At the recent International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference in Los Angeles, Calif., law enforcement officers had a chance to try out a new technology designed to enhance staff training.  The Interactive Training and Evaluation Classroom (iTEC), created by Advanced Interactive Systems, Inc., allows staff to test their comprehension of different topics while training is still in progress.

"The [product is used] primarily [for] the education of staff," said Tim Bollig, iTEC product manager.  "[It can be used] for anything from briefing to write-up training to formal instruction."

The iTEC system enables trainees to interact with an instructor's presentation through palm-sized keypads, which transmit information to a database through an infrared signal.    Using the hand-held keypads, staff respond to questions posed by the instructor throughout the course of a training session.  That data is captured and tabulated instantly so that trainers can determine in real-time whether or not the class is grasping particular concepts.

"It allows the measure of comprehension during the presentation," said Bollig.  "In other words, information can be presented and the instructor can [determine] the comprehension level [of the class] or actually test [trainees] during that presentation."

Because iTEC enables trainers to test students after various blocks of information have been covered, Bollig said it allows the instructors to be more time-effective so they will not spend too much time teaching concepts that the class fully understands.  On the other hand, the technology lets the trainers know when they need to further explain certain points.

The students test their knowledge using the keypads, which enable them to respond to true/false, yes/no, numeric and multiple choice questions. 

"[Those answers are] picked up by the [system's] receiver, which relays that information to the computer, which tallies the information," Bollig said.

The instructor then has the option of whether or not to cue those results onto the presentation screen using a control keypad designed specifically for the trainer, Bollig explained.  The answers can appear on the presentation screen either in a tallied format or as percentages of right and wrong answers. 

"Currently, [the answers] are actually projected onto the [presentation screen] so the class will be able to view what the reactions were," Bollig said.

In the future, AIS plans to expand the system's capabilities so that the answers can be displayed on the instructor's screen only, Bollig said.  Another change on the horizon for iTEC, he added, is that the students' responses will be transmitted from their keypads to the receiver hub via radio transmission, rather than an infrared signal.

In its current form, however, the product can be purchased in different packages.

iTEC on the Market

A basic package, Bollig said, consists of keypads (however many the agency requires), an instructor keypad and the iTEC software, which can be run on most personal computers.  When purchasing a basic package, agencies will typically use their own computers and LCD projectors, he said.

Another option AIS offers, however, is the "Classroom in a Box," Bollig said.

"It's a turnkey offering," he said.  "It gives you everything that you need, [including] the computer, the projector, the software, the remotes, an optional screen and an optional carrying case."

Depending on what type of package an agency chooses and how many keypads are needed (the system supports up to 999 users), the price of iTEC starts at just over $1,000.

"It really isn't that expensive of a product," Bollig said.  "Especially for the versatility of it."

One of the best features, he said, is that iTEC is simple to use, especially for instructors who are loading their own presentation content onto it.

"[They] can load entirely their own content," Bollig said.  "That's one of the truly marketable features is that, currently, the primary presentation tool that instructors are using is Power Point [and] that happens to be the easiest medium to import into it," he said.  "You can easily customize this with your existing program and merge it right in to allow your existing presentation to actually become more effective."

Aside from being easy to use, Bollig said that the iTEC system is a unique training tool because it was designed specifically with law enforcement in mind.

"This is the only [training system] that I am aware of that has actually been geared more towards adult learning and specifically towards law enforcement, [including officers] in the field of detention or corrections," Bollig said.  "It has been molded specifically for that clientele."

So far, AIS has tested the product informally with some agencies and the response has been positive, Bollig said.  Although AIS has not yet sold the system because it just hit the market on Saturday, he anticipates that, because of iTEC's versatility, it will have a successful launch in the law enforcement field.

"There really is no limitation to it," he said.

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