Phase 1 IWAR Test Results

Abstract : In Phase 1 of DARPA's Information Warfare (IWAR) project, 12 Information Systems Technician (IT) "A" School candidates from the Navy's Center for Information Dominance (CID) were trained in a 16-week Advanced Concepts in Education (ACE) program of instruction. Except for about 2 weeks when early available components of the computerized Digital Tutor (DT) were used, highly qualified human tutors conducted this training. The ACE/CID program was assessed by comparing the IT knowledge and skills of its students with those of 12 Fleet ITs with 3-12 years of IT experience. Testing involved 4 hours of knowledge testing, 13.25 hours of troubleshooting, 3.5 hours of security performance, and 7 hours of design and implementation. ACE/CID students scored higher than Fleet ITs on 11 of the 12 knowledge test topics, solved 99 troubleshooting problems compared to 79 solved by Fleet ITs, made fewer harmful changes (8 vs. 18), and verified both more problems (97% vs. 85%) and more solutions (95% vs. 77%). Additional shipboard testing involved ACE/CID students alone. In dockside testing, they solved 87% of assigned tasks. Unsolved tasks involved lack of time or required access to prohibited IT components. ACE/CID students at sea successfully performed system-wide tasks that are typically assigned to senior ITs.