Defense News Features Mobile Version of ICT’s ELITE Leadership Trainier

A story in Defense News covers ICT’s development of a laptop version of the Emergent Leader Immersive Training Environment (ELITE), which targets leadership and basic counseling skills for junior leaders in the U.S. Army. Currently ELITE is a classroom trainer installed at the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia. A similar version, the Immersive Naval Officer Training System, is used by Officer Training Command in Newport, Rhode Island. The article notes that the hope is that a laptop version will allow greater access to the system and let users train when they have the time, rather than during a scheduled class. It would also make the technology both more mobile and less expensive, the story states.
“The institutional version is great, if you have a building that will house it, and you’ve got the instructors and a classroom full of students,” said Todd Richmond, head of advanced prototype and transition at ICT. “The laptop version addresses the low-overhead concept of ‘What if you don’t have a classroom?’”
Matt Trimmer, the project leader for ELITE, noted that the laptop version would have enhanced artificial intelligence capabilities to make up for the lack of instructor-facilitated classroom feedback and discussion.
“We have to address that gap by integrating intelligent tutoring and digital coaches,” said Trimmer. These aids, adapted from ICT’s existing virtual tutor lineup, could bring up suggested talking points and provide guidance in the after-action review, much like an instructor would.
The article notes the ICT team expects to have an instructor-free version ready by fall 2013.