ATTACHMENT Z - Curriculum SOP - 2025 FINAL - Updated 250303.docx

VA Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Curriculum Development and Revision Standard Operating Procedure

Responsible Office The development and maintenance of this document is the responsibility of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Military to Civilian Transition (M2CR) Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Proposed changes to this document should be submitted in writing to the Chief of TAP Curriculum.

Table of Contents Contents

1.0 Purpose

The purpose of this Curriculum Development and Revision Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is to provide guidance for the development and revision of the VA TAP Curriculum.

This SOP aligns VA TAP Curriculum processes and procedures with the required (prescribed) evidence-based instructional systems design methodology, ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation). The ADDIE method is the industry standard in education for curriculum design and revisions. The ADDIE method is a front-end analysis and systematic approach that yields rapid responses when identifying learner performance gaps and determining factors that affect changes in the learning environment. It provides a structured process for continuous performance improvements.

The objectives of the SOP’s alignment with ADDIE are to provide:

· Objective one – Standardization in the VA TAP Curriculum review and development

· Objective two – Structure to the VA TAP Curriculum processes and procedures

· Objective three – Results and evidence-driven data to ensure relevancy and accuracy of course content

2.0 Applicability

The scope of this procedure includes curriculum work products generated by the Curriculum office that will be delivered to external stakeholders. This SOP applies to the processes and activities required to develop and revise the curriculum. The procedures described herein apply to:

· Benefits & Services (VABAS) Curriculum and Materials Development

· VABAS Curriculum and Materials Revision

· Military Life Cycle (MLC) Module Curriculum and Materials Development

· MLC Module Curriculum and Materials Revision

· Women’s Health Transition (WHTT) Training Curriculum and Materials Development

· WHTT Curriculum and Materials Revision The process for developing the Curriculum follows the same steps for Curriculum Development and Revision.

3.0 References

Anderson, L. W. et al. (2000) A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives, complete edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Dirksen, J. (2016). Design for how people learn (2nd edition). United States: New Riders Gagne, R.M. (1985). The conditions of learning and theory of instruction (4th edition). New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

Gagne, R.M. & Briggs, L.J. (1974). The principles of instructional design. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

Golombisky, K. & Hagen, R., (2017). White space is not your enemy: A beginner’s guide to communicating visually through graphic, web, & multimedia design. Taylor & Francis: Boca Raton, FL.

Kirkpatrick, J. D. & Kirkpatrick, W. K. (2016) Kirkpatrick’s four levels of training evaluation. Alexandria, VA: ATD Press.

Knowles, M. (1988). The adult learner. Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing.

Mayer, R. E. (2020) Multimedia Learning. 3rd ed. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

Merrill, M. D. (2002) “First principles of instruction,” Educational technology research and development: ETR & D, 50(3), pp. 43–59.

Plain Language Action and Information Network (2011), Federal Plain Language Guidelines, March 2011, Rev. 1, May 2011, viewed 25 August 2021, https://www.plainlanguage.gov/media/FederalPLGuidelines.pdf Veterans Benefits Administration – CATHEXIS Contract 36C10X21D0007 (2021), PWS Section 3.6.2 (Page 14).

Veterans Benefits Administration (2017) Creating/Maintaining Standard Operating Procedure.

Veterans Benefits Administration (2021), Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Curriculum Review Process per Curriculum Working Group.

Veterans Benefits Administration (2020), TAP Quick Ref Style Guide_06092020.

Veterans Benefits Administration (2018), VA TAP QM_QA_QC_SOP_Quality Management SOP_20180823_v1.7.

World Wide Web Consortium, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), viewed 25 August 2021, https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/

4.0 Acronyms

5.0 Definitions

Table 1: Acronyms

Alpha test is a preliminary carried out by a team of users to find out the bugs that were not found previously by other tests during the product build. Alpha testing simulates a real user environment by carrying out tasks and operations that actual users might perform.

· a full review of all content for accuracy and conciseness,

· analysis of content for potential program additions,

· updates to learning objectives,

· inclusion of trends and best practices in adult learning to increase engagement and retention and

· review and approval of the CWG and TAIWG.

· update for accuracy of content, such as external links and resource availability,

· changes necessary due to the implementation of recent legislation and or changes in agency policy or procedures.

It is an extension of the existing annual July release rather than a new version.

6.0 Background

Table 2: Definitions

M2CR is one of the first VA touchpoints with Transitioning TSMs (TSM) as they begin their transition journey. Central to M2CR’s mission is the delivery of VA TAP, MLC modules, WHTT and other collaborative efforts with our interagency partners and other stakeholders.

Established in 1991 and refined by the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act of 2011, TAP is an interagency initiative designed to ensure TSMs have a smooth and successful transition to civilian life.

As a critical, mandatory part of the transition ecosystem, the Veteran transition is supported by “interagency partners”— the Departments of Defense (DoD), VA, Labor (DOL), Education (ED), and Homeland Security (DHS); Small Business Administration (SBA); and Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Together, these interagency partners help provide the skill-building, resources, and tools that TSMs need to achieve emotional health, physical health, and economic stability in civilian life.

Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs and Customers The below Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, Customers (SIPOC) table provides a high-level, holistic view of the curriculum development and revision process’ suppliers; the inputs received from them; the ADDIE process that adds value to those inputs; and the outputs that meet or exceed customer requirements.

Supplier(s) – The provider of inputs into a process.

Input(s) – Materials, information and other resources needed to complete a process.

Process – Structured steps used to convert inputs into outputs.

Output(s) – Products or services resulting from the process.

Customer(s) – Recipient of the outputs.

Step 1: Analysis Step 2: Design Step 3: Development Step 4: Implementation Step 5: Evaluation

Table 3: SIPOC Table

Adult Learning Approach

6.2.1 Introduction

The TAP curriculum is designed for professional, working adults, primarily for the ages 18 to 24, who are TSMs or Veterans. In addition to the primary audience, the program is also available to spouses, domestic partners, dependents, caregivers and survivors of TSMs and Veterans.

6.2.2 Adult Learning Principles

TSMs, Veterans, and other learners in TAP courses bring a wealth of knowledge that should be valued and considered in both developing and delivering any training.

Further, the benefits and services explored in all TAP curriculum are critical to the livelihoods and wellbeing of TSMs and Veterans. Combining these two factors leads to a heightened need to expertly incorporate adult learning practices that maximize the prior experience and foster understanding (Merrill, 2002). TAP curriculum recognize that:

· prior experience of learners must be valued and incorporated (Merrill, 2002; Knowles, 1988)

· adult learners thrive when instruction is relevant and problem-based rather than content-centered (Merrill, 2002; Knowles, 1988)

· adult learners need feedback on performance and understanding (Gagne, 1985)

6.2.3 Interactivity and Objectives

TAP curriculum utilizes a four-level approach to interactivity as follows. Each level serves to align the objectives, training intent, content, and training strategies. Though discrete levels are created for ease of discussion and decision-making, most courses will utilize various interactivities. For example, a course may begin with a level 3 case study, transition to a level 2 explanation, and close with a level 1 summary. This course would be considered overall level 3, but variation is also essential in maintaining the interest and engagement of learners (Gagne, 1985).

1. Level 1: passive learning with little working memory demand

2. Level 2: limited interactivity focused on comprehension

3. Level 3: moderate interactivity that allows for analysis and judgment

4. Level 4: real-world simulated interactivity that promotes creation, integration and generation

TAP

Interactivity Level

Table 4: Interactivity and Objective Alignment

6.2.4 Multimedia Principles

All TAP curriculum includes a variety of engaging, relevant multimedia. Much like the overarching design of each course or module, the embedded and stand-alone multimedia must also adhere to evidence-based practices from the field. Such best practices extend beyond the visual appeal to:

· focus on a learner-centered approach, rather than technology-centered;

· reduce unnecessary information for the learner;

· help learners focus on essential information and processes; and

· foster understanding and generation rather than memorization (Mayer, 2021).

Multimedia materials, including presentations, videos, audio files, and web-based training, will adhere, whenever possible, to the following multimedia principles:

· information is chunked into bit-sized segments;

· narrator or presenter uses a friendly, natural speaking voice;

· a conversational tone is used for all instruction, narration and text;

· on-screen content focuses on graphics and narration;

· the use of narration with graphics and text is limited;

· unnecessary text, graphics, and sound are removed; and

· essential content is highlighted and easy to identify (Dirksen, 2016; Mayer, 2021).

Note that multimedia principles align well with both Section 508 requirements and plain language guidelines. For example, a key element of multimedia principles is utilizing clear, conversational language, critical for plain language implementation.

The ADDIE Process The VA TAP Curriculum Team follows the industry standard ADDIE (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluation) Model for course content review and development. ADDIE is a systematic approach that brings structure to the design process when determining optimal instructional strategies, sequencing, delivery methods, learning objectives, and course outcomes. Applying a systems approach ensures training programs and support materials are continually evaluated to meet the TSM’s needs in a rapidly changing environment.

The results of the Evaluation phase are returned to the origination point (fed back), closing the loop, facilitating further refinement of the learning product. If the evaluation shows that the module has shortcomings, for example, that the objectives of the module do not align with organizational objectives, those shortcomings are returned to be analyzed again. Further design and development efforts follow until the module meets organizational needs.

Analysis clarifies learning needs, defines the requirements and provides a solid foundation for the learning solutions.

Front-end analysis ensures that curriculum m ng aterials meet learning objectives by assessi performance needs, audience, environment, and content.

Analysis Design The design for learning solutions is carefully crafted based on the outcomes of the analysis phase.

Design includes a high-level description of content, delivery methods, materials, and interactions that will support the learning goals.

Development The design team creates curriculum materials to support the design. This includes the look and feel that will engage learners and deliver information in a format that ensures retention.

The Curriculum team will collaborate with the Quality Team to ensure that the products are developed according to approved quality standards.

Implementation

The curriculum development team collaborates with the Planning, Analysis, and Evaluation Task and the Quality team regarding how to collect and evalutate the curriculum and facilitation.

Evaluation

The curriculum development team collaborates with the Training Task and the Operations Command and Conrol Task teams regarding training field staff and implementing new curriculum in the field.

Figure 1: ADDIE Process

7.0 Success Criteria

· Curriculum development delivers required information to TSMs, Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors.

· Revision requests and comments are adjudicated and accurately implemented on time to meet all publication deadlines.

· Accuracy of content in all curriculum material development and revisions is ensured and maintained.

· Quality of print and online deliverables meet established criteria regarding writing, formatting, graphics language and 508 accessibility compliance.

8.0 Function, Roles and Responsibilities

(TAIWG)

Reviews major revisions and final approval for curriculum development.

(DoD, VA, DOL, and SBA) The TAP Curriculum Reviews occur annually and are conducted by the CWG. The CWG role is to:

· annually review all curriculum modules for accuracy and consistency,

· ensure independent curriculum modules are interconnected and demonstrate inter-agency collaboration and

· ensure independent curriculum modules are delivered in partnership with each military Service’s delivery goals,

· approves requests for pilots.

The staff member will engage with the VA TAP Curriculum Team in the technical development and review of content as the SME. The SME staff member will also support the development and review of Program Alert s, as needed, to ensure correct and timely changes are made to the impacted curriculum deliverables.

VA Curriculum Program Analyst VA personnel that oversee day-to- day operations for VA TAP Curriculum. Final Authorizing Official (AO) activities and actions. Communicates issues and risks to the VA TAP Program Manager.

VA personnel responsible for the processes, products, and deliverables to support the development of VA TAP curriculum materials, revisions, and quality assurance.

VA TAP Quality Functional Lead

VA TAP Quality Manager VA personnel that direct the Quality Management program for VA TAP. Communicates quality assurance activities with TAP Program Analysts; works with and guides contractor Quality Team personnel; maintains the Quality Action Items list based on After Action Reports.

VA TAP contractor personnel that oversee implementation activities

TAP Program Analysts

Quality Assurance Specialist (QA Specialist) associated with this SOP and VA TAP Quality Assurance Framework. Oversees day-to-day operations of the Quality Program for the VA TAP.

Government personnel assigned to services and regions and provide oversight to contractor implementation of VA TAP Quality Assurance Activities. Provides command and control of quality- related activities associated with their assigned services and regions.

VA TAP contractor personnel conducts third-party observations and performance evaluations of Benefits Advisors and provides on- the-job training. Performs quality activities together with the TAP Program Analysts to assure quality across the Program.

Performance Management Working Group (PMWG) DoD personnel who collect and analyze participant survey assessment data to recommend Declarative Knowledge (DK) and Learning Objectives (LO) items that need revision.

Table 5: Functions, Roles and Responsibilities

Transition Assistance Interagency Working Group (TAIWG)

Curriculum Working Group (CWG) (DoD, VA, DOL, and SBA)

VA TAP Curriculum Team VA Chief of TAP Curriculum VA TAP Curriculum Specialist (CS) VA TAP Subject Matter Expert (SME) VA Curriculum Program Analyst

Vendor Curriculum Team (Task lead, Instructional Systems Designers, e- Learning and Curriculum Developers)

Master Trainer

Benefits Advisor (BA)

Quality Team VA TAP Quality Functional Lead VA TAP Quality Manager TAP Program Analysts Quality Assurance Specialist (QA Specialist)

R = Responsible, A = Accountable, C = Consulted, I = Informed

Table 6: Curriculum Development RACI

9.0 Tools and Technology

manage files in Portable Document Format (PDF)

Transition Online is the User Interface System of the LMS

Table 7: Tools and Technology

10.0 Curriculum Development and Revision Procedure

The Curriculum Team follows the industry standard ADDIE (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluation) Model for course content review and development. ADDIE is a systematic approach that brings structure to the design process when determining optimal

· instructional strategies,

· sequencing,

· delivery methods,

· learning objectives and

· course outcomes.

Applying a systems approach ensures training programs and support materials are continually evaluated to meet TSMs’ needs in a rapidly changing environment. The results of the Evaluation phase are integrated with other inputs, such as changes in policy or updated best practices from the field. Analyzing inputs ensures the curricular materials perform as expected and facilitate ongoing but practical refinement of the learning products. For example, if it is noted that a significant portion of learners repeats the same module or lesson within a course, a deeper analysis of the difficulty should be pursued. It may be as simple as a SCORM discrepancy or as complex as an overhaul of the presented content.

The timeframe for each curriculum review is the following:

· VABAS timeline of update: every six (6) months (January, July)

· MLCs timeline of update: every two (2) years

· WHTT timeline of update: every year

Curriculum Development and Revision Process Flow Charts

Figure 2: New Curriculum Development Process

Figure 3: Existing Curriculum Revision Process

New Curriculum Development New curriculum is that which has never been released to learners. The addition of a new lesson or section of an existing course or module would not constitute this process. The request is to develop new curriculum materials that may result from a variety of events. Examples include:

· Governance: The VA TAP Governance team aligns all transition services and support activities to enable and support the transition from military to civilian input from governance research, findings, environmental scans, or working group participation that might require curriculum to address issues or initiatives.

· Curriculum Working Group (CWG): CWG reviews all Transition Goals, Plans, Success (GPS) curriculum modules and makes recommendations to the Senior Steering Group (SSG) and Executive Council (EC) leaders on the status of all curricula and TAP Training programs.

10.2.1 ANALYSIS

Course Intake

Kickoff Meeting

VA Lines of Business Curriculum Review Process

Vendor Curriculum Team

Vendor Curriculum Team

VA TAP Curriculum Team Vendor Curriculum Team

VA Lines of Business (LOB)-Initiated Curriculum Update Process

· Recent legislative or VA policy or regulation change.

VA Line of Business or Content Subject Matter Expert

· Create a program alert

· Within 10 calendar days

· To notify Benefits Advisors of the change to VA Benefit, Service or resource.

See page 48 for the Program Alert process.

VA TAP Curriculum Team Vendor Curriculum Team

· Add to the course change log,

· Share updated course materials and change log with SMEs for concurrence (see page 27).

Vendor Curriculum Team VA TAP Curriculum Team VA Line of Business or Content Subject Matter Expert

Transfer updated files to the delivery team (Benefits Advisors) to implement updates.

Vendor Curriculum Team

Information Gathering and Analysis

Project Plan and Milestone Approval 1 The project plan and milestone delivery dates will be approved.

VA Chief of TAP Curriculum

10.2.2 DESIGN

Design Documents 1 Complete the CDD, including enabling learning objectives (see table 2 below), course flow (e.g., order of learning, segmenting), content chunking and engagement and interactivity recommendations (e.g., use of case study or branching scenario).

2 Describe the activities and exercises to reinforce the learning objectives.

Vendor Curriculum Team

Vendor Curriculum Team

An example of a TLO is the following:

· To provide awareness of VA Home Loan Guaranty Program benefits for Transitioning Service members and Veterans, including the Native Americans living on trust land

An example of an ELO is the following:

· Identify the Home Loan Guaranty program’s eligibility requirements

Table 8: Learning Objectives Definitions

Mock-Ups and Prototype

Design Document Approval

Note: The design document is a working document; multiple iterations and SME reviews might be required to confirm and approve the approach, which is particularly critical for WBT. The design document reflects the initial design of the course and is not updated during the development process. See Appendix A for a sample Design Document Table of Contents.

Additional approvals from M2CR Leadership will be obtained from the Curriculum Program Analyst, as appropriate.

Vendor Curriculum Team

10.2.3 DEVELOPMENT

Training Materials

Build and Testing

to test and validate the whole LMS file experience for the revision. Both alpha and beta testing are performed.

SCORM Package Best Practices:

· Keep file size less than 75 megabytes (MB).

· For large courses, break it into nodules or sections to maintain the file size limit.

· Upload no more than 200 files at one time for testing.

· Compressing audiovisual files before adding to Storyline and thus the SCORM package.

· SCORM package file names must contain the date and version of the course for release (e.g., 4.1, 5.0, v2)

Sandbox Testing

Approval and Release

Production testing will be executed three (3) days after the WBT materials are released, with ongoing testing quarterly of all production WBT materials.

Vendor Curriculum Team

approvers to review as needed. SMEs and points of contact for topic areas might also need to review and concur with content of the materials. Reviewers will log comments in the Revision Matrix.

and other useful information for set-up, delivery, reinforcement, and activities. (See Appendix C for an example.)

Activity Roles

Detailed notes are also provided for the Producer’s role, not found in the Instructor Guide.

MLC, BAS, WHTT

1 The future need for a vILT option for MLC is known and tracked for future development as of August 2021.

Object Reference Model (SCORM) 2004 published package uploaded to the LMS.

Table 9: Learning Materials List

Curriculum Pilot

· Observation and review from SMEs, stakeholders, and/or approving authority (Observer Evaluations).

VA TAP Curriculum Team

Pilot Analysis

· Scan of all feedback forms from observers and participants for each pilot session.

Vendor Curriculum Team

· Analyze quantitative feedback from both observers and participants for each pilot session and cumulative for all pilots.

Vendor Curriculum Team

10.2.4 IMPLEMENTATION

Brick-and-Mortar or Virtual Synchronous Delivery

· In-person training.

· Virtual facilitated training.

10.2.5 Curriculum Development Integration Points

Below are the Integration Points related to Curriculum Development:

Collaboration) Description

curriculum development or revision.

survivors.

facilitate the curriculum pilot.

Table 10: Curriculum Development Integration Points Table

Existing Curriculum Revision The request is for a change to an existing curriculum, which may include the addition of a section or full module to an existing course. Events that may initiate the revision of an existing curriculum include:

· A LOB updates benefits, eligibility or processes for receiving benefits impacting the curriculum and/or delivery.

· Relevant working group(s) identify potential revisions.

· New executive orders or legislation need to be addressed in the curriculum.

· Findings provided to VA TAP Curriculum Team during annual CWG working group reviews.

· A critical change is discovered and must be addressed and communicated to the field.

10.3.1 ANALYSIS

Change Event

The CWG definitions of the major curriculum deliverables are the following:

Examples: Inaccurate or outdated information about VA benefits; changes to web links used in the classroom

Examples: Clarifying statements; formatting changes