Instructional strategies framework for military training systems

In an effort to improve training efficiency, the military has focused much attention on the development of replicable and generalizable training systems. As a result, a substantial number of companies and contractors have spent significant time and money developing a wide-array of simulators, virtual reality programs, and the like. However, many are designed without considering the effectiveness and efficiency of embedded instructional strategies. In response, the current review argues for the creation of improved training systems through the incorporation of a repository of research-based instructional strategies that can be employed across the entire training cycle. Using a grounded theory method, this review consolidates the vast literature on instructional strategies from the fields of education and the cognitive sciences into a coherent framework that can be used to enhance the design of military training systems. In particular, this review is intended to provide a concise, organized, and practical framework for the selection and implementation of research-based instructional strategies relevant to military training goals.

► Our review created a framework for the selection of instructional strategies.
► We used grounded theory to categorize strategies based on the training environment.
► We identified 23 strategies: 3 pre-training, 17 during-training, and 3 post-training.
► The implications of the framework for training systems design are discussed.