SOS 'blends' training model incorporating new technology

  • Published
  • By Capt. Rose Richeson
  • Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs
Academic and military researchers are introducing and proposing new approaches on leadership and teamwork training at the Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

Air Education and Training Command, the sponsor organization, partnered with the University of Texas at Austin to conduct the study, which produced a "blended learning" model incorporating information technologies such as cell phones and social networking. The model maximizes the learning experience and offers potential for significant savings in cost and time, study participants said.

"Blended learning is about embedding social and professional networking when you learn, said Col. Glenn Hover, AETC Future Learning Division deputy chief. "We are getting on board with the way of the future for young minds who are already using these means to study and learn in the current environment."

The SOS college leadership is very interested in the potential benefits of a blended-learning approach in its educational offerings, said Col. Stephen Tanous, Squadron Officer College commandant. In 2008, the colonel established an SOS-of-the-future working group to evaluate the feasibility of such an approach.

UT researchers examined SOS as a case study for determining the right mix of live, virtual and constructive simulations for education and training. The recommendations the proposed to enhance learning in SOS are detailed in an 80-page paper titled, "A Proposed Method for Converting Squadron Officer School into a Blended-Learning Course with Live, Virtual and Constructive Simulations."

AETC leaders believe applications such as e-mail, chat rooms, smart phones and social networking tools can help SOS students get to know each other and engage in the course without leaving their home station on a temporary duty assignment.

"For an Airman who can take blended learning courses from home station, time is saved to remain with families, to maintain duties on base and to have access to the leadership training sooner, as opposed to waiting until coming in residence," said Sheilagh O'Hare, a university researcher and co-author of the report.

Part of the model is dedicated to converting the current 1,000 pages of reading and five tests required to complete SOS in correspondence to a somewhat more interactive online model, Ms. O'Hare said. However, it still lacks collaboration with fellow students. For that, students will still be expected to attend a portion of the course offered in-residence at Maxwell.

While in-residence slots remain competitive among Air Force captains with four to seven years of service, this model promises to serve more students, especially National Guard and Reserve.

"With chat rooms, forums and other collaboration tools, students can be brought together online now, providing them with initial leadership experiences per course guidance, rather than whenever student slots at Maxwell open up," said Michael Mayrath, a co-author of the paper and a Ph.D. student in education psychology at UT. "For the Air Force, having Airmen who engage in leadership education and practical application sooner than later should mean the Air Force as a whole benefits."

To make blended learning a reality for SOS and students attending other AU schools, such as Air Command and Staff College, one recommendation is to start a pilot course using volunteers already enrolled in SOS.

"Teams of experts are already meeting on a regular basis at AU to discuss implementation techniques," Colonel Hover said. "UT has provided us with a template to follow, now it's up to our AETC and AU training and education professionals to lead the efforts of integrating these highly interactive and social learning technologies into Air Force professional military education."

Through collaborative efforts of university and military researchers, these studies also afford opportunities for graduate students to publish their body of work and gain valuable experience before entering into different careers, said Aubrey White, principal investigator for the University XXI program.

"It's no doubt this study has provided an incredible investment for the Air Force and the next generation of officers and educators," Colonel Hover added.

To view the UT blended learning case study report, visit www.aetc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-090320-051.pdf.

(Tim Green, University of Texas at Austin Public Affairs, contributed to this article)