Military Distributed Learning Environment Advantages and Disadvantages

MILITARY

Military: Advantages and Disadvantages of Military Distributed Learning Environment

In the past few years, the army has entered into distance learning methods to make it convenient for military apprentices to learn anytime and anywhere. Distance learning, also called distributed learning (DL), uses information technologies to deliver study methods for soldiers, even in residential places. This adds to the efficiency and effectiveness of the training as the program becomes feasible enough to be taken anywhere.

One of the most notable advantages of distance learning is the training and knowledge provision of army personnel with low grades (Winkler et al., 2002). A shortage of qualified personnel and even difficulties in their professional advancement is observed when they cannot get the training needed for the position they are deployed for. The number of people filling military occupational specialties (MOSs) shows a shortfall of the trained soldiers (Winkler et al., 2002). Hence, internet-based systems and materials are used to train them wherever they are present so that training is conducted without any delay to equip them with modern skills and upgraded strategies for the army duties (Tung et al., 2009). The trainees can even complete their assignments in their leisure time and report their progress to their instructors on a weekly or monthly basis via online means. It serves the purpose of “just-in-time” training with the convenience of choosing their own time and location.

Another advantage is the time taken for the completion of the course. Usually, the training course in the military takes up to six months to complete (Winkler et al., 2002). Compared with the traditional educational learning environment, distributed learning provided the benefit of less time taken for learning at home and becoming ready soon for military duties.

Distributed learning has one major value: military trainees can contact or message their instructor anytime with internet-based methods to clarify their course confusions (Kibbey, 2022). Although this might be disturbing for instructors sometimes, the direct interactions could prevent the trainees from having to wait till the next day to visit office hours as in the traditional learning environment.

Distributed learning is not free of challenges. There are student-based and teacher-based obstacles. For instance, students feel they cannot manage time well when taking courses online. Numerous students either drop out of the online military course or fail to complete it since they do not exhibit shrewd time management skills; hence, they seem to be low in motivation and self-belief and even rate low in memory recall of what was taught online (Campbell Jr., 2021). Also, teachers do not seem to be qualified enough to manage classes online and even not prepared enough to handle the challenges of distance learning. The faculty is found to have problems tackling the difference of opinion while conducting sessions online and dealing with unfavorable conditions via internet-based systems (Campbell Jr., 2021).

While in the traditional learning environment, a student learns in the presence of other class fellows and with the physical presence of the instructor that adds to the student’s motivation, in a distance learning environment, this might not be the case. Expecting to rise above his peers when distance comes may not help him overcome his fear of failure (Kibbey, 2022). It would lead to performing lower than expected, directing him to face difficulties in successful online learning.

Although distributed learning environment facilitates the accommodation of all types of military students at their own pace, time, and location based on their suitability, some could find it more demanding than before (Kibbey, 2022). It would be hard for them to achieve the expected success results at irregular schedules at their home base with probable distractions from family members unless they have dedicated stations for learning.