SOC and Auburn University form new partnership

Col. Gerald Goodfellow, Squadron Officer College commander, and Sherida Downer, head of Auburn University’s Educational Foundations, Leadership and Technology Department, sign a memorandum of understanding between the two schools at SOC, June 22, 2015 . The memorandum will allow both colleges to combine resources in their efforts to study virtual and augmented reality technologies in the interest of improving learning outcomes of students from both schools. (U.S. Photo by Henry Hancock/Cleared)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res

SOC and Auburn University form new partnership

Published June 26, 2015
By Lisa Warr
42nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Squadron Officer College and Auburn University's College of Education took a symbolic step toward forming a new partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding, June 22, 2015.

The memorandum, signed by Col. Gerald Goodfellow, SOC commander, and Sherida Downer, head of Auburn's Educational Foundations, Leadership and Technology Department, allows both colleges to combine resources in their efforts to study virtual and augmented reality technologies in the interest of improving learning outcomes of students from both schools.

"Combining the resources of SOC and Auburn University, we will be able to create much more than we could ever create separately," Goodfellow said. "They will see things differently and be able to bring different resources, talents and everything else to the table that we won't be able to do. We'll be able to do the same for them. We'll leverage each other."

"It means a lot to our students," said Downer. "We'll do some really great research that will help both Air University and Auburn with research into studies and technology. It also helps us move forward on some things that we really have wanted to develop and haven't had the partnership and resources to do. I think there's a really big future for it."

The memorandum allows SOC to share their Virtual Innovations Learning Laboratory, which includes virtual and augmented reality technologies, with Auburn's EFLT doctoral student, Col. Tony Millican. They will also share research obtained from the use of the VILL and conduct open-house presentations for Auburn's EFLT faculty and graduate students for exposure to the technologies and discussions on potential research and publication ideas.

In turn, Auburn's EFLT Department will collaborate with SOC faculty on jointly-authored publications, keep SOC updated on initiatives within the Auburn University community pertaining to further advancement of virtual and augmented reality technologies and invite SOC to present VILL research at Auburn's EFLT spring and fall Educational Leadership Institutes.

Dr. Fil Arenas, associate professor at SOC, showed the five visiting Auburn educators examples of how SOC has progressed in the last six years in its study of virtual and augmented reality technologies and how they plan to use it in the future.

In 2007, Lt. Gen. Stephen Lorenz, former Air University commander, instructed SOC to create more engaging learning in Squadron Officer School's distance learning programs - at the time, distance learning was five volumes of books, said Arenas. Through the process of building new distance learning courses, Arenas had to figure out how to tie new technology with SOC's learning outcomes. He found that this could be done by using avatar vignettes, which are video scenarios depicting typical situations in an Air Force environment that highlighted various subjects within SOC's professional military education lessons.

In 2009, SOC launched its first SOS distance learning course to approximately 12,000 students. The course incorporated 10 avatar vignettes to support course units for self-directed students.

Arenas stressed to the educators that all learning material, no matter what form, must be tied to a program outcome.

"We don't make these learning modules, simulations or games to be cool," he said. "As an educator I have to take the responsibility to make sure that it all ties to a program outcome, because if we're ever assessed, that's what legitimizes our program."

In 2010, SOC partnered with Air University's Innovations and Learning Department, or A3/6, who advises units on cutting-edge technologies. With the guidance and assistance of the A3/6 team, SOC launched a new learning endeavor in Second Life, one of the largest virtual world platforms. It allowed SOC to take the next step to a more-immersed interactive learning environment for students. Arenas was able to develop multiplayer educational role-playing games where students, through the use of an avatar, interact with each another and objects within the environment to solve complex problems or tasks.

With the help of the A3/6 team, SOC built a virtual campus in Second Life. The campus is four stories high and is used for global contract meeting and learning forums as well as lunch-and-learn faculty development. The campus has a hologram disc where leadership lectures are held, an 80-seat auditorium and a digital library where students can check out books. There are about 300 universities today that have Second Life campuses.

In 2013 SOC entered the Army Research Lab's Gametech 2013 Conference in the virtual game category and won first place in critical thinking and adaptability.

Arenas then took the educators to experience SOC's Virtual Innovations Learning Lab where they were able to experience the Oculus Riff, a head set that, when worn, immerses the user in a 3D environment with a first-person experience. Arenas wants to use the Oculus Riff to tap into emotional queues of learning for experiential learning and then tie it to the curriculum.

Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast, Air University commander and president, has recently challenged SOC to take an even bigger leap, and figure out how to immerse students in a virtual environment to not just learn, but have learning experiences that are meaningful and will stay with them throughout their careers.

"When you have an advocate like Gen. Kwast, and the power of his vision fueling our efforts we, in Squadron Officer College, really do believe we can change experiential based learning for the better, and improve educational learning in truly revolutionary ways, not just in the Air Force, but in all of America," said Goodfellow.

"We're really trying to hit hard here at Air University to actually change the way that the Air Force actually looks at education," said Goodfellow. "Gen. Kwast is inspiring us across Air University to discover how we take an Airman from the day they get into the Air Force until the day they leave and create an education environment where they can be continual learners."