Mr. Mark Roemer Mr. Daniel Thornhill Special Operations Forces Language Office

1. SOFTS: Solutions for Synchronous Training for Geographically Separated Learners of Low-Density Languages Mr. Mark Roemer Mr. Daniel Thornhill Special Operations Forces Language Office AFPAK LEARN Conference 18 May 2010

2. The Problem • SOF Operators who need to learn and maintain low-density languages are spread out over a wide area • Good instructors are difficult to find • Sending them to attend courses or sending instructors to them is costly • Sending them to attend courses separates them from their families • Having online language training is the obvious solution • Online courses have issues that training officers and coordinators must address • Online language courses are largely asynchronous

3. The Problem • Learners like asynchronous online courses and materials • They can self-pace • They enjoy working on their own • They enjoy the flexibility • This approach does not fully meet our needs • SOF Operators are not (crypto)linguists or translators, they need speaking primarily • Our missions include building rapport with, influencing, and advising foreign partners and counterparts • SOF must have asynchronouscomponent so they can learn to function in conversations in the target language • They must build discourse and strategic competence

4. How We Solved It • The Special Operations Forces Teletraining System (SOFTS) • We use several commercial and Government programs to deliver real-time language & culture training • Students can be anywhere in the world • It’s geared toward students unable to attend traditional classes at traditional training institutions • It consists of the registration page, the synchronous Collaborative Learning Environment (CLE), and asynchronous training tools

5. Some Statistics • 406 total classes have run from SOFTS’ inception in 2006 • Around 60 classes in 14-18 key languages are in progress at any given time • Approx. 700 SOF train per year plus others on a space available basis • Approx. 30 people collaborate to manage the courses by: • Setting up and scheduling new classes • Training new instructors and students to use the platform • Tracking and distributing hardware and materials • Monitoring classes for technical difficulties • Observing classes for quality assurance reporting • Professionally developing the instructors • Managing instructor-student conflicts • Results on DLPT and OPI are comparable to a traditional, physical classroom

6. https://www.softsonline.org

7. Requirements • DSL or cable internet access • Ethernet (wired) connection • At least 256 Kbps Upstream • At least 1.5 Mbps Downstream • Windows-enabled PC with 2.4 GHz processor and 2 GB RAM • Webcam • Headset with microphone • We provide hardware to SOF as needed

8. The CLE • The CLE is a simple learning management system through which students access their virtual classroom • Instructors and CLPMs can upload assignments, POIs, and other documents to it • Learners can contact each other, their instructors, and the Help Desk • The Help Desk monitors the CLE anytime training is in progress to correct technical issues • The Help Desk can record training for quality assurance purposes • The Help Desk also trains all SOFTS participants prior to beginning their language training

9. Collaborative Learning Environment Students access the virtual classroom by clicking on the link here to the right

10. The CLE Virtual Classroom • The CLE virtual classroom is almost identical to a physical classroom • Synchronous video and audio interaction • Chat • Instructors can chat with the whole class or with particular students in order to give hints or definitions • The whiteboard • Students can write on the virtual whiteboard by opening a textbox and typing or freehand using a mouse or stylus • Sharing • Annotation tools can be used to write comments on anything the instructor shares

11. LIVE DEMO Mr. Mark Roemer, Deputy Chief SOFLO http://vconnect.pecinc.com/join.html?dn=SOFLO&password=participant

12. Benefits: Cost • No building construction or maintenance costs • We have an unlimited number of classrooms with minimal physical architecture • No travel or per diem costs for students or instructors • One supervisory structure can administrate a large program without having a centralized, physical location

13. Benefits: Flexibility • Classes can start sooner, more often, and from anywhere • We can assemble sufficient students to start a class from across all of USSOCOM • Instructors can teach from anywhere • Students in remote areas who would otherwise have gotten no training at all are now able to be trained • Students can train and still continue their current duties if necessary • Students do not have travel to an installation education center, an off-site office, or any other training site

14. Benefits: Flexibility • Students can train from home prior to lengthy deployment, which prevents further separation from family • SOFTS provides direct links to authentic, current media content from the internet • SOFTS provides direct links to other entities, like Joint Language University • Students can keep all materials and training notes instantly by saving it to their hard drives • Our training remains state of the art • We have contracted the concept, not a specific software • As the technological landscape changes, so does SOFTS

15. Benefits: Control • Classes can be observed for quality assurance purposes from anywhere with minimal interference • Classes can be recorded • The Help Desk maintains a log for EVERY hour of language training that can be used to pinpoint and correct issues • The Help Desk maintains an attendance log for every training session detailing who is absent and the reason. • The whereabouts and performance of all students are tracked and available for review at all times • All students receive a certificate of completion at the end of training

16. Questions? SOF Language Office (sofclo@socom.mil)