MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS, 08/08/2013) – Students enrolled in Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy Course 14 Version 5 have until the end of September to complete the course or they will be automatically disenrolled and will have to complete the new version of the course.
Airmen who haven’t completed version 5 by Sept. 30 will not receive credit for the coursework in version 6, said the director of education for the Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education, Maxwell Air Force Base-Gunter Annex, Ala.
“Because version 6 is significantly different, students will need to complete all of it. There will be no partial credit for version 5,” said Rich Rafferty.
One of the differences, he said, is that version 5 tests at the knowledge level of learning, whereas, the updated version tests at the comprehension level, allowing students to “translate, interpret and extrapolate” when answering test questions.
“In addition, because of the significant differences between versions, senior NCOs scheduled to attend the in-residence Air Force Noncommissioned Officer Academy after April 2014 must complete version 6, as version 5 will not be accepted as a prerequisite for attending the course,” said Rafferty.
The enrollment and testing processes for the new version also differ from the old version.
Instead of enrolling at a base education office to take the course, starting Oct. 1, students will be able to enroll online via Air University’s Student Information System, or AUSIS. Furthermore, the interactive course will be administered through the Blackboard® learning management system instead of through Advanced Distributed Learning Service.
“This is good news for students who wish to access the material while on a network beyond the military domain,” he said.
Students will also have fewer tests to take, he added.
In version 5, students take a test after each of the course’s five modules. With version 6, one test is administered at the end of the course. The test will still be administered at base education offices.
Information on the steps to take to enroll in version 6 will be released in September.