Defining and Measuring Digital Skill Proficiency (Part of STO IV.SP.2002.02)

The Army must be capable of assessing the growth in skills and proficiency acquired by soldiers, staff, commanders, and units as they train on Army digital C4ISR systems. In addition to measuring operator skills, trainers must be concerned with measuring a unit's compliance with its own digital standard operating procedures (SOPs).

This R&D unit will provide the Army with validated measures of performance (MOPs) for digitization-sensitive collective tasks; digital tactics, techniques and procedure applications; task-based digital skills; unit digital SOP compliance; and digital proficiency levels. It will also provide guidance for applying MOPs, including tool requirements to support the application of MOPs.

The development of digital MOPs and guidance for their use will focus trainer workload, reducing observation requirements by nearly half. These products will also allow more time for mentoring and coaching, resulting in improved training outcomes. Ultimately, the results of this work unit will contribute to efficient performance of future command, control and communications training systems that will evolve as the Army fields the Future Combat Systems. We have already provided a database that links digitization-sensitive tasks to supporting digital skills and draft MOPs.

In FY2004, we will:

• Begin implementation of measures in digital after action review (AAR) system
• Conduct preliminary evaluations of modified digital AAR system and incorporate changes as needed to meet identified shortfalls
• Describe requirements for using modified AAR system to support Future Combat System C4ISR training

Proponent: III Corps G-3
ARI Unit: Simulator Systems Research Unit

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