Self-Pacing a Gross Motor Skills Course: Crawler Tractor Operator, MOS 62E20

As part of the Army's emphasis on performance-oriented instruction in Army Training Centers, a study was conducted to determine the feasibility of using self-paced instruction in a gross motor skills course. The Crawler Tractor Operator Course, MOS 62E20, a seven-week heavy equipment course conducted at the U.S. Army Training Center, Engineer, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, was selected for the study, which involved approximately 300 trainees in Mental Categories I through IV. Findings indicate that in the self-pacing system, training managers can (a) train on additional pieces of equipment, if trainees are retained for the full seven weeks; or (b) achieve substantial savings in time and training costs if the trainees are released for assignment upon their qualification in the Crawler Tractor operator skills.