Every year, those of us at Blackboard look forward to the opportunity to discuss important topics in learning technology with our colleagues and partners at our BbWorld conference.  This year, we are particularly excited for opportunities to connect with those in the professional education sector at BbWorld 2012 in New Orleans.

It’s been a big year for us at Blackboard ProEd, from our partnership with salesforce.com to our expanding role in military training to our growing partnerships with professional colleges and universities. We can’t wait to build on these milestones by attending sessions and meeting other stakeholders. Below is a list of just some of the professional education sessions that will be featured at this year’s BbWorld conference:

The United States Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) is charged with the formidable task of overseeing the training of Army forces and developing the branch’s comprehensive operational doctrine.  Through this mission, TRADOC educates hundreds of thousands of personnel, including 9,500 foreign army soldiers, with 1,400 courses at 33 different schools.

With these impressive numbers in mind, how does TRADOC do it? A critical part of the answer is TRADOC’s use of digital platforms to deliver training programs that educate over 150,000 soldiers every year.  Blackboard’s web-based capabilities are specifically leveraged for the Lifelong Learning program, which provides continuous course enrollment and learning opportunities for Army officers so they can access critical knowledge at the point of need.

In keeping up with current events and trends in the military and government space, I have become an avid reader of a blog called DoD Live.  It’s an official Department of Defense outlet that covers a wide range of topics related to the military, ranging from going “green” in the DoD to women’s interest topics to one of my top professional interests, military training. Perhaps my favorite aspect of DoD Live is this diverse range of topics that it covers, helping readers get a bird’s eye view of what’s happening in our military.

Considering the wide variety of issues that are relevant to understanding the defense sector, as well as the continuous updates to federal policies and legislation that impact the DoD, being able to gain such a broad scope is quite valuable to those of us in the industry. One recent post of interest , entitled “American’s Military – A Profession of Arms,” came from the desk of General Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  The post highlighted a document of the same title that Chairman Dempsey released to articulate the ways the U.S. military is adapting as a profession.   In particular, he discussed how the military is seeking new ways to develop and retain knowledge through training and leadership development.  Ultimately, the goal of enhancing the military as a profession is to provide the next generation of service members with a solid foundation in institutional knowledge and mentorship.

The Training Officer’s Consortium is a non-profit organization for federal trainers and industry professional committed to improving the practice of human resources and training. Earlier this month I had the opportunity to attend their 2012 Annual Institute, which featured valuable presentations on strategies to improve professional education, especially in the federal government. Considering the numerous changes going on in the government workplace, from increased use of mobile devices to tightening budgetary restrictions, now is a more important time that ever for trainers to stay abreast with the latest knowledge in their field.

This year, representatives from our partners at The Graduate School presented “Engaging Federal Learners Using New Technologies” to share their insights on best practices for high-quality distance learning. Below are the slides from this presentation, which will be especially insightful for trainers who are looking to leverage innovative technologies to enhance or extend the distance learning experience within their agencies:

Thank you to the nearly 100 attendees for making our second Military Education & Training Blackboard User Group (METBUG) conference such a great success!  For those of you who were not able to join us, here is a short recap of what you missed!

Opportunities in Online Training METBUG’s opening speaker was Col. Jeff Waechter of the Joint Forces Staff College, who spoke on his institution’s progress on creating a continuous learning environment for the joint warfighter.  Colonel Waechter emphasized the role that education plays in today’s military environment, which must face widespread and fast-paced challenges in the face of fiscal constraints.  He argued that online and distance education presents interactive and engaging learning opportunities for the military, and predicted that digital learning tools would play an expanded role in the future of Joint Forces education.

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