UK military’s new recruit – an iPad app.

UK troops find the iPad to be a magical and revolutionary product. Using an app developed for the device to train for fire mission situations, the Royal School of Artillery in Wiltshire has targeted the iPad, and a specially designed app, to prepare them for battle.

According to a story by the BBC concerning use of the app, “In early trials at the Royal School of Artillery in Wiltshire, troops have learned the jargon and procedures more quickly than before, when they were sat listening to lessons from instructors”.

If we can use this sort of technology, we can probably shorten the amount of training and that is pretty key nowadays when people are so committed to operations in Afghanistan

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The app’s design focuses on letting the military practice real-world situations, in hopes that once troops hit the ground, their digital training will have prepared them for all that comes their way.  An added benefit of iPad use for troops is its ability to keep their attention while training.  According to Lance Bombardier Jason Markham from 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, “It makes it more fun instead of being sat in a classroom looking at a presentation being given information”.

Other benefits of iPad use in military training, and any learning experience for that matter, is a decrease in the amount of classroom time required when using the right app for the situation, decreases in costs associated with publishing training materials, and the mobility the iPad offers can transfer learning to any environment.

The  Royal School of Artillery in Wiltshire doesn’t plan to limit their training on iPad to just one app.  According to the Major Rich Gill, a 3D app for army pilots is in the offing which will allow pilots to recognize types of vehicles from the air.

Surprised by UK military’s use of the iPad?  What do you think makes the iPad attractive for military training and other forms of learning?