BULLETIN #6
June 2003
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Note from the TPIO
In this Bulletin
Notice to Proponents
Goodbye
Feature Article
What's New?
The Next Bulletin
INTRODUCTION
Distributed Learning Bulletin contains important information and guidance about The Army Distributed Learning Program (TADLP).
It is for soldiers, commanders, trainers, training developers and training
managers (military and civilian). The Bulletin will be published quarterly or
more often as required.
We recognize it takes time for new policies, requirements and information to reach
all of those who need it in their daily business.
The function of the Bulletin is to get the word out
quickly - and to get your feedback so we can answer your questions.
Another function is
to address issues or problem areas that we need to bring to your attention and
fix. DL class scheduling will be covered in this bulletin because it is a
significant problem in both the Active and Reserve Component.
I will discuss the
Army's Training Requirements and Resources System (ATRRS), to include Training
Requirements Analysis System (TRAS), and how they interface with the TADLP.
I will also focus on scheduling DL courses and classes for training and distributing DL training
materials to the soldier's location.
WHY?
Many are unfamiliar with how the system works because: There is heavy turn over in Quota Managers. There are personnel shortages at proponent schools. There is a lack of understanding about the process flow and coordination requirements between agencies and responsibilities at various levels. For example, some proponents don't submit TRAS documents to TOMA in time to resource courses. TRAS is how schoolhouses get the facilities, equipment and instructors as appropriate - for both resident and DL training.
There are some who do not understand how DL and resident training work together. For example, in ANCOC and BNCOC Phase 1 is common core in residence; Phase 2 is DL; and phase 3 is resident. The questions are, "How are the phases scheduled? What information do the various agencies need?" The Army's system to catalog, inventory, resource courses (via the Army Budget) and lock in student requirements (number of seats) for training across all components.What is TRAS? The Army's system for data analysis of training, course documentation, course resourcing, and is the executive tool to add, update, or delete courses (resident or DL) in ATRRS.
Resident training may include new buildings, instructors, equipment, training development, training support, training material, training aids, and a lot of other things. DL instruction doesn't need the same things that a resident course requires -- But guess what? A DL course does need a Statement of Work (SOW) that turns into a contract to develop and produce a training product - may or may not include a need for some good old fashioned training development, government furnished equipment (GFE), government furnished information (GFI), and subject matter experts.
Remember, the vast majority of TADLP courses contain both resident and DL training. The point - Resident and DL planning, programming, development and fielding must be - executed concurrently - not separately.
The Similarity between Resident and DL Courses is -
Administrative Data (CAD) are required 3 years before the actual year a course - resident or DL -- will be executed. The CAD must be documented into ATRRS for a course to be resourced.
The DL CAD is submitted through the traditional resident TRAS process. Training proponents remain responsible for MOS content and subject matter for DL Supplemental information will be submitted with the DL CAD and processed through proponent School's TRAS folks.
Supplemental information helps get the right info into the system, and ensures everyone understands training terminology, i.e., what a course is, what media is, and what many other training terms mean.
TOMA will ensure DL courses are documented into ATRRS that reflect proponent-approved data and valid course information including when the courses will start.
NOTES:
1. If a course is already funded but not documented into ATRRS, no course schedules and training will be made available. TRAS is not an after-thought, it is the system to document your courses into ATRRS.
2. CADs are NOT part of your Acquisition Plan. The CAD should have been processed previously to get resources for DL services or products. If not, you are behind and we all will work late.
Want to view or search the ATRRS Course Catalog Click here https://www.atrrs.army.mil/atrrscc/ (No sign on or ID is required to use at the course catalog function.?
Want to know more about TRAS, ATRRS, & associated documentation? Try this link- http://www-dcst.monroe.army.mil/tdaa/350-70/PAMs/TRADOC_Pam_350_70_8/TOC2.htm Want to read or research the main TRADOC Course Management http://www.tradoc.army.mil/tpubs/regs/r350-70/index.html
Want to know about TOMA? Try this link - http://dcst.army.mil/toma/index.htm
Notice to Proponents:Master Priority List. Courses on the DL Master Priority list are DA directed courses that use TADLP funds for development. Their development is aimed at specific readiness requirements important to the Army. Proponents are expected to develop and field these courses as scheduled.
DL course validation. Execute group trials as multiple samplings at different times and places. You are not required to get a classroom and a large number of people locked in concrete. Do it in bite-sized pieces.
Certification Teams. The TRADOC DCSOPS&T directed the ATSC to send a team to each proponent during the PreAward Phase.
The mission is ensure all documentation required for DL development is present and to certify that it is current, complete and correct.
The team's purposes are to ensure:
Each proponent is prepared to begin DL development before contract award.
Contractors will be provided credible information and materials for course development.
NOTE:
TOMA will assist School and POI Proponents with entering documentation in ATRRS and subject integration using the TRAS process.
Schools that are not prepared for contract award will not be funded. Funds will be diverted to schools that are prepared.
GFI/M. Proponents must initiate document preparation, e.g., (GFI GFM) when one of their courses first appears on the DL Course Master Priority List. The list is published in late March or early April each year.
Critical. If you have a DL course in ATRRS with a scheduled start date based on your previously submitted CAD THINGS CHANGE- like the DL course does not validate on time, or the contractor fails to deliver a complete course. Then--
SUBMIT another CAD quickly along with Supplemental Information to your Proponent School's TRAS Coordinator. The TRAS Coordinator will process it to your TOMA TRAS Analyst at HQ TRADOC, for action. Otherwise, soldiers could sign up for a course that does not exist.
Resident POI. Proponents must revise the resident course POI to remove the training that is being reconfigured for DL -- concurrent with DL development.
Required. The CG TRADOC requires proponents to reduce their resident training by the amount reconfigured for DL within one year after a DL course is up and running.
Goodbye -
This is my last Bulletin, and with regret, I must say goodbye. I have completed 30 years service for my country and it's time to move on.
I was indeed fortunate to spend my last seven years as the TPIO for one of most far-reaching, dynamic and important Army training programs of recent times.
Taking training to soldiers -- anywhere anytime -- is in parallel with the technologies that provided commanders and soldiers with real-time situational awareness during the recent Iraq conflict. Our mission was to bring the Army's training capabilities to the same level our soldiers and commanders enjoy in a tactical situation. Going back to the schoolhouse for information in a firefight - is not an option -- but getting critical information wherever and whenever you need it -- is essential.
It has been my privilege to help make the Army a better place for our soldiers.
God Bless America. See you all on the high ground!
Chris Olson
COL Infantry
US Army
Scheduling DL
The process isn't particularly complicated if you understand the big picture as -- Getting DL courseware and the soldier together - anywhere anytime.
After all, the training community has been building courses and scheduling soldiers to classes for as long as any of us can remember. Moving some resident training to the soldier - only changes the media, sequence and location. No big deal. We can do it.
Every thing I will discuss is contained in existing policy, regulations and Pamphlets. And yes, this is -- another pitch for every one to access the TADLP Homepage http://www.tadlp.monroe.army.mil/ where policies and other DL references can be found.
So, getting DL courseware and the soldier together -
Begins with a TATS course being placed on the DL Course Master Priority List for all or some portion of the course to be redesigned for DL--
This initiates the three DLXXI contracting phases covered in Bulletin #4. If you don't have bulletin #4, go to http://www.tadlp.monroe.army.mil/. A quick review --
The PreAward phase is the preparation for contract award for DL configuration. The principal players are the proponent school, ATSC and TOMA:
Proponents provide information and products to ATSC to show they are ready for contract. This will include providing ATSC a copy of the Commandant approved CAD as validated by HQ TRADOC or POI submission. ATSC reviews and certifies proponent documentation and processes the DLXXI course development contract.TOMA will assist schools and POI proponents by entering DL documentation in ATRRS and subject integration using the TRAS process. The Development Phase is designing, developing, and validating DL courseware for training soldiers -- anywhere any time. Success depends upon proponents providing the contractor with complete and current GFI/M. The principal players are the proponent, the contractor and ATSC.
Proponent:
Provides the contractor with the necessary documentation to develop DL courseware.
Ensures the contractor knows exactly what is required and maintains close business relationship with the contractor during development.
Reviews contractor products and validates courseware.
If needed, provides ATSC a copy of the HQ TRADOC validation of the Commandant's Approved CAD or POI submission to change course start dates in ATRRS.
Contractor - develops and validates the course IAW the Delivery Order and TRADOC standards.
ATSC - Manages the DL development process to ensure timelines are met and that contractor or proponent logjams are eliminated.
The Fielding Phase is the physical act of making DL training available to soldiers - again, anywhere anytime.
Fielding involves ensuring DL courses or phases are properly entered into ATRRS, the Interim Learning Management System (ILMS) in the near term, and later in the Objective LMS; course catalogs; and the Reimer Digital Library (ATSC). The principal players are ATSC, TOMA and proponents.
ATSC courseware managers perform a Final Product Review to ensure the courseware is ready for training. Unsatisfactory courseware will be returned to the proponent for correction. TOMA will ensure DL courses documented in ATRRS reflect data and valid course information including the projected course starting date. Proponents: Repair courseware problems IDd in ATSC's review. Forward student learning materials to ATSC for reproduction and dispatch to students. OK, where do we go from here?
We have DL courses in ATRRS with all the correct information.SO -- What happens next - Right! -- STUDENT RESERVATIONS
OK - how are reservations made? The following is the process used for DA directed DL courses - just like we do for a resident course.
Test question: Is there a big difference between scheduling DL and resident courses for training?
Answer: NO!!
Branch/Quota Managers:
Select soldiers for DL training.
Verify soldier qualifications and personal data.
Notify soldiers they have been selected to attend a course.
Advise soldiers of any prerequisites that must be completed before attending resident training.
Submit soldier reservation requests to ATRRS.
ATRRS:
Accepts the reservation.
Notifies:
Proponent MACOM and school.
The DTF where the soldier may train.
Soldier's MACOM and installation.Provides information for the soldier's installation to cut orders.
Installation notifies soldier's unit.
Unit notifies the soldier.
Soldier's installation or unit cuts orders.
Know this Quota Managers are required to make reservations for the DL phase only. In the future -- when a reservation is made for the Resident phase (normally Phase 3) ATRRS will automatically create a DL reservation for Phase 2 (normally DL). This will take about 24 hours for ATRRS to process.
Please -- Don't get hung up over Phase 2 coming before Phase 1. It doesn't mean anything is wrong. Phase 1 has traditionally been the common core phase that may be taken at home station or at the resident school - just as long as it is completed before starting the resident phase.
Pretty easy so far? - - Moving right along -
ATRRS sends DL student reservations to TREDS-R at ATSC. ATRRS also provides ATSC the soldier's verified mailing address. This alerts ATSC to send DL materials to students.
ATRRS also notifies the school as required. Let's see how this works -
ATSC ships prerequisite materials, read-ahead materials, and courseware, e.g., CD-ROMs, VT, and other printed materials to the soldier within five days after receiving a confirmed reservation.
ATSC also sends a welcome letter to the soldier. These letters are prepared by the school and forwarded to ATSC in the final DL package. To learn more about the soldier and commander letters, click here for the student letter; click here for the commander letter.Note to Proponents: Provide the student with a POC name, email address and phone number in the welcome letter and in his/her orders. The student must have someone to call for answers and support.
Now, while all of the things I've just covered are going on -- the schools have been scheduling classes. Here are the current guidelines: IAW TRADOC Memorandum, ATOM-P, subject: Clarification of DL Policies, 24 June 02
Important: The computation starts with the resident report date and works backwards - so for a DL phase:
ATSC requires 30 days to ship courseware that soldiers must complete before attending the next phase (normally resident). +
The maximum time the soldier is allowed to complete the training as prescribed by the school. +
30 days admin time for ATRRS to close the records =
The number of days required for DL
So, for example,
ATSC takes 30 days for shipping
The maximum time allowed for DL is 90 days
And ATRRS requires 30 days to complete the records
You need to schedule the DL phases to begin 150 days before the resident phase begins.
That's all there is to it -- Make sense
Immersive Training. In the future Instructional designers and instructors will develop and present training that allows learners to visualize the training environment and to interact with the environment, equipment, and other learners.
This training environment will use Immersive training technology that employs interactive computer simulations and peripherals, such as data gloves and head-mounted displays. Learners will feel that they are actually within the simulated environment thus promoting realistic behavior.
These systems will allow learners to collaborate in real-time training and mission-rehearsal situations through networked distributed interactive simulations (DIS). Here are a few good sources of basic information about learning standards, interoperability, and reusable content objects http://www.linezine.com/2.1/features/wheyewtkls.htm http://www.masie.com/masie/default.cfm?page=default
E-Learning Opportunities for Soldiers and DA Civilian Employees.
A recent article about the Army's Smartforce Program, Army Knowledge Online (AKO) and eArmyU contains some interesting insights about DL opportunities. Active Duty, US Army Reserve, and Army National Guard soldiers and DA Civilian employees can access hundreds of courses via the Army's Smartforce Program. For more information, check out the article Army expands e-learning abilities"; The Army's Computer-Based Training (CBT) - Smartforce.
THE NEXT BULLETIN
The next bulletin will contain a wrap up of the 24-26 March DL workshop at Williamsburg VA. The remarks by the DCSOPS&T will be featured.
IN THE MEANTIME:
The TDALP homepage is located at: http://www.tadlp.monroe.army.mil/
'TIL THE NEXT TIME - SOLDIERS FIRST!!
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