Evaluating Mobile Device Ownership and Usage in the U.S. Army: Implications for Army Training
Abstract
As the U.S. Army transitions its training strategy to meet the goals of the Army Learning Model (ALM), there will be a commitment to leverage mobile devices for Soldier training and education. The ease of this transition will be determined, in part, by the extent to which Soldiers are already familiar with mobile devices, use them in their daily lives, and their willingness to incorporate them into their professional lives. This paper reports findings on mobile device ownership, usage, and willingness to use an issued smartphone from the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Science s 2011 Spring Sample Survey of Military Personnel (SSMP) and a 2011 Mobile Device Usage Questionnaire of university students. Results suggest that most Soldiers own some sort of mobile device. However, contrary to popular assumption, many young Soldiers do no report owning a smartphone. Conversely, a high percentage of younger Soldiers reported owning other mobile devices, such as a tablet or e-Readers. Soldiers that own mobile devices use them regularly for a variety of tasks. Finally, results show that we can assume that if the Army leverages mobile devices as tools for training, Soldiers will embrace them and use them.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA603886
Entities
People
- Joseph E. Mercado
- Randall D. Spain
Organizations
- U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences