Meeting Distance Learning Challenges at the USAF Squadron Officer College

27th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning

For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference

Meeting Distance Learning Challenges at the USAF Squadron Officer College Dr. Fil J. Arenas, Professor Organizational Leadership Studies USAF Squadron Officer College Maxwell AFB, Alabama Capt Peter M. Axt, Professor Organizational Leadership Studies USAF Squadron Officer College Maxwell AFB, Alabama Introduction As one of the institutions of higher learning within the U.S. Air Force (USAF), Air University (AU) is the Intellectual and Leadership Center preparing professional military and Department of Defense (DoD) civilian leaders to meet emerging geo-political challenges faced by the United States. Within AU, the Squadron Officer College (SOC) delivers resident and distance learning (DL) programs within the USAF community, supporting a total of nearly 50,000 company grade officers and eligible DoD civilians. These programs involve professional military development, continuing education, and an online master’s program accredited by the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Additionally, SOC employs a motivated team of credentialed faculty using the Air Force Instructional Systems Development approach in the design, development, execution, assessment and review of its curriculum. The following outlines SOC’s resident, DL, and faculty development programs and features current innovative challenges in applying three-dimensional (3D) virtual courseware. Resident Programs SOC’s two resident-education programs provide professional development for junior officers as leaders of integrity ready to fly, fight and win in air, space and cyberspace. The Air and Space Basic Course (ASBC), directed at lieutenants with less than two years USAF experience, and Squadron Officer School (SOS), aimed at captains with between four and seven years experience, are the subordinate schools within SOC, with a total annual throughput of more than 6,000 students. Air and Space Basic Course Established in 1998, ASBC offers basic developmental education for second lieutenants on the nature and skills sets required of expeditionary warfare in the twenty-first century. ASBC provides the common foundation for junior officers as leaders of Airmen inspired to articulate and advocate USAF capabilities. Through a shared experience, ASBC enables junior officers to effectively employ Air, Space, and Cyberspace power as a part of the joint warfighting team, comprehend Air Force history, doctrine, and operational capabilities, and embrace the profession of arms while applying the Air Force core values. Squadron Officer School Established in 1950, the school traces its roots to the Air Corps Tactical School, an airpower education center that relocated to Maxwell Field, Alabama in 1931. SOS delivers primary developmental education for captains and their Air Force civilian equivalents. During the SOS experience, students identify and reflect on their personal leadership styles while exposed to educational and experiential opportunities that challenge them to become more effective leaders. In doing so, officers broaden their focus on essential competencies including officership, leadership, problem-solving, core values, and the profession of arms.

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27th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning

For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference

Faculty & Curriculum Development The faculty-development process begins with qualified instructors attending the Theories and Principles of Adult Education course, followed by the Practical Applications of Adult Education course. New faculty members then enter a supervised instructional period; six weeks for ASBC and five weeks for SOS. The next phase in the process is participating in teaching skills workshops, attending presentations by subject-matter experts, participating in evaluation and policy discussions, and constructing research presentations. After two-years of teaching experience, faculty members attend the Advanced Principles of Instructional Design course before joining SOC’s curriculum-development team. SOC’s curriculum is based on educational requirements levied by the Joint-Services Staff, the Headquarters USAF staff, the Air Force Learning Committee, AU, and the Spaatz Center for Officer Development. These requirements are researched and validated by the SOC faculty, which employs an analytical, holistic approach to curriculum development to ensure a coherent and effective educational experience for all SOC students. Distance Learning SOS Course 20, the Leadership Development Program (LDP), and the Online Master’s Program (OLMP) are SOC’s three DL programs with a total annual throughput of more than 10,000 students. These programs provide professional development and continuing education for USAF junior officers and eligible civilian equivalents, and a master’s degree for eligible USAF captains. Squadron Officer School Course 20 Course 20 presents similar, but not parallel, content to the resident SOS curriculum. The course develops students’ critical-thinking skills in three leadership-related subcompetencies from the USAF Institutional Competency List. Ethical Leadership deals with the leadership process, the concept of accountability, and the associations between professional and personal lives of leaders and subordinates in order to develop an understanding of ethics, core values, and cultural influences on leadership development. Decision making addresses the differences between decision-making processes in the Air Force and other military services, how risk and uncertainty influence decisions, and how metrics incorporate into the overall decision-making process. Finally, Building Teams and Coalitions addresses the influences on group and team effectiveness, the differences between values and cultures, and comprehending how network development among leadership refines competence at building effective teams and coalitions. Leadership Development Program The LDP prepares USAF officers to meet contemporary security and leadership challenges. To allow maximum flexibility, students take these four, self-paced courses via the Blackboard® (Bb) learning management system (LMS). Each course has a specific focus and features interactive multimedia learning tools that provide students an opportunity to understand how the content is relevant to a variety of environments. In addition to readings, audio files, and videos posted to AU’s Bb LMS website, some courses feature online mediated scenario-based assessments that present students with series of decision points leading to a variety of outcomes, thus strengthening critical thinking skills. Generally, course content focuses on developing leadership skills that is applicable across all Air Force career fields and each course completion will post in student education records as professional continuing education. “Officer Development” concentrates on junior officer development and the profession of arms, thus enhancing officers’ skills in followership, developing self, speaking and writing, and active listening. “Flight Commander” focuses on increasing officers’ abilities to inspire, develop, and take care of diverse groups while leading them to accomplish the mission. “Expeditionary Leadership” examines deployment-specific leadership issues by exploring global, regional and cultural issues associated with joint-service and coalition operations. “Organizational Leadership” addresses skills for leading in complex institutional structures by preparing officers for challenges in resource stewardship while developing their change management acumen and supporting continuous process improvement.

Copyright 2011 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System

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27th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning

For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference

Online Master's Program The OLMP leadership concentration, developed by SOC and administered by AU’s Air Command and Staff College, prepares captains for the leadership challenges and added responsibilities they will face as they progress through their careers in the USAF. The academic program structure targets six- to sevenyear captains, and includes seven core courses and four concentration courses for a total of 33 semester hour’s credit. Students graduating from the leadership concentration will receive a Master of Military Operational Art and Science degree accredited by SACS. Innovative Challenges SOC’s quest to infuse innovative multimedia within its distance learning courses was reinforced by the AU’s desire to engage its students with innovative approaches to learning. Based on these charges, the SOC faculty embarked on a journey to incorporate the kinds of multimedia that other academic institutions were employing, specifically virtual learning environments (VLE). Virtual Learning Environments A VLE is a system designed to support teaching and learning in an educational setting, as distinct from a Managed Learning Environment, (MLE) where the focus is on management of the education process. A VLE will normally employ Internet access to employ a collection of tools such as those for assessment, communication, uploading of content, return of students' work, peer assessments, administration of student groups, collecting and organizing student grades, questionnaires, tracking tools, multimedia, and other teaching aids. SOC employs the Bb Academic Suite as the delivery system for its DL programs and to support its resident curriculum. According to Pimentel (1999), a virtual learning environment was defined as a place that allows learners “to perceive the environment, assess situations and performance, perform actions and proceed through experiences and lessons that will allow them to perform better with more experience on repetition on the same task in similar circumstances” (pp. 75-76). With the demands to support thousands of global students on a daily basis, it is imperative that SOC blends together the latest technological tools available to educate and develop future Air Force leaders. Popat, Pickering, Heppell, Maclean, Eaves, and Blanc (2007) elaborated on VLEs: Learning is breaking out of the narrow boxes that it was trapped in during the 20th century; teachers' professionalism, reflection and ingenuity are leading learning to places that genuinely excite this new generation of connected young school students — and their teachers too. VLEs are helping to make sure that their learning is not confined to a particular building, or restricted to any single location or moment. (p. 1) Three-Dimensional (3D) Virtual Learning Environments Research suggests that 3D VLEs use simulations to create environments for a learner to participate in simulations where they can explore the observable world and abstract concepts. It is also suggested that 3D VLEs allow learners to participate in authentic activities, “but with the use of scaffolding provided by teachers and peers” (Burton, 2008). In response to improving technology and increased access to technology, educators, scholars, academics and learning communities are turning to 3D VLEs as powerful learning venues. Nonis (2005) explains that “where a 3D virtual technology is used to create an immersive and interactive environment to facilitate or aid learning, this is known as 3D virtual learning environment” (p. 1). Over the last two years, SOC has employed avatar (virtual representative) vignettes to leverage scenario-based learning. A typical vignette (scenario) engages the student for 5 to 30 minutes and often concludes with an assessment slide in various leadership topics (ethical leadership, decision-

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27th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning

For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference

making, conflicts, leading change, etc.). These vignettes support various lesson concepts or distill large amounts of information into virtual content reviews. Today’s high-speed world of technological progression has spawned new learning environments for the world of academe. This trend also affects Air Force learners whose average age is 29 for enlisted members and 35 for officers (Airman, 2011, p. 47). “Generation X Airmen” represent 34 to 45-year-olds today, while those falling in the 18 to 33-year-old range are considered “Generation Y Airmen” or “Nexters” as they are also called (Gardner, 2006). SOC’s student population is comprised of lieutenants and captains in their early years of development (1-7 years). Educational research indicates that Generation X and Y learners have specific technological needs. “The Nexters chat online while listening to music on their iPods, and expertly search the Internet for answers to a history question that they cannot find in a textbook” (p. 87). In a recent survey conducted for job site (CareerBuilder.com) nearly half the respondents noted Generation Y’s preference to communicate via blogs, IMs and text messages, rather than on the phone or face-to-face, methods preferred by Boomers and Generation Xers. Using technologically enhanced communication can feel uncomfortable and easily misunderstood by Boomers (46- to 64-year-olds) and Gen Xers (Gelston, 2008). For educators, understanding the impact of 3D environments, virtual worlds, and immersive learning classrooms in education may be a difficult challenge; however, some innovative pioneers have embraced the possibilities of incorporating such forward-thinking technology within their curriculum. In 2005, America’s Army developers partnered with the Software Engineering Directorate and the Army’s Aviation and Missile Research Development Engineering Center to create a platform to provide virtual government training and simulations. In 2008, the Air Force launched MyBase, a 3D virtual and interactive learning environment in Second Life; while AU’s Innovations and Integrations Division developed over a dozen Air Force virtual regions as prototypical learning environments. The National Guard Bureau’s Joint Advanced Concepts Division’s Training Technology Branch’s U.S. Nexus platform was designed to support training and collaboration across government. Additionally, the Navy’s Undersea Warfare Center and Development Lab developed their virtual learning environments for the purposes of learning, designing, and collaborating globally, in addition to developing a virtual submarine attack center to support submarine warfare training. Virtual worlds are engaging spaces whereby students may meet online, for normal class assignments, lectures, discussions, case studies, labs, and so forth. This environment differs from traditional learning settings due to a 3D graphical setting and using avatars to represent all class participants. Currently, Second Life is the largest virtual world platform, developed by Linden Labs in 2003, who currently report over 8.6 million registered users or residents (Annetta, Folta, & Klesath, 2010). Can one educate in virtual worlds? Obviously learning in virtual worlds will not replace other forms of learning, but may provide other possibilities to enhance this experience. The illusion of immersion and embodiment in 3D VLEs induce learners to feel like they are performing or “doing” in lifelike environments. The ability to collaboratively situate students in environments and contexts unavailable within the classroom, corresponds to what Barab and Duffy (2000) call situated learning, or “the perspective that knowledge is situated through experience” (p. 25). Educators can prototype lessons developing alternate realities for difficult concepts to illustrate as in many military scenarios, “for example the relation between distance, motion, and time or abstract science concepts” (Yair, Mintz, & Litvak, 2001, p. 304). SOC’s approach to incorporating curriculum within virtual learning environments was inspired by a message from the Air Education and Training Command’s commander, General Steve Lorenz, who encouraged his subordinate units to “embrace innovative approaches…to continually enhance our mission effectiveness and efficiency.” In summary, SOC supports nearly 20,000 students annually through its combination of resident and DL programs all designed to develop Air Force leaders. Currently, blended-learning options are being studied for future learning models, as well as additional virtual strategies, to engage emerging innovations

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27th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning

For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference

in order to prepare Airmen for the demands of warfighting, enhancing critical thinking and performance. SOC remains committed to its core mission; to develop its officers as leaders of integrity ready to fly, fight and win in air, space and cyberspace. References Annetta, L.A., Folta, E., & Klesath, M. (2010). V-learning. New York: Springer. Barab, S., & Duffy, T. (2000). From practice fields to communities of practice. In D. Jonnasen & S. Land (Eds.), Theoretical foundations of learning environments. Mahweh, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Burton, B. (2008). Collaboration and the use of three dimensional interface within a virtual learning environment and the impact of communication and learning: A case study. Retrieved from http://edt.missouri.edu/Spring2008/Dissertation/BurtonB-042808-D9711/research.pdf Calongne, C. (2008). Educational frontiers: Learning in a virtual world. EDUCAUSE Review, 43(5), 1-7. Gardner, S.F. (2006). Preparing for the Nexters. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 70(4), 87. Gelston, S. (2008). Gen Y, Gen X and the baby boomers: Workplace generation wars. Retrieved from http://www.cio.com/white-papers Nonis, D. (2005). 3D virtual learning environments (3D VLE), Ministry of Education, Singapore 2005. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/edumall/rd/litreview/3d_vle.pdf Pimentel, J. R. (1999). Design of net-learning systems based on experiential learning. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks 3(2), 64-90. Retrieved from http://www.aln.org/publications/jaln/v3n2/v3n2_pimentel.asp Popat, K., Pickering, Heppell, S., Maclean, H., Eaves, M., & Blanc, A. (2007). Virtually there: Learning platforms. Yorkshire and Humble Grid for Learning Foundation, UK. United States Air Force. (2011). Database personnel facts and figures. Airman: The book 2011, 40(3), 47. Yair, Y., Mintz, R., & Litvak, S. (2001). 3-D virtual reality in science education: An implication for astronomy teaching. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Education 20(3). Retrieved from: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/SUSE/projects/ireport/articles/3D/JCMST203293.pdf About the Presenters Dr. Fil Arenas is the professor of Organizational Leadership Studies at the USAF Squadron Officer College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. He is also the Course Director for three USAF distance learning programs to include the Squadron Officer School DL Course which currently hosts 9,000 active students worldwide, developing advanced leadership skills in their professional military education. He received his doctorate degree from The George Washington University in Higher Education Administration and is currently an adjunct professor with Troy University. Dr. Arenas retired from the military after 28 years of faithful service (14 USAF & 14 USN) in 2005. Address: Organizational Leadership Studies Squadron Officer College 125 Chennault Circle, Bldg 1403, Rooms 2248 Maxwell AFB, AL 36112-6430 Phone: 334-953-3551 Email: [email protected] Captain Peter Axt is the Director of Operations for Distance Learning at the U.S. Air Force Squadron Officer College, located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. He manages four leadership-focused DL courses by determining future requirements, standards, continuum of learning

Copyright 2011 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System

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27th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning

For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference

models, and assessment methods for 44,000 company grade officers. He received an M.Ed from American InterContinental University and began his 25th year of active duty service. Address: Organizational Leadership Studies Squadron Officer College 125 Chennault Circle, Bldg 1403, Room 2246 Maxwell AFB, AL 36112-6430 Phones: 334-953-7231 Emails: [email protected]

Copyright 2011 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System

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