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DLIELC Invited to the AETC Innovation Summit: Virtual Training Teams

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When global COVID-19 cases increased, all units worldwide had to adapt quickly to keep their people safe while carrying out their missions successfully. AETC did not miss the chance to seek out the various innovations that were created during this unprecedented era. On 24 September 2020, AETC held a virtual Innovation Summit, also known as the iSummit. The purpose of this event was to share experiences and identify obstacles in order to replicate successes.

The September 2020 iSummit theme was “COVID-19: Innovative Airmen Elevating through Crisis.”

Among many entries, the innovation of the Virtual Training Team (VTT) submitted by the 637th International Support Squadrons (637 ISS) at the Defense Language Institute English Language Center (DLIELC) caught the attention of AETC. During the iSummit, Mr. John Modlin, elaborated on the VTT concept and how it came into fruition. He expanded on the functionalities of a VTT and pointed out that the English language training conducted via a virtual platform, allowed DLIELC to continue its mission of building partnerships with our allies. 

Mr. Modlin spoke about the importance of student participation when using technological capability as student involvement is key to ensuring a collaborative and successful learning environment. The discussion also covered lessons learned on the general challenges of distance learning to open the door for solutions among the participants.

Currently, DLIELC VTTs are being used in the United Arab Emirates and Yokosuka, Japan. VTTs were also successfully executed to Qatari students and U.S. Army ROTC cadets in Puerto Rico in May and Jun 2020, respectively.