Sustainability Issues in the Military: Application of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning
Volume 1, Issue 2 (2011), pp. 123–131
Pub. online: 29 December 2011
Type: Article
Open Access
Open Access
Published
29 December 2011
29 December 2011
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how learning in collaboration can support the development of sustainability competence in the military. The concept of sustainability in the military is controversial; nevertheless, requirements for more conscious decisions regarding economics, environment and society issues enter military practice and require rethinking the processes of military education and development. The application of computer-supported collaborative learning brings new opportunities in overcoming controversy of sustainability in the military and at the same time puts forward the solutions and skills for implementations of sustainability in the military.
Instead of using traditional approach towards sustainability as an interaction of the following three components: economic viability, social welfare and environmental protection, we described sustainability in the military as a composition of mission, management of installations and stakeholders, operations and maintenance, environment protection and quality of life. According to these categories, e-learning platform was developed. The core of this platform is the formal learning curriculum, which serves as a shell under which a variety of practices can be introduced to address the desired training objectives. The complex solution was accomplished with computerfacilitated collaborative learning that enables teem-working, collaboration and peer-assessment. Computer-facilitated collaborative learning supports social interaction in the learning system and sustains group-work within a variety of decision-making frameworks. Those features of the learning system are very important considering the controversy and complexity of sustainability in the military.