Industry: Public Sector
Scope of Services and Products: Education for the Department of Defense Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Workforce
Estimated Number of Employees: 500+
Year e-Learning Introduced: 1998
Offices and Locations: Five regional campus locations within the U.S.
Web Site: www.dau.mil
The Defense Acquisition University selected e-learning because:
They had 132,000 people all with yearly learning requirements for their career track.
It was important to find a way to increase the effectiveness of learning.
They wanted to maximize public employees’ time in the office.
Imagine yourself responsible for the continuing professional education of 132,000 public employees, where the leadership can change every four years, and you have the public’s trust to spend tax payers’ money efficiently. This is the environment of the Defense Acquisition University (DAU). DAU provides learning to the people who work in Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics for the Department of Defense. Over time, DAU has transformed from a traditional classroom- only setting to a corporate university, emphasizing Web-based training, performance consulting in the workplace, and forming strategic partnerships with university, industry, and professional organizations.
Learning is integrated throughout DAU and the workplace. This is seen in DAU’s mission statement:
Provide practitioner training and services to enable the acquisition, technology, and logistics community to make smart business decisions and deliver timely and affordable capabilities to the war fighter.
Because of the need to reach more learners with quality learning, reduce classroom time, and increase the time people spend on the job, the University needed to optimize learning opportunities. To transform the classroom learning environment of the twentieth century to a learner-centric environment of the twenty-first century, DAU turned to e-learning.
The efficiencies and effectiveness of e-learning at DAU can be seen within their Program Management Career Track. For one course within the program track, DAU graduated four times as many students using e-learning as compared to traditional classroom learning, and they increased the quality of the learning experience by adding case-based scenarios.
DAU was at capacity in terms of the number of learners they were able to accommodate per year, and they were challenged with a leaner workforce that needed to spend more time on-the-job and less time in the classroom. Workforce demographics were changing as well; the baby-boomer generation was beginning to retire and taking much knowledge with them. The DAU’s learner community was also speaking up. They wanted to improve or obtain certain skills and also wanted to be more efficient in gaining those skills. This was further complicated by the fact that for each of the thirteen career tracks in acquisition, technology, and logistics, there is a continuous learning requirement of 80 hours every two years. Based on their career track, employees are required to be certified in certain areas within a specified time frame. Therefore, DAU needed to develop a learner-centered approach to education.
DAU evaluated their classroom courses and developed a plan for transitioning the content for online delivery. DAU determined the courses that were best suited for the transition by reviewing the learning objectives, costs associated with the classroom version, and the projected return on investment. This transition to online delivery enabled DAU to increase the number of students attending a program, as well as decrease the time employees spent away from the job.
For example, for the Acquisition 101 course of the Program Management Career Track, DAU was able to accommodate over 9,000 students online, where in previous years with classroom delivery, they could accommodate only 3,000 learners annually.
Increase the productivity of the employees
Decrease the amount of time learners spend in classroom training
Increase the number of learners served within the current DAU resources
Provide just-in-time training that is effective as well as efficient
The Program Management Career Track (see Table 10-1) is a certification program designed for a specific audience. This is a continuous learning program with completion requirements over an extended period of time. The track contains six courses and three different levels of certification plus a statutory required level for program management leadership. Progression through the track also includes formal education and real-life experience requirements that are outside the scope of DAU. When learners complete all six courses and the additional requirements, they receive the highest level of certification training in Program Management that the University offers.
|
Level 1 Certification |
Level 2 Certification |
Level 3 Certification |
Statutory Requirement Level for Leadership Positions |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Acquisition 101 |
Acquisition 201 |
Program Management 352 |
Program Management 401 |
|
Program Management 250 |
Program Management 402 |
With each level of certification, learners become eligible for positions with an increasing level of responsibility. For those in leadership positions within program management, they are required by United States law to complete the entire track, including the highest level of certification. Courses are enhanced by a case study, tailored to a learner’s individual needs.
As shown in Table 10-2, the move from a classroom-based program to a blended learning program transformed the Program Management Career Track. The number of hours saved by changing the program deployment and the number of learners accommodated more than proved e-learning’s return on investment for DAU.
|
Course |
Classroom Duration |
Online Duration |
Annual Learners |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Classroom-Based Program |
|||
|
Level 1 Certification |
64 hours |
None |
3,000 |
|
Level 2 Certification |
120 hours |
None |
5,000 |
|
Level 3 Certification |
560 hours |
None |
960 |
|
Total |
744 hours |
0 hours |
8,960 |
|
Blended Learning Program |
|||
|
Level 1 Certification |
0 hours |
25 hours |
9,000 |
|
Level 2 Certification |
30 hours |
91 hours self-paced 24 hours in virtual group work |
5,500 |
|
Level 3 Certification |
232 hours |
50 hours |
700 |
|
Total |
262 hours |
190 hours |
15,200 |
|
Quick Look at the Numbers: |
|||
|
Total Learning Time: |
Total Learners: |
||
|
744 hours vs.452 hours |
8,960 vs.15,200 |
||
During the design and development phase of an e-learning program, a DAU team conducts a needs assessment, determines content, and develops learning objectives in conjunction with a team from the career field. A full-time program manager is assigned to the project to make sure the program is successful. The program manager selects the appropriate subject matter experts to provide unique content while working with contractors on the instructional design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance.
Online courseware is developed in accordance with DAU’s e-learning technical specifications. Those specifications identify the design standards, SCORM requirements, Section 508 requirements (accessibility), and states which Web-based standards or technologies can or cannot be used. Because of the adherence to the SCORM standard, the e-learning content is re-useable within DAU’s learning management system.
HTML
JavaScript
Macromedia Flash
Forum
The University’s virtual campus is a custom-built learning management system called Operational Support System (OSS). The OSS is integrated with the student registration system that allows learners to search for and take e-learning courses and register for classroom-based learning. The University also has worked to develop strategic partnerships with other departments and federal agencies, as well as leading universities, private companies, and professional organizations involved in e-learning. One example is DAU’s partnership with the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI), where FAI funds the course development and DAU hosts the course and provides support for learners and instructors. The benefits began with sharing the costs of the development and deployment of the courseware, but also resulted in all Federal employees taking the same introductory course. Combining all this provides the Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics workforce with a world-class corporate university.
The Program Management Career Track is an example of a blended learning approach. The University has taken a large program and reviewed the content piece-by-piece to determine the best deployment method. They have combined self-paced e-learning with live e-learning sessions and classroom learning. See Table 10-3 for the program components and delivery methods.
|
Course |
Self-Paced e-Learning |
Delivery Method Live e-Learning |
Classroom Learning |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Acquisition 101 |
| ||
|
Acquisition 201 |
|
|
|
|
Program Management 250 |
|
| |
|
Program Management 352 |
|
|
|
|
Program Management 401 |
|
||
|
Program Management 402 |
|
Because the Program Management Career Track is such a long and intensive learning program, the courses are distributed over an extended period of time, depending on the learner’s service area and career track. Learners are given 60 days to complete each self-paced e-learning course. To keep track of learners and their progress throughout the program, DAU assigns an instructor who is responsible for supporting people through the course. When the instructor sees that someone has registered for a course but not progressed, the instructor is responsible for following up with the learner to determine the next steps.
When offering blended learning courses, the self-paced e-learning is offered within certain time frames to reduce the amount of time between the self-paced sections of the course and the live e-learning and/or classroom portions. For example, when learners sign up for the Program Management 352 course, they are first enrolled into the classroom part (PMT 352B). Approximately 80 days prior to the start of the classroom portion, the students receive an e-mail stating that they may begin the online portion of the course (PMT 352A). Learners then have 60 days to complete the online portion, which must be finished at least two weeks prior to the start of the classroom portion. If they have not completed PMT 352A, they will be dropped from the classroom course.
DAU has found that this approach of limiting the time between completion of the online and classroom components helps to enhance the classroom experience and reduce the amount of information that is lost due to the passing of time. PMT 352 is also the first course where DAU is leveraging the power of its learning management system in the classroom as well as online. Classroom courseware and material, exercises, and exams are all in the learning management system. Students have access to the classroom content at any time.
With the extreme mobility of the Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics workforce, DAU is making the availability of downloadable learning objects a priority. Internet connectivity remains a challenge for DAU participants, with issues such as bandwidth and firewalls. Learners are located throughout the United States, as well as at sea and at international posts. They need the ability to download content, review it in off-line mode, and then upload test scores or completion data. DAU is developing their next generation learning management system that will provide this mobile learning capability, eliminating the need to be constantly tied to the Internet, without giving up the benefits of access to the latest content.
As e-learning delivery began to increase for DAU, they realized that not only did they need to change the learning culture for the learners, they also needed to change the way people at the University approached their work. The effort to move into a more learner-centric organization meant DAU had to operate differently. Instead of classroom instructors, there was a need for e-learning facilitators to coach and monitor learner progress. DAU found that the same faculty could be readily engaged to support the classroom and the online courses. Because the courses are self-paced, DAU could support many more learners with the same number of faculty members.
The increased faculty to student ratio enhanced the learner experience. DAU found that the time e-learning facilitators spent individually with their learners increased over classroom-based training, and this felt more personal to the learner. Because of this increased time, DAU realized that online instructors require a different type of training and preparation so they have developed a faculty certification program that addresses these classroom and online training needs.
The marketing efforts for the new e-learning and blended learning courses were an important part of DAU’s success. Because the Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics workforce varies in age and background, DAU began reaching out to stakeholders with demonstrations of the new courseware. To advertise e-learning, DAU opened up communication channels to leadership and learners, and developed brochures that advertised courseware and the virtual learning center. DAU staff realized they had to communicate upwards to the Pentagon, as well as out in the field to their end-user audience.
Communicating and demonstrating capabilities and efficiencies gained through e-learning to key leadership in the Pentagon
Announcements on the organization’s intranet portal front page
Demonstrating program to learners to show that e-learning does help build skills just as classroom training does
With the efficiencies realized through the re-design of the Program Management Career Track, Department of Defense acquisition, technology, and logistics organizations were able to recapture over 300 work years annually. DAU came to this figure by reviewing the amount of time saved with e-learning and the number of learners attending the courses. Because of e-learning, employees are spending less time away from the office and more time being productive in their jobs. In addition, DAU was able to accommodate a significantly larger number of learners and not increase DAU staff. They found that with a blended learning program, the cost per graduate decreased.
The University envisions a time when all learning is available to all people anywhere, anytime, anyplace. DAU is changing the way people learn, and they are using the available technology to help them do that.
"[I appreciated] the ability to take the course online at my own pace with the help of the course book for notes and reference."
89 percent indicated that their learning objectives were met.
"I saw great benefit in learning through real world-type situations instead of lectures."
"[The course] touched on a lot of areas impacting acquisition that I had not previously been exposed to."
Purpose: To bring quality learning to more people, reduce the amount of classroom time, and decrease the time people spend away from the job
Program Structure: Learning is offered via self-paced and live e-learning, as well as classroom learning. There are six blended learning courses offering four levels of certification:
Level 1: Acquisition Fundamentals
Level 2: Program Management Tools and Intermediate Acquisitions
Level 3: Case-Based Program Management
Level 4: Statutory Requirement Certification Level
Total Number of Hours of Learning in the Program: 190 e-Learning hours; 262 classroom hours
Number of Learners:
132,000 in the Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics workforce
Completion Requirements:
Completing all four levels of certification is required for learner to hold one of the top program management leadership positions in the organization
Completing lower levels of certification allows learners to become eligible for positions with increasing levels of responsibility
Media and Tools: The program includes these media types:
HTML
JavaScript
Macromedia Flash
Cold Fusion
Forum
Conference calls and e-mail
Deployment Mechanism: Deployed online through DAU’s Corporate University, marketing approaches include:
Communications to top leadership at Pentagon
Buy-in from key stakeholders at the Department of Defense Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics
Requirements must be clearly defined.
Course managers and subject matter experts must have sufficient time to support the project.
e-Learning instructors require a different type of preparation and train-the-trainer session than classroom-based training.
Good project management of the design, development, and deployment of e-learning is essential.
Maintaining a production and quality review schedule and adhering to the work plan is important to preserve the intensity and integrity of the program
Plan and budget for and incorporate content and technology upgrades (hardware and software) during the life of the program.
Ensure that the infrastructure to support the program is in place.