2012

Table of Contents:
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1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)

Needs Assessment
Vision
Goals and Objectives
Budget
Justification
Staff Development
Timeline
Evaluation
Appendix A: Resources

3-4
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5-6
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6-7
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NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Classroom Demographics:
General
Most recruits come from middle to upper middle class homes. Only around 10% of students
come from the poorest families, with $35,000 or less household income. More than 75% of
students come from families whose household income is greater than $40,000. Less than 2% of
students have not graduated from high school or successfully completed a high school
equivalency exam. The percentage of race representation among students is similar to that of the
general national population. The age of recruits is differs widely from 17 to mid 40s, with about
50% of students 17-25 and the other 50% of students 26 and older (Sherk & Watkins, 2008).
Course Specific
This course utilizes two main instructional areas, one is a sectioned off area of a warehouse
approximately 15x20 feet. The other classroom area is in a tent and covers approximately 20x25
feet. Our course utilizes medical maintenance specific computer programs that are on a
dedicated computer system. We first teach the fundamentals of the maintenance program and
then integrate it into nearly every hands-on maintenance class taught in the course. Students will
complete a number of written and practical exercises throughout the course. We show several
audio/video presentations and movies in the course as a reference to the task that students will
complete, providing important procedural and safety standards. Ultimately, we hope to make our
students competent in their ability to work on their own before sending them out to the career
field, so we provide them with opportunities of self discovery and then provide constructive
feedback based on their performance.
Current Technology Assets
General Use/DMLSS
Computers
SAMS-E Computers
SMART Board
Star Board
Projector
Internet
Printer

12 in warehouse classroom for use only by 112 (Army),

another 5 stationary general use shared by four courses
12 laptop computers
One stationary in warehouse classroom
One stationary in tent classroom
One mobile used for field classes
Hard wired to all general use/DMLSS computers/
program is going wireless in the next couple of months
Commercial communal printer/scanner/fax shared by
four courses. Usually only used by instructors.

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Overall Assessment
Extra monitors are needed for the SAMS-E computers. Right now there are groups of up three
students around one SAMS-E computer at times. The students grouped around one computer
provide a distraction to each other and often to the whole class. One monitor is too small to
engage the attention of all the students and encourages the onset of casual conversation amongst
the groups. Additionally, each individual student gets less time to interact with the SAMS-E
computer system slowing their rate of comprehension and retention.
Better speakers are needed for the audio visual presentations/movies. Many of our students are
older and suffer from various hearing impairments. The speakers we currently have are often not
adequate for our larger classes, which are held in a large tent or a warehouse type classroom.
The sound at maximum setting only extends clearly about 10-12 feet in any direction. The
warehouse classroom is approximately 20x25 feet and the tent is 20x35 feet. Currently showing
any video or presentation with audio requires students to move their seats to a front center
location, away from their desks, books, and notes.
A digital camera is needed for recording pictures and videos of student progress on tasks to
provide necessary realistic example and reflection. Currently the only way we have to provide
feedback to the students is to interrupt them in the middle of the task or converse after the task,
unfortunately both types of feedback processes provides several pitfalls. One of the big issues
we have with interrupting students while they are on task is that it interrupts the flow of the task,
making it more likely that students will temporarily venture off task and will take often several
minutes to get back on task (excluding safety concerns which are always addressed
immediately). Discussing the student, or group, performance afterward is generally affected by
faulty memory. It is hard for students to accurately remember the procedural missteps and what
they were doing. A digital camera would provide video that instructors could refer back to that
will assist with student recall. Additionally, a visual of the procedure makes it easier for
instructors to point out the correct task sequence and where the student(s) have veered off course.
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METC BMET Course 112 (Army) Vision

To be recognized as the premier Army BMET field training course by providing education and
experience on Army forms, SAMS-E automated maintenance system, and six pieces of field
medical equipment. To promote the use of technology through an audiovisual instruction method
employing 12 computers with internet connections, a SMART board and a projector to teach
fundamentals of field medical equipment and the SAMS-E automated maintenance computer
system, consisting of 10 computers and ten additional monitors, allowing recording, storage and
tracking of maintenance services.
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GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

1. Students will use computer monitors as a SAMS-E practice aid.
2.13 Without reference students will identify basic steps and processes to operate the
SAMS-E automated maintenance management system, open a work order, add a task, add
time, and close work order with no more than one instructor assist.
2. Speakers will be used to facilitate audio video presentations as reference tools.
3.1 Given a Field Training Environment students will demonstrate Military Occupational
Specialty (MOS) skills by expanding and collapsing an ISO shelter and set up and tear
down of an Alaskan tent with no more than two instructor assists per task.
3. Students will use digital/video camera as a reflection tool.
2.4 Given a defibrillator, required forms, manufacturers literature and test equipment
students will perform a preventative maintenance inspection, calibration verification and
complete all required maintenance forms with no more than one instructor assist.
**The digital/video camera will be used for several classes; this objective is just an
example of one of the classes that will benefit from the use of this technology (Other
objectives that would use this technology: 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.7 and 2.9 from the BMET
Course 112 (Army) Program of Instruction).
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BUDGET
1. Technology expenditures:
a. Monitors: Viewsonic VA1938WA 19 inch wide screen LED monitors $98 ea.
Total: $98 x 10 = $980
b. Speakers: Logitech X-530 5.1 Speaker System $80 ea.
Total: $80
c. Digital Camera: Canon Power Shot ELPH 500 HS 12.1 MP $156 ea.
Total: $156
*All numbers include tax-if items are not purchased right away new quotes may need to be
researched since price changes frequently.
2. Professional development:
There will be no need for formal training on any of these new pieces of technology. All of these
items should be usable by the staff with minimal training. They are familiar items to most adults,
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come with user operator manuals and computer interfaces, and require little software set up.
Some time will be required to allow instructors to become familiar with the new technology and
integrate it into lessons. All of the staff is salaried, so they will be allowed to take time as it is
available to become familiar with the new technology. If no time can be found for technology
familiarization due to personnel shortages, instructors may utilize such down time as mandatory
training half days and/or ask to be excused from a few days of physical readiness training.
3. Maintenance:
All items come with a manufacturer's warranty. The monitors come with a three year limited
manufacturer's warranty. The speaker system comes with a two year limited manufacturer's
warranty. The digital camera comes with a one year limited manufacturer's warranty. After that
all repairs will be on a case by case basis, and requested out of organizational funds.
4. Staff Support:
We have an information technology division within the organization that provides software and
hardware support. They can help get equipment interfaced with current technology services.
Additionally, they will provide trouble shooting and repairs to the extent they are able at the inhouse level. If more advanced repairs are required the organization has capabilities to contract an
outside company, or to send the unit out to a repair facility.
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JUSTIFICATION
With additional monitors students will have more time individually on the SAMS-E computers,
this will provide more time to practice the skills required of them when they get to their
individual units. New speakers with greater volume and reach will allow all of the students to
properly hear the many audio visual presentations and videos that are used for reference to
prepare students for the complicated step by step tasks that they will be required to complete. A
digital camera will allow more comprehensive and complete feedback to students on task
progress.
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STAFF DEVELOPMENT
Monitors: Instructors will need to know how to turn the monitors on and how to put the same
display on two monitors. It should require little time for this, but it is important that everyone
understand how to properly set up the monitors in case they get turned off, or the students change
the settings, and they revert back to the original settings. It would probably also be helpful to
keep a quick reference for this simple procedure in the classroom. Adding monitors should not
change instruction except that it will make it easier for students to view the material.

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Speakers: There should be little development time required for the speakers, except perhaps a
half an hour or so to understand the volume levels and where the setting is best for the various
audio video components for the classes that use it. Also, everyone will need to know how to turn
the volume on and off in case the instructor does not want the audio to be available to the class.
New speakers should not change instruction except that it will make it easier for students to hear
the material.
Digital camera: The addition of a digital camera will take some time for staff development. First
instructors will have to learn how to operate the camera. It will take a couple of hours for
instructors to learn the different camera capabilities and practice their use. As well as how to
download them to the computer and then play the videos back to students. There will also need
to be discussion on where to implement the use of the digital camera into instruction, for instance
which activities students will most benefit from seeing and critiquing.
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TIMELINE FOR COMPLETION

November 2012
December 2012

January/ February
2013
February 2013
February/ March
2013

March/ April 2013

July 2013

Arrange meeting with service lead and program director to present plan
and explain value of technology tools.
Put in purchase request for items. **Since each item is purchased by
type and not together the price of the different groups all fall below the
dollar threshold ($1,000) for Tiger packages, so they do not have to be
sent to a procurement board, and the time between request and purchase
will be much shorter.
New technology arrives.
Arrange for information technology to come to course to install and set
up new technology components.
Provide brief introduction to monitors and speaker system and begin to
utilize in lessons. Familiarize instructors with digital camera and plan
lesson integration. Run at least two trial runs on digital camera
integration to determine best use, best times to integrate, and questions
and practices that produce the most student reflection.
Begin to utilize digital camera into one predetermined lesson. Once
familiarity is achieved amongst staff, begin to integrate digital camera
into another lesson. Continue integration as appropriate and as allotted
lesson time allows.
Schedule 1st evaluation of new technology. Assign each instructor
different evaluation material to gather (end of course critique,
instructor/student lessons learned, graded material). Gather to discuss
findings. Develop consolidated report of evaluation for senior service
lead and program director.
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Schedule 2nd evaluation of new technology. Assign instructors to gather

evaluation material (same as before to include previous evaluation).
Gather to discuss findings, paying particular attention to suggestions for
improvement or expansion of current use of new technology. Develop
consolidated report of evaluation for senior service lead and program
director.
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October 2013

EVALUATION
Course 112 (Army) intends to evaluate the addition of ten monitors, speaker system and digital
camera to the current program of instruction in a variety of ways.
Immediate goal/objective evaluation:
Goal 1: Instructors will evaluate whether the first test contains fewer errors than those of
previous classes. Using the first test allows instructors to evaluate the additional practice time,
rather than lesson learned that we usually find improve later test results.
Goal 2: Instructors will evaluate student ability to complete a task without assistance after
watching the audio/visual reference material. These results will be compared to the performance
of the same task by students from previous classes.
Goal 3: Instructors will evaluate students performance on subsequent tasks (different equipment,
but requiring the same paperwork) paying particular attention to previous mistakes covered in
digital video/pictures shown during the review of the previous task(s).
Long term goal/objective evaluation:
We routinely keep student test materials for an additional year after graduation. We can take the
student test materials completed after the addition of the technology and compare them to the test
materials completed prior to the new technology assets. Additionally, instructors will monitor
student feedback both in class and on the end of course critique. Further, instructors will
evaluate overall classroom atmosphere to determine if students are more consistently engaged in
the assigned task. An effort can also be put into effect to contact units that receive a large
number of graduates from our program with a standard survey. It would question them on the
effectiveness of the Soldiers they receive; thereby providing leader opinions of our program
graduates initial learning curve before and after the integration of new technology.
Specifically, I will pursue the addition of the following questions to the end of course critique:

Do you feel like you had enough time to interact with the SAMS-E computer system?

Were you able to clearly see and follow along with the SAMS-E class?
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Were all audio/visual presentations and/or videos clearly audible?

Was the visual example(s) provided on missed steps/incorrectly preformed steps helpful
to your understanding of the task?

After three months of continuous use a meeting will be held by the course instructors to evaluate
the various forms of feedback and determine the effectiveness of the types of technology and
what, if any, additional steps need to be taken to fully maximize the potential of the new
technology. Subsequent meetings will be held periodically thereafter to determine additional
revisions and/or improvements of this technology and its use. These meetings will also serve as
a periodic forum for course instructors to address any new technology use issues, so a plan can
be developed to address these shortcomings in current/future staff training.

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Appendix A: RESOURCES
Amazon. (2012). Canon PowerShot ELPH 500 HS 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera. Retrieved
from: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-ELPH-500HS/dp/B004J3VAYO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350936756&sr=81&keywords=Canon+Power+Shot+ELPH+500+HS+12.1+MP.
Logitech. (2012). Logitech surround sound speakers Z506. Retrieved from:
http://www.logitech.com/en-za/speakers-audio/home-pc-speakers/surround-soundspeakers-z506.
Medical Education & Training Campus. (2012). Retrieved from:
http://www.metc.mil/academics/BMET/.
Sherk, J. & Watkins, S. (2008). Who serves in the U. S. military? The demographics
of enlisted troops and officers. The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved from:

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2008/08/who-serves-in-the-us-military-thedemographics-of-enlisted-troops-and-officers.
ViewSonic. (2012). VA1938wa-LED. Retrieved from:
http://www.viewsonic.com/products/va1938wa-led.htm.

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