The goal of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of the new SWOS-at-Sea training for newly commissioned surface warfare officers that was introduced in 2003. The new regime combined self-paced computer-based training (CBT) with on-the-job training (OJT) on-board an officer's ship. The study relied on a variety of analytical techniques, including a literature review of CBT and OJT training, interviews and focus groups with junior and senior surface warfare officers, and statistical analysis of test scores at the Surface Officer Division Officer Course (SWOSDOC). The literature review pointed out that no previous studies had analyzed a learning course that involved CBT when the student was also performing a full-time job. Nonetheless, the literature review noted that structured OJT is preferred to unstructured OJT, as in SWOS-at-Sea. Interviews also indicated that division officers prefer face-to-face learning and they felt they were trying to perform as division officers without the requisite skills. The statistical analysis of test scores at the SWOSDOC 'leveling' course found significant differences in performance between ship type, ship home port location, commissioning source, undergraduate major, and gender. The results highlighted significant differences in the learning environments aboard ships and suggested the need for additional research on training opportunities offered aboard ships.

The Surface Warfare Officer community has begun a series of fundamental changes in the methods used to train junior officers. Since 1970, newly commissioned officers reported to the Surface Warfare Officer's School(SWOS) to attend the Division Officer Course. This school was designed to expose and educate prospective division officers to the tasks and equipment they would be expected to manage once they reported to their first ship. The majority of the material from this classroom training will now be completed onboard ship, using computer-based training and Personnel Qualification Standards(PQS). This study will examine junior officer performance at the previous SWOS Division Officer Course. Specifically it will identify areas where newly commissioned officers have had difficulty in the past and, using selected background variables, predict the performance of various groups under the new training regime. The secondary objective is to create a model to predict areas in the curriculum that cause problems for certain groups.

This thesis research examines the effectiveness of a newly developed cognitive and pedagogical evaluation framework to assess computer-based instruction. All training programs must have comprehensive evaluation guidelines in place to ensure the quality of instruction from the classroom-training environment to the virtual training environment is not diminished. The application of sound cognitive and pedagogical principles helps ensure that an organization's training goals will be met. This research developed a set of practical guidelines, or a template, that should be used to evaluate the cognitive and pedagogical aspects of any given computer delivered course of instruction. This template is used to evaluate the United States Navy's newly developed CD-ROM Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) training course. The SWO course is the basic professional training for junior Ensigns that is now contained on CD-ROM and delivered by personal computer.