Technology, Research, and Curriculum Development

Web-based training. Multimedia curriculums. Distance learning. Simulations.

Innovations in training are taking place all the time, and the FBI Academy and Training Division need the expertise to research and design high-quality, cutting-edge instructional programs to meet the needs of both the Bureau and its partners.

To that end, the Office of Technology, Research, and Curriculum Development was created in November 2006 to support all FBI training initiatives by leading all traditional and non-traditional curriculum development, research, and distance learning technology.

The office leads four programs:

• The Curriculum Development and Evaluation Unit directs, designs, and develops instructionally sound and engaging learning materials—whether traditional classroom instruction, distance education, or a combination of both—for the FBI and its criminal justice and intelligence partners. It also evaluates existing training, helps assess course or program strategies, and provides training to FBI and law enforcement instructors.
• The Distance Learning Technology Unit uses various technologies to assist in the creation of audio/video, web, and simulation productions to facilitate self-paced and instructor-led learning in a cost effective and flexible environment to meet the training and job performance needs of the FBI and its law enforcement and intelligence partners. Services provided include video and audio production, graphics, web-based courses, and simulation and job aids.
• The Virtual Academy Unit manages and operates the Bureau’s learning management system—known as the Virtual Academy—and facilitates the use of learning technology for the FBI and its partners. The Virtual Academy provides a full range of online training functions and services, such as a course catalog, course registration, approval workflows, web-based training delivery, classroom graduation, student transcripts, enterprise training records, classroom and dorm scheduling, data warehousing, and survey tools. The Virtual Academy Unit supports these functions with a mix of commercial and custom technology tools, automating training business processes to support the FBI’s training mission.
• As a primary information center for the FBI and law enforcement, the FBI Library provides access to resources reflecting a broad range of perspectives, viewpoints, and approaches; delivers professional reference services in response to research requests with an emphasis on informed evaluation of information sources; and promotes communication and cooperation among libraries in order to share law enforcement information and resources.

See these skills at work. Watch a short video about the simulation team and another video about the video production team. Both require the Adobe Flash Player, version 9 or higher.

Watch a short video about the simulation team.

and another video about the video production team.

Both require the Adobe Flash Player; version 9 or higher required to view captions.

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