Education and Training Technology in the Military

Abstract

The United States Department of Defense (DOD) has contributed to the development of various education and training technologies, two of which are computer-assisted instruction and simulation-based instruction. DOD investment in computer-assisted instruction has continued from the 1950s to the present. Its contributions have ranged from drill and practice to computers capable of generating instructional interactions on demand and in real time. DOD investment in instructional simulation began with pilot trainers but evolved to include computer-controlled simulators serving a wide range of purposes, including simulators that are networked for collective education and the training of crews, teams, and units. Past and continuing contributions of the DOD in areas such as effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, instructional efficiency, and collaborative collective activity are worthy of attention.