Multimedia Interview Assignment

Recorded at Fort Riley Mission Command Center

For my multimedia interview, I chose to investigate avatar and immersion technology used for military training at Fort Riley, Kansas. The Mission Training Center supports a variety of technology tools units can use to enhance training for individuals and groups. In this video I am speaking with Trevor, a trainer and technology facilitator for the Dismounted Soldier Training Simulator (DSTS). This technology immerses the learner in a virtual world where nearly any environment or scenario can be replicated. Most leaders use the facility to prepare for future training in a field environment or to prepare for deployment to a hostile environment. The technology is efficient and exercises mental processes such as problem solving, planning, and strategic maneuvering.

Virtual environments using avatars or simulations are a way for students to experience a realistic environment. "Obvious applications ...are science or medical labs..with simulated equipment or biological entities." (Kearsley, 2000, p. 169) Kearsley predicts in 2000 that avatar technology will be used for airline and military training in the future. He was exactly right. The demonstration in the video is process each Soldier must learn in order to enter the virtual world. one drawback of the technology is a steep learning curve. Based on input from learners, the recommended 2 hour orientation from DSTS designer Intelligent Designs, is not enough to prepare a Soldier to experience effective training. The current program requires each Soldier spend 6-8 hours of orientation prior to participating a scenario based training event supporting a mission task or training environment. Anything less results in students overcoming technology issues rather that tactical challenges.

Kearsley, G. (2000). Online education: Learning and teaching in cyberspace. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Thomson Learning.

OPTEMPO: means Operational Tempo, the speed and workload of an organization through a period of time. Low (Light) usually means there is a lot of time for extreaneous activities at work including reducing personnel for vacations, sports days, and conducting maintenance training. High (Heavy) means even one person on vacation affects the organizational output, mission success depends multi-eschelon events that generate maximum learning effects through combined individual and collective tasks in dynamic environments that include simulations and live resources.

Wikis for Collaborative Learning and Knowledge Construction

Wildcat Language Exchange

Hi all,
For this weeks blog assignment I created a Wiki called Wildcat Language Exchange. It is a wiki created for a proposed 8 week class project that drives to create a language exchange group in Manhattan. You can find the lesson plan on the right as a page called "Lesson plan." To create this idea I used as a reference the Kansaswic.org site recommended by Dr. K to create the lesson plan. The plan posted was also influenced ARDP 7-0, "Training Units and Developing Leaders," an Army publication for training development and conduct. Specifically I used a a guide the Troop Leading Procedures (TLP) that "provides small-unit leaders a framework for planning and preparing operations." (p. 3-7) The eight steps in the TLP are:

1. Receive the mission
2. Issue a warning order
3. Make a tentative plan
4. Initiate movement
5. Conduct reconnaissance
6. Complete the plan
7. Issue the order
8. Supervise and refine

If you compare these eight steps to the eight week lesson plan I provided in the Wiki you will see the obvious correlation. 

I also researched for sources that would tell me how to start a language exchange. I found several recommendations for how to run the language exchange better that I felt useful to a class. Other were informative but also promoted a drinking culture I want to leave out of the classroom. The best source was through www.mylanguageexchange.com which did provide the necessary steps to set up a language exchange. I include this in the class as a resource for the students to access. though it requires a user to create an account, it is free and does not require any personal information.

Your feedback is always welcome.

Dom.

Members of the Good Neighbors cultural exchange program in Daegu, South Korea

Korean Drum team as the Military Police Ball, Seoul, South Korea

Wikis: Pros and Cons for Adult Learners

Using Wikis as a technology tool for adult learners has a place in classroom and in online classroom environments. Using a Wiki requires group participation and peer evaluation in order to create a product for a grade. The end result is a collaborative effort for the class. Richard Platt and Brian Peach reported on their experience creating a Wiki rather than assigning textbooks for a class:

Platt and Peach used a Wiki instead of textbooks in a senior MIS course at the University of West Florida in as a research project in active learning. Originating as an idea to bring current information to the classroom without using rewriting outdated textbooks, the students in the class developed their own source material by working in groups and sharing their results all through a class Wiki page. (Platt & Peach, 2008)

They achieved their goal in collaboration and class cohesion, but the students specialized in information management so the learning curve was fairly shallow and motivation high since students didn't have to spend money on textbooks. This research shows the potential for Wiki use success in adult education, but what about a class with lower familiarity with technology? If the majority of students in the class are not savvy on Wiki use, should the instructor devote part of the class to raising student capabilities? what if there are only a few students unfamiliar with Wikis? The instructor will have to assess the students for their technological skill set and change the syllabus or make a certain level of technology and internet knowledge a requirement for registering in the class.

Collaboration and community-building are a distinct advantage to Wiki in the classroom. Adult learners learn information better if it is learned through self-directed learning. Through Wikis, learners are allowed "to actively participate in their own knowledge construction." (King & Cox, 2011, p. 122) I learn a great deal from my fellow students, but time is also a resource that is paid when "catching up" on knowledge i need to participate in assignments. So, i agree in theory with the use of Wiki, but recognize the challenges that comes with it that add to the pressures of the class.



References

Platt, R., & Peach, E. (2008). Active Learning 2.0 or Wiki is not a 4-letter word (35). Retrieved from Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning website: http://sbaweb.wayne.edu/~absel/bkl/vol35/35bp.pdf

King, K. P., & Cox, T. D. (2011). The professor's guide to taming technology: Leveraging digital media, Web 2.0, and more for learning. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Pub.

The 5 Minute University - Father Guido Sarducci

The 5 Minute University - Father Guido Sarducci

Blogging: Pros and Cons for Adult Learners