Some Army enrollees in a distributed learning course report technical problems as a reason for not graduating, says a Rand Corp. report sponsored by the Army Training and Doctrine Command.

Distributed learning via computer is a key element of the Army's training strategy, notes the report, which was posted online May 9.

Of the Army distributed learning nongraduates whose survey results were included in the report and who cited reasons having to do with the course itself as a reason for non completion (i.e., not for reasons such as changed personal circumstances or deployment), more than half said they encountered technical issues preventing their completion of the course.

About one third of those nongraduates reported trouble in gaining access to a reliable computer and about a quarter of those said they couldn't get answers to questions related to technical issues.

Distributed learning course graduates reported being "moderately satisfied" with the technical aspects of their course. Their most commonly reported issue pertained to bandwidth or speed--delays in loading pages or difficulty in playing audio or video files--followed by access to the courseware itself, whether in launching it or in receiving CD-ROMs.

For more:
- download the Rand report, "New Tools and Metrics for Evaluating Army Distributed Learning" (.pdf)

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