Training Platoon Leader Adaptive Thinking Skills in a Classroom Setting

Abstract : A problem-based learning (PBL) strategy (Schwartz & Bransford, 1998) was used to develop a training protocol to enhance Infantry lieutenants? adaptive thinking/problem solving skills in the context of a mission planning exercise. The training protocol was tested using recent graduates of the Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course (IBOLC). Participants were assigned to either an experimental (PBL training) or a control (partial treatment) group. Both groups were exposed to four planning exercises over an eight-hour instructional period and asked to develop, individually, a platoon offensive operation order (OPORD), and then modify their order based on additional information (two fragmentary orders - FRAGOs). Following the first FRAGO, the instructor presented a lecture to the experimental group describing key conceptual points and their relevance to the mission planning process. After additional practice (FRAGO 2), the groups were then presented with another mission-stability operation, which served as the transfer task. Analysis of the performance-based mission planning ratings showed that the experimental group's performance did not significantly differ from that of the control group (no lecture). With regard to participant self-reports of the training, the control group's attitudes toward various aspects of the instruction were generally more positive than those of the experimental group. A major impediment to the training was the inadequate time allocated to effectively execute the instruction. Specific issues related to employing a PBL strategy in a military classroom environment were identified. These issues included the duration and structure of the training events (i.e., OPORD, FRAGOs, and transfer task), instructor preparation, control group design, classroom size, and development of metrics for measuring deep understanding.

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