Academic Skills Training (AST)

The goal of this requirement is to continue the Defense Department's capacity to deliver Academic Skills Training (AST) designed for Service members needing to improve their academic readiness. The course shall be a commercially available, computer adaptive, asynchronous web-based course that improves cognitive, metacognitive, and non-cognitive academic skills from basic through pre-college level learning to support Service member learning across the military lifecycle. The course shall include instructional modules arranged into customized learning pathways, a range of diagnostic, formative, interim, and summative assessments, and integration of video tutorials. Key features of the course include: • A student success tool that identifies Service member knowledge and skill gaps in academic areas and creates a personalized learning path that empowers students to address their individual academic needs • Availability online, 24/7, 365 days per year, and fully accessible to Service members located worldwide with unrestricted usage for all active, reserve, and National Guard military members • Provisions to accommodate Service member access in remote locations via a mobile app that can operate with limited connectivity • Specific learner support methods, including a proactive early warning and response system to support course engagement and progression and course mentor support for ad hoc remediation or skill enforcement • Ongoing student awareness of their progression throughout the course and an electronic/printable certificate of completion that the student can provide to their Services