Implications of Using Computer-Based Training on System Readiness and Operating & Support Costs

Abstract

In the early 2000s the U.S. Navy decided to replace traditional, instructor led schoolhouse training with Computer Based Training (CBT). The move was expected to reduce training cost and time without negatively affecting the quality of sailors arriving to the Fleet. If the conversion to CBT were to have an effect anywhere in the Navy maintenance system, it should be seen in maintenance activities where sailors were performing maintenance on ships. Anecdotal evidence suggests that CBT failed to sufficiently prepare new sailors for on board maintenance and operations. To determine the validity of this claim, we examine data for the AN/SQQ-89(v) sonar. We analyze whether the US Navy's introduction of CBT significantly affected Fleet maintenance costs, actions, and training requirements. Our results suggest that CBT adversely impacts costs, actions, and maintenance hours for the sonar system, which seems to support the anecdotal evidence.