SYSTEMS APPROACH TO TRAINING (SAT) MANUAL JUNE 2004

SYSTEMS APPROACH TO TRAINING(SAT) MANUALJUNE 2004

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PREFACEThe Systems Approach to Training (SAT) Manual was developedto support Marine Corps training/education policy and Departmentof Defense (DoD) military training program requirements. ThisManual serves as a primary source of information and guidance,mainly for use by the formal school/training centers'instructional staff, for instructional program development andmanagement.The SAT Manual is divided into five chapters, each chaptercorresponding to a phase within the SAT model: Analyze, Design,Develop, Implement, and Evaluate. In many of the sectionswithin each chapter, topic material is presented first, followedby procedural steps for performing a task or function.Throughout the Manual, hypothetical examples are provided toillustrate a concept, topic, or procedure.While the information contained in the SAT Manual is basedon and derived from accepted adult learning theories and currentinstructional development practices, the Manual is designed asan introduction to these topics. Additional research ineducation-related fields is recommended for those personnel whoparticipate in the development or management of instruction.i

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYOverview. The mission of any instructional system is todetermine instructional needs and priorities, develop effectiveand efficient solutions to achieving these needs, implementthese solutions in a competent manner, and assess the degree towhich the outcomes of the system meet the specified needs. Toachieve this in the most effective way possible, a systemsapproach to the process and procedures of instruction wasdeveloped. The resulting model, entitled Instructional SystemsDesign (ISD), was later adopted by the Marine Corps as theSystems Approach to Training (SAT). The model, whether it isreferred to as ISD or SAT, is a recognized standard governingthe instructional process in the private sector and within theDepartment of Defense (DoD).Goal of InstructionThe goal of Marine Corps instruction is to developperformance-based, criterion-referenced instruction thatpromotes student transfer of learning from the instructionalsetting to the job. For a learning outcome to be achieved,instruction must be effective and efficient. Instruction iseffective when it teaches learning objectives based on jobperformance requirements and efficient when it makes the bestuse of resources.SAT is a comprehensive process that identifies what isperformed on the job, what should be instructed, and how thisinstruction should be developed and conducted. This systematicapproach ensures that what is being instructed are those tasksthat are most critical to successful job performance. It alsoensures that the instructional approach chosen is the most timeand cost efficient. The SAT process further identifiesstandards of performance and learning objectives. This ensuresthat students are evaluated on their ability to meet theseobjectives and that instructional courses are evaluated based onwhether or not they allow student mastery of these objectives.Finally, the SAT identifies needed revisions to instruction andallows these revisions to be made to improve instructionalprogram effectiveness and efficiency.ii

Intent of SATThe SAT was created to manage the instructional process foranalyzing, designing, developing, implementing, and evaluatinginstruction. The SAT serves as a blueprint for organizing orstructuring the instructional process. The SAT is a set ofcomprehensive guidelines, tools, and techniques needed to closethe gap between current and desired job performance throughinstructional intervention.The Marine Corps originally targeted the SAT for use informal schools, but the comprehensive system applies tounit/field training as well as to education. The SAT is aflexible, outcome-oriented system based on the requirementsdefined by education and training. Whether referred to aseducation or training, the instructional process is the same; itis the outcomes that are different. Therefore, in keeping withthe intention of the SAT model, throughout this SAT Manual, theterm instruction will be used to discuss both training andeducation.Benefits of SATThe Systems Approach to Training is a dynamic, flexiblesystem for developing and implementing effective and efficientinstruction to meet current and projected needs. The SATprocess is flexible in that it accounts for individualdifferences in ability, rate of learning, motivation, andachievement to capitalize on the opportunity for increasing theeffectiveness and efficiency of instruction. The SAT processreduces the number of school management decisions that have tobe made subjectively and, instead, allows decisions to be madebased on reasonable conclusions which are based on carefullycollected and analyzed data. More than one solution to aninstructional problem may be identified through the SAT, howeverthe selection of the best solution is a goal of SAT.The SAT is a continuous, cyclical process allowing any oneof the five phases, and their associated functions, to occur atany time. In addition, each phase within SAT further buildsupon the previous phase, providing a system of checks andbalances to insure all instructional data are accounted for andthat revisions to instructional materials are identified andmade.iii

It is not the intent of the SAT process to create anexcessive amount of paperwork, forms, and reporting requirementsthat must be generated by each formal school/training centerconducting instruction. This would serve only to detract fromthe instructional program. The SAT process does not provide aspecific procedure for every instructional situation that can beencountered. Instead, it presents a generalized approach thatcan be adapted to any instructional situation.SAT Phases. The SAT model simplifies and standardizes theinstructional process into manageable subsets. The SAT processis made up of five distinct phases, each serving a specificpurpose. The five phases are Analyze, Design, Develop,Implement, and Evaluate. Each of these phases involves inputs,a process, and outputs. The successive phases of the SAT buildupon the outcomes of the previous phase(s).1. Analyze. During the Analyze Phase of SAT, a particular jobor Occupational Field/Military Occupational Specialty(OccFld/MOS) is analyzed by Marine Corps Combat DevelopmentCommand (MCCDC, C 461) to determine what job holders perform onthe job, the order in which they perform it, and the standard ofperformance necessary to adequately perform the job. Theresult, or outcome, of the Analyze Phase is Individual TrainingStandards (ITS) selected for instruction. ITSs are behaviorstatements that define job performance in the Marine Corps andserve as the basis for all Marine Corps instruction. Theelements of the Analyze Phase are:Job Analysis. Job or occupational analysis is performed todetermine what the job holder must know or do on the job. Jobanalysis results in a verified list of all duties and tasksperformed on the job.Task Analysis. Task analysis (sometimes called TrainingAnalysis) is performed to determine the job performancerequirements requisite of each task performed on the job. Jobperformance requirements include a task statement, conditions,standard, performance steps, administrative instructions, andreferences. Job performance requirements in the Marine Corpsare defined by Individual Training Standards (ITSs). ITSsdefine the measures of performance that are to be used indiagnosing individual performance and evaluation of instruction.iv

Selection of Tasks for Instruction. Current instructional needsare determined by selecting tasks for instruction. Tasks areselected based on data collected concerning several criteriarelating to each task. A by-product of this process is thedetermination of the organization responsible for conducting theinstruction and the instructional setting assigned to each task.InputProcessOutcomeJob taskdataJob analysisTask ListTask analysisIndividual TrainingStandards (ITS)Instructional Setting2. Design. During the Design Phase of SAT, formalschool/training center instructional developers equate taskperformance under job conditions (ITSS) to task performancewithin the instructional setting (learning objectives). Thegoal of this phase is to simulate as closely as possible thereal-world job conditions within the instructional environment.The closer the instructional conditions are to the required inthe work setting, the more likely it is that the student willtransfer the learning to the job. The Design Phase is made upof five separate sections, each of which has a specific purpose:Write a Target Population Description (TPD).the student population entering a course.The TPD definesConduct Learning Analysis. The learning analysis is conductedto develop the learning objectives. The learning analysisdescribes what the students will do during instruction.Write Test Items. Test items are derived from the learningobjectives and are used to determine if the students havemastered the learning objectives.Select Delivery System. The delivery system is the primarymeans by which the instruction is presented to the students.Sequence Learning Objectives. Learning objectives are sequencedto allow students to make logical transitions from one subjectto the next. Sequenced learning objectives provide efficientinstruction and serve as a draft course structure.v

InputITSProcessDefine studentpopulationOutcomeTarget PopulationDescripton (TPD)Conduct learninganalysisLearning ObjectivesDefine evaluationTest ItemsSelect mediaand methodDelivery SystemOrganizeinstructionSequenced TerminalLearning Objectives(TLO)3. Develop. The Develop Phase of SAT builds on the outcomes ofthe Analyze and Design Phases. The Analyze Phase identifiesthose tasks to be instructed and the desired standard to whichthose tasks must be performed. The Design Phase outlines how toreach the instructional goals determined in the Analyze Phase byconverting job tasks to tasks taught in the instructionalenvironment, and further builds the foundation for instruction.During the Develop Phase, instructional developers from theformal schoo1/training center modify the instructional programto fit the requirements identified in the Analyze and DesignPhases. The elements of the Develop Phase are:Develop Course Schedule. The course schedule provides adetailed structure for the course to include lesson times,titles, designators, locations, and references to be used.Develop Instruction. This section details the process fordeveloping the lesson plans and supporting course materials thatinstructors will present during the Implement Phase. Maximizingthe transfer of learning is the goal of developing instruction.Develop Media. This section takes the media selected during theDesign Phase and develops them into their final form forpresentation to the students. The purpose of media is toenhance the instruction and the transfer of learning bypresenting lesson material in a manner that appeals to manysenses, complements student comprehension level, and stimulatesstudent interest.vi