Distance Learning in the United States Army

SGM Zachary Downs

U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy

SMC-DL 047

SGM Randy McCoin

January 4, 2022
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Table of Contents

Topic.......................................................................................................................................................3

Problem Statement................................................................................................................................3

Literature Review......................................................................................................................................5

Quality of Education.............................................................................................................................6

Educating a new Generation.................................................................................................................7

Summary of Findings............................................................................................................................9

Links to Professional Practice..................................................................................................................9

Links to Policy:....................................................................................................................................10

Conclusion:..............................................................................................................................................10

References................................................................................................................................................11
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Distance Learning in the United States Army

Distance learning has become a primary tool used to educate our military force. While

this may save the Department of Defense (DOD) budget tremendously, you may ask are leaders

growing in the most effective way. Research on this topic will include an in-depth review, using

a qualitative approach to describe how distance learning affects our force. With distance learning

being a staple across the entire Department of Defense and the civilian sector, we must adhere to

and adapt our learning styles.

Topic

Distance learning began somewhere around the late 1900s; however, it was not until 1989

when the University of Phoenix became the first university to launch a fully online-based degree

program (Casey, 2008). The United States (U.S.) Army, however, did not begin its distance-

learning program until the year 1997, stood up by the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine

Command (TRADOC) (Winkler, 1998). Since this time, it has only grown in functionality and

popularity. The United States Army uses it through each step of Soldiers' primary military

education requirements.

Choosing this topic was simple. As a Soldier who has been in the force long enough to

see how in-person training affects Soldiers compared to distance learning, it will be interesting to

see facts regarding the topic. While you could argue, there is no replacement for in-person

education with the ability to collaborate among others to understand the material. However, there

is no doubt critical thinking may be best alone and free of distractions from peers. Coming to the

realization, that distance learning is the standard in which the U.S. Army teaches most all-

professional education. This process will likely continue to grow; we must ask ourselves, is it

teaching all of the necessary skill sets we require as leaders.

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Problem Statement

There is a problem within the distance learning methods of the U.S. Army's primary

military education. Despite the fact, leaders of all levels receive quality course material designed

to teach them the necessary skill to obtain the next position of leadership responsibilities. This

problem negatively affects the quality of leaders we grow primarily due to delivering the primary

education requirements. Often you see Soldiers merely having the ability to click through course

work or rush through particular areas without retaining the material. While Soldiers are working

alone at their own pace, it creates social distancing, not allowing them the opportunity to

collaborate with others. According to (Kimball at el., 2013) "Recent U.S. Army Research

Institute study of self-learning habits among noncommissioned officers (NCOs) were blunt, and

to the point, NCOs prefer approaches that are highly social and interactive” (p. 33). Another

problem with online instruction is that soldiers suffer from real-time guidance for course

expectations this can significantly affect education quality.

Purpose of the Study

This research aims to highlight the difficulties with distance learning and reveal how

much knowledge Soldiers are retaining in the current online classroom environment.

Additionally, as we expand on the actual outcome of Soldiers' primary military education within

each step of their career, we will adjust how we educate the force and ultimately lead to a better-

trained leader. Distance learning is significant in our non-commissioned officer (NCO) chain as

we rely so heavily on the knowledge and experience of others around us.

Distance learning environments hinder a soldier's ability to collaborate with others and

affect the amount of knowledge they gain in a particular subject. The main problem within a

distance learning setting is the student's ability to learn from other experiences on any given
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subject by having opposing views or even the same view; it allows a student to have a more in-

depth thought process. The best fix for this problem is to return to in-person teaching;

unfortunately, the future wave only moves this further from reality. While technology continues

to advance, it provides ways to overcome this isolating way of education. Programs such as

Microsoft teams and zoom are prime examples of ways to hold a virtual classroom, bringing

collaboration back.

Research Questions and Strategy

The broad topic of distance learning in the United States (U.S.) Army will be the focus

for this research paper. While over time, the Army has transitioned the primary military

education requirements to a mostly self-paced online course, this has created disconnects in the

way we educate the force.

Using a qualitative approach to discover real feedback from the force and studies

regarding our current educational success will assist in answering the following questions.

1. Is distance learning providing quality education to our force, namely the NCO corps?

2. What is the monetary and personal cost of no collaboration in a classroom educational

environment?

Researching education in a distance learning setting and highlighting the effects on the

force will allow us to adjust our future requirements. Additionally, the outcome of the research

will help adapt our way of educating the force. It may also enable incorporating future

collaboration tools to help bring students together even though they may be thousands of miles

apart.

Literature Review

As Soldiers progress their careers in the United States Army, they must also advance

their education at each level. It is essential to provide Soldiers the necessary tools to perform to
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the standard as a leader in the organization. As time has evolved and generations change, so has

the way we educate the force. While the benefits affect each party differently, online education is

the future wave and is here to stay.

Despite the implementation of education requirements at each level, there appears to be a

breakdown in the actual knowledge Soldiers gain coming out of each phase. As previously

stated, Soldiers remain socially distant from others, causing a lack of cohesion with fellow

soldiers and the lack of shared experiences from the field. During the research portion of this

topic, it was interesting to find multiple lines of thought that support opposing views of online

education.

Quality of Education

The research conducted has been eye opening to see the different stances, especially

regarding the quality of education students receive in a classroom setting versus online

instruction. The most significant differences are the student-to-student interaction but also the

lack of student to instructor interaction. With technology advances over the years, a great deal of

development has bridged the interaction gaps we see with online education but is that enough,

and has it been implemented? Some of those advancements include interactive platforms such as

video, social media, Microsoft Teams, and zoom, to name a few. The growing rates are more

than ten times that of traditional in-person education (Allen & Seaman, 2011).

While advances in technology help make the classroom more realistic, there are still areas

of concern regarding online education. During research conducted by (Tracey et al., 2014), off-

campus students felt more isolated than on-campus students feeling more connected to their

instructors and peers alike. Another hurdle in the early stages of distance learning was the
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standard in course material delivery; this significantly affected how the students found

information and the resources used (Tracy et al., 2014).

The student to facilitator interaction is another topic that to examine as it significantly

affects the educational experience. There has been mention of a severe lack of teachers' feedback

and little to no interaction during the course (Zirkle, 2001). Students also suffer from not

receiving feedback from their peers in the classroom. Students often require real-time assistance

in both course material and technology to succeed, which does not happen as quickly in a virtual

classroom (Zirkle, 2001). These struggles often affect the older student groups that perhaps have

been out of school for an extended period and may not be up to date with computer programs.

Educating a New Generation

As mentioned before, with generation changes and technology advancements, the way we

educate both the civilian sector and our military force has evolved significantly. According to

(Knapp, 2018), improvements in video conferencing improved the sense of social presence with

fellow students and allowed the teacher to provide recorded lectures. While some students are

excellent with independent learning, not all can learn in this fashion. Another area of concern is

the need for clarification or guidance during an assignment; the instructor can make a

considerable difference in the outcome of a student's understanding of course concepts and

strategies (Purarjomandlangrudi et al., 2016). However, incorporating video interaction into the

instruction allows group thinking and teacher mediation, a significant downfall of online

education before recent times. Ultimately, we must keep in mind; no one approach fits all

learning styles. Both the students and instructors must adapt to achieve success in education.

The way forward in military primary education has been nothing short of astounding; we

have adapted and overcome ten-plus years of wartime operations with great geographical
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separation of our forces across the world (Perot, 2017). The Army had to adopt a ubiquitous

learning style, which allows Soldiers to learn in any place at any time (Perot, 2017). Online

education within our force has become the new normal, but this has not happened without a high

cost, both monetary and personal, to our Soldiers and budget equally. There is a massive

investment in computers, satellite equipment, servers, and networks (Zirkle, 2001). There must

also be a complete tech support team available to help students at any given time and keep the

programs up to date and functioning correctly. Another cost is to the Soldiers; up until current

policies such as the Army National Guard’s Electronic Based Distributed Learning policy,

Soldiers received no pay for online courses. This policy authorizes National Guard Soldiers'

compensation to complete most primary educational requirements (Department of the Army,

2020). A soldier who can earn retirement points and pay to completed courses motivates them to

achieve their required primary educational requirements and gives them more than just a

certificate at the end.

The final dimension we must explore is generations' advances, looking at how people

perceive learning normalcy. The most noticeable differences are those placed between the next

generations of Soldiers, such as the millennials generation versus generation Z (Trent, 2019).

While the United States' (U.S.) most educated generation is on track, the millennials have not

always participated in online instruction (Trent, 2019). Millennials have lived through a

transition of in-person education and complete online education, even more so within the Army.

In fact, according to the following literature review of (Trent, 2019), "millennials prefer having

the option to learn independently or in small groups to deepen their understanding of new

information” (p. 44), which came to be a surprise. While the millennial generation has adapted

and overcome, generation Z is the new and upcoming soldiers, technically inclined while fully
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integrated into complete online instruction. However, for this way of education to continue, there

must be full engagement from both students and facilitators alike (Trent, 2019).

Summary of Findings

During the initial stages of research on the topic, there was a great deal of information

supporting the stance that a lack of social interaction in the classroom setting affected our force's

education. With generation changes, online instruction has become standard; thus, the

differences in in-person classroom interaction are not prevalent. It was fascinating to find all the

supporting arguments that online teaching can be as effective as in-person classroom education,

ultimately the opposite of the original stance. There are still significant advances ahead with

online education, and it needs to be continuous to provide the best education to our force as

possible. Social interaction has and always will be imperative; the ability to add collaboration in

a classroom setting with peers and facilitators allows everyone to be on the same page and align

the differences in learning styles.

Links to Professional Practice

While working in the training and operations field for over ten years, a massive change in

how we educate our force has occurred. There has also been a significant change in our soldiers'

dynamics, with the new generation becoming more and more prevalent in our ranks. Primary

education requirements and enrolling Soldiers to complete educational needs directly relates to

my career field and full-time assignment as a Battalion Operations NCO. The literature review

conducted greatly improved understanding of how the population and our Soldiers prefer to

learn. While it allows education from anywhere at any time, there still is a significant amount of

improvements to be made. Finally, as a senior leader within the organization, you must mentor
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and set the example for subordinates and peers alike while grooming our upcoming leaders to

one day fill the key leadership positions to ensure success.

Links to Policy

Current Army policy concerning distance learning includes AR 140-185 (August 2018).

Since 2018, distance-learning requirements have continued to grow, even more so recently with

the TRADOC TASKORD IN211441. This new TASKORD outlines the necessity to reduce

current resident primary education length by 55 hours by 1 October 2022 (Department of the

Army, 2021). Additional policies such as KYARNG Policy, compensation for successful

completion of electronic-based-distributed learning significantly improve Soldiers' willingness to

complete their distance learning courses by establishing a payment outline for each course

completed.

As a senior leader in the Kentucky Army National Guard, we must improve part-time

soldiers' incentives to complete their primary military educational requirements. One crucial way

to accomplish this is through military pay and retirement benefits. While there are policies in

place to reward such advantages, there needs to be more incentive. One suggestion for

improvement is more retirement points and more accurate payout rates for hours per course.

After all, as online education continues to become more prevalent, there must be incentives for

Soldiers to complete their requirements; this becomes even more of an issue among our reserved

component force.

Conclusion

With distance learning being a staple across the entire Department of Defense and the

civilian sector, we must adhere to and adapt our learning styles. While distance learning in the

Army began in 1997, it has only grown in popularity since then. Perhaps the most significant
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issue of distance learning is Soldiers working individually; this segregates them and ultimately

hinders their ability to grow through collaboration in a classroom setting. Although advances in

technology have bridged the separation gap through social media and programs such as

Microsoft teams or zoom, this still does not fix student isolation and the feeling of connection to

peers and their instructors. Other notable issues include the lack of facilitator feedback on time;

this is primarily due to when facilitators are available versus when students work on their

assignments.

Although the Army may have forecasted the need for more online education, it could not

have come at a better time. The force has dealt with significant geographic separation over ten

plus years at war; by implanting distance learning, the force continued professional and self-

development. Finally, as generations change, so do the way Soldiers prefer to learn; with

generation Z growing up in a technologically advancing world, they may choose distance

learning. However, there are still many improvements with the interactions among students and

facilitators to ensure cohesion and knowledge from others' experiences.

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References

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Winkler, Gary (August, 1998) Army R.D. & A; Alexandria

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Kimball, Raymond A, Lieutenant Colonel; Byerly, Joseph M, Captain. (June, 2013) Military

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United States

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Knapp, F. Nancy (October 2018) Increasing Interaction in a Flipped Online Classroom through

Video Conferencing

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%20IN211441%20ALC_SLC%20Redesign.pdf
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