 2000 US training department was cut to 700. Created standards for IBM Instructors as facilitators with technology. . Largely classroom based, but now with metrics. 1^st and 2^nd line managers changing culture to train employees due to bottom line numbers. Saved $200 million using distance learning. New managers used to be trained 9 months after appointment. Now have year long program called "Managing New Blue" that is a group (peer to peer) in Learning Space distributed over the network. Never alone as first time manager. Only meet once in middle of year, but like a health club, they have a human trainer.

SCORM (Shareable Courseware Object Reference Model)

SCORM provides platform for common use. Content, Learning Management Systems (LMS), repositories and authoring tools fall under SCORM. Of principle concern is the Application Program Inferface (API) and the data that goes between the content and LMS in the Run Time Environment (RTI).

SCROM standard has intimidated and pushed vendors toward standards in military, corporate, government, schools and colleges. SCORM will be a living standard because all stakeholders want it.

SCORM version 1.0 was released in January 2000. 1.2 and 1.3 will come out in a few months. Will include communication between repositories. 2.0 will support object economy. More advanced technologies such as intelligent tutors and agents, simulation, learning styles and experiences need to come under SCORM in later versions. Also of concerns to be addressed are pedagogical and instructional design issues.

SCORM is road map for all standards in collaboration with IMS, IEEE, foreign, etc. All agree that all these standards must converge. When SCORM is fully developed, the ADL CoLabs will turn it over to industry and then stay in research mode. The ADL CoLab Plugfest #3 for product testing to SCORM will be held Nov 27-30, 2000 in Orlando FL.

ADL CoLaboatories (CoLabs) http://www.adlnet.org/

ADL CoLabs are collegial and are designed to help people develop products. Hub for Co-Labs first worked with Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) for 15 years. Dexter Fletcher worked federal, standards and policy at IDA in Alexandria VA.

Alexandria CoLab is directed by Paul Jesukiewicz, pjesukie@ida.org. They develop ADL guidelines, perform technical, content and training effectiveness evaluations of ADL tools and prototypes. They are the center for the development of SCORM and compliance to SCORM.

Orlando Joint CoLab directed by Janet Weisenford, weisenfordjm@navair.navy.mil, is working to have 16 prototypes transform education and training by using practical applications within the armed forces. Created November 1999. Want results not studies. Did a fast track solicitation (2 weeks) and got 10 prototypes to add to initial 6. Also supervisory training. This year having second call for proposals. Medical and job performance are of interest. Also sees use for gaming and entertainment systems. Share ideas and teams and 2 page white papers on ADL net September 8^th.

Wisconsin Academic CoLab directed by Judy Brown, jbrown@uwsa.edu , works on collaboration and accreditation as a statewide process. They were established in January and will move ADL and SCORM into academia. At Wisconsin Center for Education Research they are working on learning innovations to facilitate curriculum redesign for online use. Their field testing deal is putting Air Force intelligent tutors into practice. Schools want to buy these tools and vendors are stepping up to commercialize. They provide professional feedback to vendor for development of the product while Wisconsin schools benefit from tutor use. They are both focusing on content and are developing repository. Also working with Learning Management Systems (LMS) and doing assessment on workability? Other states, colleges, commercial vendors and school can collaborate with the Co-Lab. One page agreement on sharing has set up 10 signed partnerships around the country. ADL will also work whole states.

Opportunity is bigger than anyone, needs collaborative effort. CoLab would like to have a partner provide a "consumer reports" on content and systems being worked on in universities and research laboratories. Peer review of projects would provide information. Looking for instructional design and quality issues and need multiple inputs. Academic development tends to be collegial, and contributors are use to working together.

Kevin Mott: Ft. Hauchuca: Far from beltway and needs to bring cognitive problems to CoLab.

Courseware and Systems

Key issues are instructional design, curriculum content engineering, embedded assessment, modeling a simulation for learning and practice, and infrastructure. Performance assessment and feedback is mandatory, both real time coaching and assessment to student and teacher, and end of course. Must be extensible and scaleable.

Technology is the easy part. A study showed that there are 434 different Learning Management Systems available. Content will become a commodity. Hard part is institutionalizing training. There are 13 communities of interest in training operation identified. Need support from top. Need input from all the learners and developers.

It’s about performance. DOD has no totally autonomous system; there is always a human in the loop. The performance envelope of humans must be taken into account. Need to train the human to perform at an advanced level. Technology is here, and cultural and other issues need to be addressed.

Systems must be developed in partnership with 30 years of prior investment. Examined 12 years out, vision of end state. Synthesize from 100 expert inputs. Issue is looking at human dimensions of problem. Capture human expertise but must then deal with question of intellectual property.

One developer uses Carnegie Mellon’s System 8 step software architecture approach. Look at mission and opportunities with everyone having their input in the document. Use formal instructional system design with a learning objective as the one key driver.

The Army is looking at personal performance assistant as first generation task. Chose Nutrition and Personal Physical Fitness to support moving individual from field (5000 calories a day) to office chair (2500 calories a day) and to avoid getting fat. (I can’t wait until the SBIR development is complete and this is commercialized! Ted)

Next generation of Army intelligent learning systems will be or have immersive, adaptable intelligent tutors learning, coaching, teaching, simulations, virtual space, digital surrounds, neural networks, wearable on body armor, natural language process (30000 words, 15 languages), and able to stop AK47 rounds (but not required to keep on working). They will replace current distance learning, Web learning. Intelligent systems never forget. They show time compression to learn of 6:1 over standard classes. Intelligent systems are efficient, timely and cost effective as well as consistence and just in time. They must interface with knowledge systems and have a sophisticated environment for discovery learning.

The next-next generation will have human performance modeling and intelligent tutor integration that diagnoses cognitive states and decides remedial feedback. Human performance is evaluated with feedback after scenario run. Need computer generated team members as well as intelligent adversaries.

Culture: Teachers-Trainers-Professors

Technology is ahead of humans. Must change thinking: Costs => return on investment: Training => professional development to improve readiness and performance. Hunger for learning will grow as E-Learning technology opens access and easily fulfills needs not felt now. More leadership issues than research and technology issues.

Can open up shared courseware but cultural is still a barrier in military medical training. But Marines produced great terrorist training program and Army grabbed it and slapped on their label. Teams that had decision support training made better decisions.

Asking soldiers to move from training to operations but then need tutors, coaches in operations. Instructors needed cut in half by use of hand carried tool.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure will take care of itself in many cases. Must have the pipes. Product design drives infrastructure toward high bandwidth. Navy infrastructure is problem. Too expensive to use satellites while at sea. Only four telephone lines to ship in port, three are not available for general use.

Research and Development

The effective support learning of the human mind in highly variable set of individual humans is a very difficult research problem that has been studied for hundreds of years. This problem is a long way from being solved. Then the question is compounded by the use of technology to support learning.

Human experimentation is needed to determine learning technology design principals: cognitive ability, individual variances, hand-eye, and many more. Research needed to provide seamless individual learning support through a number of jobs and stages in life. On the other hand it is hard to keep momentum on research programs. E-Learning is offering the commercialization carrot to add incentive to research.

There are a very large number of learning technology research problems that must be addressed over the next decade years. The research is expected to yield design tools, knowledge and methodologies that will take the ADL system to the next level of effectiveness. Aircrew training and education is one of the most heavily researched and invested areas. Here are a few of the many issues that still need significant research, in this one area out of hundreds areas of study:

Note: Some of above reports were edited or paraphrased to shorten them to this newsletter format. Ted the Ed.

The present is saturated with the past and pregnant with the future.

-- Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

Life is of no value but as it brings us gratifications. Among the most valuable of these is rational society. It informs the mind, sweetens the temper, cheers our spirits, and promotes health.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Anyone can see a forest fire. Skill lies in sniffing the first smoke.

• Robert Heinlein

The ALTP News/Action Agenda is produced by the Arizona Learning Technology
Partnership http://altp.org, and edited by Richard Brincefield rbrincefield@softrain.com.

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