1. Meeting Distance Learning Challenges at the USAF Squadron Officer College (SOC) Dr. Fil Arenas & Capt Peter Axt, Squadron Officer College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2. What does the Air Force expect of our Company Grade Officers (CGOs)? Student Outcomes Leadership Insights Officer PME Policy (OPMEP) Institutional Competency List Cont Ed Strategic Guidance (CESG)
16. MissionPolicy Discussions Research Presentations 2 Weeks 2 Weeks APID 1 Class Theories and Principles of Adult Education (TPAE) Practical Applications of Adult Education (PAAE) Supervised Instruction Period (SIP) Advanced Principles of Instructional Design (APID)
17. Squadron Officer School History Activated in 1950 with roots to the Air Corps Tactical School founded in 1920 Learning Areas Leadership Communication Profession of Arms Warfare & Security Studies International Security Studies Mission Educate, motivate, and mentor Captains as current and future Air Force leaders
18. Typical SOS Student Mix Civilian & Int’l Officers Active Duty Non-line (Medical & Legal) Guard & Reserve 6% 6% 8% Active Duty Line (Warfighters) 80%
56. Students have up to 18 months to complete programLaunched in 2009 with 8,000+ students currently enrolled
57. SOS Course 20 Core Curriculum Areas (138 total program contact hours) Decision Making:Comparative analysis of decision processes, metrics, risk analysis, & other analytical tools for decision-makers Ethical Leadership: Examines personal and professional accountability, responsibility, & core values for decision-makers Building Teams and Coalitions:Foundation for team leaders; creating positive, effective, team environments & coalitions
59. Squadron Officer College Challenge “We must define and embrace innovative approaches, whether through AFSO21, Future Learning programs or individually developed initiatives to continually enhance our mission effectiveness and efficiency (Gen Lorenz, 2010)
60. Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) Professor Stephen Heppell writes in the foreword of his book Virtually There: Learning Platforms – “Learning is breaking out of the narrow boxes that it was trapped in during the 20th century…VLEs are helping to make sure that their learning is not confined to a particular building, or restricted to any single location or moment.” (2007)
61. What are VLEs? A virtual learning environment is a system designed to support teaching and learning in an educational setting. A VLE will normally work over the Internet and provide a collection of tools such as those for assessment, collecting and organizing student grades, questionnaires, tracking tools, and other teaching aids.
63. 3D Virtual Learning Environments Research suggests that 3D VLEs utilizes 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).
66. Navy (20+) Computerworld (2010):The NUWC has used 3D modeling tools before, but now they are actually using Second Life for training and to test out situations which involve other issues like collaborative engineering, rapid prototyping, battlefield simulation and cognitive modeling.
67. Army (12) “The Army Second Life effort will actually consist of two virtual islands. One of them, will serve as a "welcome center" with an information kiosk and the means to contact a recruiter, the other will offer, says Gen Wallace, "virtual experiences like jumping out of airplanes, and rappelling off of towers and using a weapon, to see if we can get some kind of recruiting benefit out of this social networking.” (2008)
68. Air Force (14) The first virtual Air Force base opened its doors to the world 2 Dec 2008, heralded by Maj. Gen. Erwin Lessel III, the Director of Plans, Programs, Requirements and Assessments at Air Education and Training Command
69. Air Force Initiatives “Everyone who comes into the Air Force will be given an avatar, and that avatar travels with them, grows with them, changes appearance with them,” Larry Clemons, of the Air Education and Training Command, told the magazine. “It will provide them a history of where they’ve been and a notion of where they’re going.” (2010)
70. Air Force SL Regions Huffman Prairie Huffman Prairie Omega Huffman Prairie Chi Huffman Prairie Delta Huffman Prairie Gamma Huffman Prairie Kappa Huffman Prairie Theta Huffman Prairie Sigma MyBase Mybase Zeta Holm Center SOC AFRL AFIT
81. Consists of a 10-foot hollow sphere, which is placed on a special platform that allows the sphere to rotate freely in any direction according to the user’s steps.
New faculty receives copy of Ken Bain’s What the Best College Teachers Do with a series of workshops to improve their classroom skills and performance. We have additional sessions on leading guided discussions, managing classrooms, and even introspective discussions focused on enhancing the faculty’s emotional intelligence.
Course Directors assigned to SOC
Core Course Directors assigned to ACSC.
Course Directors assigned to SOC.
Locomotion EdSim TechnologySeveral UpgradesMiddleware to connect to SL, AA, and other platforms
