NCJ Number
50172
Date Published
1976
Length
67 pages
Annotation
GIVEN U.S. ARMY'S EMPHASIS ON PERFORMANCE-ORIENTED INSTRUCTION, THIS PROJECT WAS INITIATED TO TEST THE LEVEL OF PREPAREDNESS OF GRADUATES FROM A MILITARY POLICE SCHOOL.
Abstract
THREE BASIC OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT WERE TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSION OF THE BASIC LAW ENFORCEMENT COURSE (BLEC) OFFERED BY THE U.S. MILITARY SCHOOL AT FORT MCCLELLAN, ALA., TO A PERFORMANCE-ORIENTED SELF-PACED MODEL, TO DEVELOP AN INTERNAL COURSE MONITORING SYSTEM, AND TO CONDUCT A FIELD VALIDATION STUDY OF THE PREPAREDNESS OF BLEC GRADUATES TO PERFORM ENTRY-LEVEL TASKS ON THEIR FIRST DUTY ASSIGNMENTS. THE PROJECT RESULTED IN THE FIRST COMPLETE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PERFORMANCE-ORIENTED BLEC. IT WAS CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED THAT THE OPEN ACCESS, SELF-PACED, CONTINUOUS FLOW MODEL IS FEASIBLE FROM A TRAINING AND MANAGERIAL POINT OF VIEW, AND FINDINGS SHOW THAT GRADUATES WERE ADEQUATELY PREPARED TO PERFORM ENTRY-LEVEL TASKS ON THEIR FIRST DUTY ASSIGNMENTS. RATINGS OF TASK PREPAREDNESS WERE MADE BY SUPERVISORS AND JOB INCUMBENTS, AND MEAN RATINGS ON ALL BUT 2 OUT OF 43 TASKS FELL INTO THE 'PREPARED' TO 'WELL-PREPARED' RANGE. TASKS WITH HIGH MEAN PREPAREDNESS RATINGS WERE COMPARED WITH THOSE WITH TWO RATINGS. TWO FACTORS APPEARED TO INFLUENCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TASK TRAINING, THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE SKILL TO BE LEARNED WAS HARD OR SOFT AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH CERTAIN INSTRUCTIONAL PRINCIPLES WERE EMPLOYED (PERFORMANCE ORIENTATION, INDIVIDUALIZATION, MASTERY, AND SELF-PACING). HIGHER PREPAREDNESS RATINGS WERE ACHIEVED WITH HARD SKILLS THAN WITH SOFT SKILLS. SUPPORTING DATA AND ILLUSTRATIONS ARE INCLUDED. FORMS USED IN THE PROJECT ARE APPENDED.