TRADOC team increases access to mobile learning

By U.S. ArmyJune 24, 2014

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Aviation students use wireless devices to complete an assignment at Fort Eustis, Virginia. U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command's Project Office-Mobile is striving to provide Soldiers with more relevant, tailored and engaging learning experiences ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT EUSTIS, Va. (June 24, 2014) -- Putting training in the hands of Soldiers anytime and anywhere they may be is the focus of a U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command project office here.

Wireless campuses, mobile applications and cloud computing are more than just exciting catchphrases for TRADOC Project Office-Mobile, and they're often bundled with words like strategy, direction, policy, infrastructure and resourcing.

It's all part of getting learning at the point of need -- wherever that is; and using devices familiar to Soldiers, said Lt. Col. Kyle Reichle, chief of TPO-Mobile.

"Mobile efforts are critical to the future of Army learning," Reichle said.

Supporting Reichle's eight-person team is a multifunctional network of representatives from operations and plans, the TRADOC chief information officer, capability managers for the Army Distributed Learning Program and Army Training Information Systems, and TRADOC centers of excellence.

The team is striving to provide Soldiers with more relevant, tailored and engaging learning experiences, using a wide array of devices to enhance the overall learning environment.

"TRADOC sees mobile capability as a key to achieving the commander's goals through the Army Learning Model," Reichle said. "It's also a logical extension of the means to deliver training and education: classroom, online and a blended approach of the two."

Recently, the team conducted a test to assess several Windows-based mobile devices used by students and instructors in the U.S. Army Transportation School and Aviation Logistics School courses at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. They are also testing an approved Windows 8 build, which offers more functionality for mobile devices.

Ultimately, their work will lead to implementing mobile learning across TRADOC schools and increase accessibility of learning content.

This means addressing critical infrastructure, policy issues and lessons learned to help shape formal mobile requirements for TRADOC institutions and the Army. The team must also tackle the complex challenges associated with fully leveraging mobile capabilities within the protected DOD network environment, Reichle said.

Through these efforts, TPO-Mobile continues to address the Army chief of staff's strategic priority of developing adaptive leaders for a complex world, said Col. Charles Harris, TRADOC G-6 deputy chief of staff.

"The Army must seek solutions balancing national defense information security and the need for Soldiers' unlimited access to training and education content, products, and services through mobile devices and adaptive wireless networks," Harris said.

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