New Developments in Distance Education

The U. S. army has been at the leading edge of new improvements in distance education and is one of its biggest users throughout the world. In the 70’s, the U.S. Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) use of correspondence education and studying had improved to a point that it was working one of the biggest U. S. post offices in Fort Eustis, Virginia to keep up with the requirement globally. These days, The Army Correspondence Course Program (ACCP) is approved by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) and is accountable for the official nonresident expansion curricula of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command.

distance-educationIn the last two years, all branches of the military have intensely implemented the use of telecom satellite and the internet to provide various kinds of training and education and studying via video conferencing and web-based applications. In inclusion, the Distance Education Program (DEP) at the US Military War College provides an extensive program of training that result in the award of the Graduation Certificate as well as the Master of Strategic Study degree. The DEP is approved by the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, as a program for joint education and studying, Phase I Senior Level (JPME I). The Distance Education Program needs 15 hours of study weekly that is provided via the internet.

The College of Distance Education (CDE) is the academic outreach program of the Naval War College.  It provides executive-level education and studying to officers of the various military services and to senior workers of the Department of Defense and other Government departments.  Three distribution techniques widely-used to by the College: faculty-led night workshops, a web-enabled program, and a CD-ROM centered correspondence program. These programs mirror, to a degree, this method of research provided to resident learners at the College’s Newport campus. The Air Force Institute for Advanced Distributed Learning (AFIADL) was recognized in 2000 “to display identification of the significance of online and advanced distributed education” according to Kim Bowling, then the Colonel of USAF and Commander of AFIADL.