Virtual Culture Awareness Trainer

The Virtual Culture Awareness Trainers, provided by the Defense Language and National Security Education Officer (DLNSEO) provide a way to learn about other cultures in a scalable and tracked learning management system.
Video Transcript

[Narrator] Joint Knowledge Online offers a suite of Virtual Culture Awareness Trainers, also known as VCATs. VCAT courses provide operational culture trainings specific to regions and missions. VCATs teach the cultural knowledge and skills needed to help warfighters become better prepared for operations in their country of deployment. There are currently VCATs covering 49 countries in the regions of Africa, the Middle East, South and Central America, and portions of the Caribbean and Asia. VCAT interactive courses use game-based learning, storytelling, intelligent tutoring, and remediation to provide high-quality self-paced learning. Mission-based lessons teach trainees the cultural awareness and basic language skills needed to successfully complete operationally relevant tasks. Simulations of mission-relevant scenarios model face-to-face human interactions that enable trainees to practice cultural knowledge skills in an immersive training environment.

[VCAT recording] walaikum assalaam. Hello to you as well.

[Narrator] The mission areas offered in VCATs are tailored for each region and includes civil affairs, countering transnational organized crime, theater security cooperation, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, meetings and engagements, and others.

[VCAT recording] Pero no hemos tenido tiempo para descansar.

[Narrator] Country and region lessons provide a foundation and context for operational culture and language and use a variety of interactive learning activities. A virtual coach guides trainees through the VCAT, providing both correction and explanation to enhance the learning experience.

[VCAT avatar] Great job.

[Narrator] Real-time remediation helps trainees to quickly learn from their mistakes prior to testing, and enables them to review the relevant material before retesting.

[VCAT recording] Test episode.

[Narrator] On-camera interviews with host country nationals and language experts provide a native perspective to help trainees understand the operational environment. Warfighters provide personal insights about their in-country experiences.

[VCAT interview] It's like, they still live the war--

[Narrator] Many VCATs include language instruction and provide trainees with the opportunity to practice key phrases using record and playback technology.

[VCAT recording] Hen hao.

[Narrator] Basic language survival guides for the target languages are provided by the Defense Language Institute.

[VCAT recording] Fun yang.

[Narrator] Joint Knowledge Online is delivering VCATs to help trainees quickly and efficiently develop operational cultural knowledge and language skills that are critical to mission readiness. Leveraging the DoD preferred web and mobile based training capabilities ensures a 24-7, globally accessible training opportunity for DoD and civilian personnel deploying to these regions.