The Combat Studies Institute won the 2014 George C. Marshall Foundation Prize for the use of Digital Technology in Teaching Military History. The award was announced Feb. 18 by the Society of Military History.
According to the society's announcement, the Society for Military History in partnership with The George C. Marshall Foundation created the new prize to be awarded annually to an individual, group or institution that creates, designs and implements material for use in teaching military history utilizing evolving digital technology. This prize is intended to stimulate new thinking in how technology can be used to create new and better tools for studying military history.
"The Vanguard of Valor iBook shows how interactive technology can make learning history an immersive experience. Much of the audio and video included in the iBook came from Soldiers themselves who recorded their combat actions," said Dr. Don Wright, editor of the book. "CSI used that media - along with digital models and 3D terrain - to offer very compelling accounts of these battles in Afghanistan."
CSI's iBook, Vanguard of Valor: Small Unit Actions in Afghanistan, Enhanced Edition, released last March, is the first ibook released by the institute. It is available in the Apple iBooks format. By taking advantage of the latest technology, the iBook offers eight immersive accounts of combat actions in Afghanistan. This iBook is CSI's first book that tells the Army's story in a fully interactive manner. The chapters in the book include interactive features such as:
• 3D digital terrain views
• Video from combat actions
• Interactive digital models of weapon systems and vehicles
• Interactive maps and charts
Over the last decade, the Combat Studies Institute has offered both the Army and the public historical accounts of contemporary operations. This enhanced edition of Vanguard of Valor serves to document the combat experiences of Soldiers at the platoon and company levels in Afghanistan. Because of its immersive features, the book is ideally suited for use in the Army leader and development system where the interactive elements will lead to enhanced understanding of tactics, leadership, and the raw courage often displayed by US Soldiers in the heat of battle.
To download the interactive edition of Vanguard of Valor, go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/vanguard-of-valor/id615188666?mt=11
The Combat Studies Institute provides a wide range of military historical and educational support to the Combined Arms Center, Training and Doctrine Command, and the United States Army. CSI researches, writes, and publishes (via the CSI Press) original interpretive works on issues of relevance to the Army and the defense of the Nation. The Institute conducts an Oral History program that features interviews war fighters from sergeant to general. CSI also conducts Leader Development opportunities in the form of virtual and live battlefield Staff Rides for the Army. For more information on CSI, visit the CSI web site at http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/CSI/.
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