Purpose:
Promote intra-governmental sharing of distance learning resources.
Background:
Now known as the Government Alliance for Training and Education by
Satellite (GATES), the Government Alliance for Training and Education
was established in March 1995 as a spin-off from the DOD’s Total Force
Distance Learning Action Team (TFDLAT), now known as the Total Force
Advanced Distributed Learning Action Team (TFADLAT). The TFADLAT
concentrates primarily on DOD Web-based distance learning. GATE, on the
other hand, has broadened this scope to include all Government agencies
and focuses on satellite delivery of distance learning, whether by
interactive television, videoconferencing, or video streaming to the
desktop. GATES’ primary focus is to encourage the use of cost-effective
telecommunications to share facilities and distance learning programs
NOW.
In
addition, GATES will assist education and training program managers in
identifying system services standardization requirements, and to
coordinate the development of a system profile to optimize
interoperability across and among networks. Most notably, GATES
participants have collaborated in the expansion and use of interactive
television (ITV) and videoteleconferencing (VTC) as effective means to
meet many Government DL requirements.
GATES’
greatest success story is the development of the Government Education
and Training Network (GETN). GETN is an interactive television network
that is interoperable across all its participating agencies. GETN is
often connected to various agency VTC systems to exchange programming
and share training facilities. More information on GETN can be seen at
http://getn.govdl.org.
GATES
enables participating agencies to share learning resources, especially
the mandated courses that might be applicable to the needs of numerous
federal agencies. Courses in such areas as hazardous materials,
biological terrorism, medical training, program management, equal
opportunity, government ethics, etc., are easily shared
cost-effectively.
Membership in GATES is generally restricted to Government Civil Service
and the Uniformed Services. Vendors and contract service providers can
join FGDLA, a non-profit professional organization. For more
information please go to
http://www.fgdla.org.
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