U.S. Army Research Institute

Mr. Scott ShadrickARI – Fort Knox502-624-2613Scott.Shadrick@knox.army.mil

Training Adaptive Thinking withThink Like a Commander

ARI Mission

Training R&DQuality People

R&D

Basic Research

Army PersonnelSurvey Office

Army OccupationalAnalysis OfficePersonnel & Training

Studies & Analysis

Leader DevelopmentR&D

Maximize individual and unit performance and readiness to meet the full range of world-wide Army missions through advances in the behavioral and social sciences.

• The Army’s Source for Training, Leader Development, and Soldier R&D

• Centers of Excellence for Army Personnel Surveys & Occupational Analysis

ARI Fort Knox

Mission To Support Army Training by Conducting Exploratory and Advanced R&D to Develop more Effective and Efficient Training Methods, Training Management Systems, and Performance Evaluation Techniques focused on the Individual and Unit Needs of the Total Mounted Force, both Active and Reserve.

Military Adaptive Thinking Defined

Thinking that supports:making adjustments in an unfolding plan under the

dynamic conditions of military operations.

Adaptive thinking: is not knowledge; it is a behavior. is not a generic or portable ability; it arises from

specific knowledge and experience in the domain. is not a personality trait; it is a trainable skill.

The “Adaptive Thinking” Problem

Creation and manipulation of mental models requires great

effort.

Creation and manipulation of mental models requires great

effort.

Much study but insufficient

opportunity to apply knowledge

Much study but insufficient

opportunity to apply knowledge

Capacity for complex thought,

cognitive flexibility,and adaptability

are reduced.

Capacity for complex thought,

cognitive flexibility,and adaptability

are reduced.

Good verbal understanding but battlefield thinking

processes have not become automatic.

Good verbal understanding but battlefield thinking

processes have not become automatic.

In military officers, the quantity and quality of their battle command knowledge far outpaces the ability to use that knowledge in an expert manner.

Activities Specifically Designed to Improve

Performance

Deliberately Training Behavior

Identify desired elements for expert form Learner performs while attending to element Coach notes discrepancies from expert form Behavior is repeated until habitual Performance without attending to element

Expert Patterns of Battlefield Thinking

Keep a focus on mission accomplishment and higher commander's intent.

Model a thinking enemy. Consider effects of terrain. Use all elements/systems available. Include considerations of timing. Exhibit visualizations that are dynamic and

proactive. Consider contingencies and remain flexible. Consider how your fight fits into the bigger

picture from friendly and enemy perspectives.

Themes of Battlefield Thinking

Keep a Focus on the Mission and Higher's Intent -- Commanders must never lose sight of the purpose and results they are directed to achieve -- even when unusual and critical events may draw them in a different direction.

Model a Thinking Enemy – Commanders must not forget that the adversaries are reasoning human beings intent on defeating them. It’s tempting to simplify the battlefield by treating the enemy as static or simply reactive.

Consider Effects of Terrain – Commanders must not lose sight of the operational effects of the terrain on which they must fight. Every combination of terrain and weather has a significant effect on what can and should be done to accomplish the mission.

Use All Assets Available – Commanders must not lose sight of the synergistic effects of fighting their command as a combined arms team. They consider not only assets under their command, but also those which higher headquarters might bring to bear to assist them.

Consider Timing – Commanders must not lose sight of the time they have available to get things done. Experts have a good sense of how much time it takes to accomplish various battlefield tasks. The proper use of that sense is a vital combat multiplier.

See the Big Picture – Commanders must remain aware of what is happening around them, how it might affect their operations, and how they can affect others’ operations. A narrow focus on your own fight can get you or your higher headquarters blind-sided.

Visualize the Battlefield – Commanders must be able to visualize a fluid and dynamic battlefield with some accuracy and use the visualization to their advantage. A commander who develops this difficult skill can reason proactively like no other. “Seeing the battlefield” allows the commander to anticipate and adapt quickly to changing situations.

Consider Contingencies and Remain Flexible – Commanders must never lose sight of the old maxim that “no plan survives the first shot.” Flexible plans and well thought out contingencies result in rapid, effective responses under fire.

Cognitive Battle Drills

Think Like a Commander Method

Case-basedPerformance oriented

Theme-based coachingProbes facilitate observation &

measurement Repetitive performance - varying

conditionsAimed at ingraining expert habits

Allow officers to model their battlefield understandings, plans, visualizations, and decisions after expert tacticians’ thinking patterns.

Home station

Disaster Assistan

ce

Vignette 5The Attack

BeginsVignette 1

Trouble in

McClouth

Vignette 12Mout

II

Destroy a

Defeated

Enemy Force

Vignette 1Trouble

in McClouth

Vignette 1Trouble

in McClouth

Escort a

ConvoyCondu

ct Presen

ce Patrols

Trouble in

The Ranch

Save the Shrine

Trouble in

McClouth

A Shift in Forces

AllSystemsDynamic

Proactive

BigPictureMission-

FocusContingencyThinking

Enemy

Timing

Think Like a Commander Structure

Centralia Set

AzerbaijanSet

Key Features of the Situation: Examples of Indicators

If I have good success, can we still use PL DIME as the battle handoff?

Will the movement delay affect my ability to accomplish my mission?

How will the enemy try to exploit the brigade’s disrupted timing in its movements?

Can I get division fire support to destroy the enemy between IOWA and DIME?

Do I need additional engineers to prepare the passage lanes in time?

Can I cross the LD prior to 0530 if the rest of the TF is not prepared?

Will crossing the LD prior to 0530 create unacceptable risks to my flanks?

How long will it take me to secure the passage lanes? How long before the other units arrive?

Will I be asked to continue the fight north if there is little enemy resistance?

Overview of the Think Like A Commander Scenarios

Vignette 1: Trouble in Mclouth – A refuel mission runs into a refugee roadblock. Large crowds and a small amount of time constrain you. How will you continue the mission while dealing with the host nation and the media?

Vignette 2: Save the Shrine – Enemy agents have spread misinformation in an attempt to disrupt your timing. Angry civilian convoys are on the move. How will this influence your mission?

Vignette 3: The Recon Fight – The enemy’s recon has been defeated, but the Dakotans unit boundaries appear to have shifted. Your western-most scout has been lost. How will you counter the enemy’s projected movements?

Vignette 4: A Shift in Forces – A semi-successful air attack leaves the enemy stronger than anticipated. Lead elements of the enemy tank division may be headed in your direction. Most of your resources are committed. Can you adjust your plan to deal with the shift in forces?

Vignette 5: The Attack Begins – 3 hours prior to attack, you’re bogged down in a minefield while taking HE fire. Can you accomplish your mission?

Vignette 6: The Bigger Picture – Your task force crossed the LD 10 minutes ago and all is proceeding well. Too well. A large number of enemy troops are moving forward under white flag. The main defensive belt appears to be crumbling, but the security zone continues to fight. How will you handle this?

Vignette 7: Looking Deep – Enemy forces appear to be regaining control and repositioning offensive forces. Are they planning to retake the initiative or are they bolstering their defense? How does this influence your plans?

Vignette 8: Before the Attack – The enemy’s mechanized army is building much faster than expected. Every hour will result in increased casualties upon engagement. You need to move up your attack. How will you adjust to accommodate the change in the corps schedule?

Deliberate Practice Training in the Armor Captain’s Career Course

Training captains to be adaptive commanders and battle staff officers who can lead companies and staff teams to solve complex problems across the entire spectrum of conflicts.

Performance, Discussion & Coaching, Evaluation and Feedback

Correct Performance Immediate Repetition Active & Effective Coaching A Focus on Process Well-Defined Process Keys Systematically Varied

Conditions

Consistent & Timely Feedback

Objective Behavioral Measurement

Overlearning A Focus on Difficult Areas A Focus on Weaknesses Work, not Play

Components of Effective Training

Identifying Key Features of the Situation

Students showed a significant increase in their ability to identify features that had been previously identified by tactical experts as the critical features for each situation.

Percent Key Considerations Identified

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Vignette

Per

cent

(15) (10) (10) (5) (5) (5) (3)

Information Considered (per Minute)

0

1

2

3

4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Vignette

Info

rma

tio

n C

on

sid

ere

dTraining Adaptive Thinking

A trend analysis revealed a significant effect, F(1, 23) = 19.62, p < .05, indicating that participants identified significantly more critical information as they continued training. A within-subjects trend analysis yielded a significant linear trend, F(1, 23) = 34.21, p < .05.

Percent Identified

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Vignette

Per

cen

t

Initial Results – Information Considered

Time Allowed

Information Considered(Per Minute)

0123456789

101112131415

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Vignette

Tim

e

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

Nu

mb

er C

on

sid

ered

(p

er m

inu

te)

Rate of Identification of Critical Features

Information Considered(Per Minute)

0123456789

101112131415

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Vignette

Tim

e

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

Nu

mb

er C

on

sid

ered

(p

er m

inu

te)

Time Allowed Number Considered

What is the TLAC-DL Project

Adapt the TLAC Methodology currently used in the Army Captains’ Career Course to a Distance Learning environment – Develop vignettes addressing specific training

objectives in the course for use in the DL environment– Try different approaches to mentoring students in the

DL environment

Collaborative effort completed by ARI, 16th Cavalry Regiment, and the U.S. Army Armor School.

1: Home station Disaster Assistance 2: Conduct Presence Patrols 3: Control a Civil Disturbance 4: Escort a Convoy 5: Conduct Force Protection 6: Establish a Safe Route 7: Enable Humanitarian Operations 8: Man a Border Outpost 9: Destroy a Defeated Enemy Force10: Relieve an Encircled Unit11: Ambush at Geokchai (Future Force)

Vignettes

• Caspian Sea AO

• Student is a Company Commander/Asst S3

Focus Groups

TLAC-DL Approaches

Four small groups from the Armor Captains’ Career Course provided feedback on the various methods.

Instructorless

-

View introductory

materials

Receive real-time

feedback from a small

group

Receive real-time

feedback from a small

group

Receive coaching and

feedback from an

Instructor

Receive coaching and

feedback from an

Instructor

View model feedback

View model feedbackTLAC

DLUser’sManual

Go to nextvignette

Go to nextvignette

Coachingand

Feedback

Small GroupInstructor

Distance Students

Asynchronous

Synchronous

View VignetteOPORD, Graphics,

Situation and Decision

View VignetteOPORD, Graphics,

Situation and Decision

Student analyzes vignette

based on 8 themes Instructor

Student

Student

Self grade based on the expert indicators

-

Done?

View introductory

materials

Self Grade

the8

Themes

Receive realtime feedback

from a small group

Receive realtime feedback

from a small group

TLACDL

User’sManual

Go to nextvignette

Go to nextvignette

Coachingand

Feedback

Small GroupInstructor

Distance Students

View VignetteOPORD, Graphics,

Situation and Decision

View VignetteOPORD, Graphics,

Situation and Decision

Students Input their analysis of

the 8 Themes

Yes

No

How does Synchronous work?• Synchronous is the equivalent of the traditional classroom experience

of group presentation and discussion of lesson materials.• Synchronous connects students and an instructor, at widely separated

geographic locations, who participate in a real time discussion.• Coaching and feedback to individual students come from the instructor

and the other students in the small group.

How does Synchronous work?• Synchronous is the equivalent of the traditional classroom experience

of group presentation and discussion of lesson materials.• Synchronous connects students and an instructor, at widely separated

geographic locations, who participate in a real time discussion.• Coaching and feedback to individual students come from the instructor

and the other students in the small group.

Synchronous

TLAC-D Synchronous Mentoring

-

Done?

View introductory

materials

Self grade based

on the 8 themes

TLACDL

User’sManual

Go to nextscenario

Go to nextscenario

Coachingand

Feedback

View VignetteOPORD, Graphics,

Situation and Decision

View VignetteOPORD, Graphics,

Situation and Decision

Student analyzes vignette

based on 8 themes

Yes

No

How does Asynchronous work?• Asynchronous is the equivalent of corresponding with the instructor

through the postal mail on the presentation of lesson materials and assignments.

• The student uses the network to view the materials, then completes the assignment and transmits it to the instructor.

• The instructor provides coaching and feedback to the student directly, but not in real time.

• Instructor and student may iterate more than once on the themes. • The instructor WILL provide additional materials to increase the learning

potential.

How does Asynchronous work?• Asynchronous is the equivalent of corresponding with the instructor

through the postal mail on the presentation of lesson materials and assignments.

• The student uses the network to view the materials, then completes the assignment and transmits it to the instructor.

• The instructor provides coaching and feedback to the student directly, but not in real time.

• Instructor and student may iterate more than once on the themes. • The instructor WILL provide additional materials to increase the learning

potential.

Instructor

Student

Receive coaching and

feedback from an

Instructor

Receive coaching and

feedback from an

Instructor

Asynchronous

TLAC-D Asynchronous Mentoring

-

Done?

View introductory

materials

Self grade based

on the 8 themes

TLACDL

User’sManual

Go to nextvignette

Go to nextvignette

Coachingand

Feedback

View VignetteOPORD, Graphics,

Situation and Decision

View VignetteOPORD, Graphics,

Situation and Decision

Students analyzes vignette

based on 8 themes

Yes

No

How does Instructorless work?• Instructorless is the equivalent of using a self-help book.• The student uses stand-alone or network resources to view the

presentation of vignette materials.• The student completes the vignette and views model feedback

materials through a multi-media presentation without an interchange of the ideas.

How does Instructorless work?• Instructorless is the equivalent of using a self-help book.• The student uses stand-alone or network resources to view the

presentation of vignette materials.• The student completes the vignette and views model feedback

materials through a multi-media presentation without an interchange of the ideas.

Student

View model feedback

View model feedback

Instructorless

TLAC-D Instructorless Mentoring

Findings from DL Study

Method Recommendation Advantage Disadvantage

Face-to-Face

Best choice when classroom time is available. A proven method.

Provides a knowledgeable instructor

Significantly improves performance.

Requires a knowledgeable instructor.

Synchronous

Best choice for distance learning applications.

Provides a knowledgeable instructor to model student behavior.

Technical issues with the VTOC may be a problem.

Instructorless

Continue developing. No instructor required. Performance at student’s pace.

Needs improved feedback materials.

Less active student participation

Asynchronous

Does not appear to be worth further investigation. Requires a new method and research.

No scheduling required. Significant instructor resources and major feedback time-delays.

TLAC in the ACCC-RCStudent Comments

“I think TLAC was the best thing I have ever been taught.”  “TLAC would have helped us before our deployment to Bosnia.” “The TLAC is a great learning tool. I wish we could do more of it.” “TLAC was a combat leader’s reaction course for the mind.” “TLAC made us all start to think of what was happening throughout the

operation.”  “TLAC is real world and presents us with scenarios that we will face.”  “TLAC is highly beneficial to developing our thought process.”  “I think TLAC helped me focus on details of COA Analysis.”  “The first thing that popped into my head when you mentioned TLAC, oh no

a waste of time, I really wanted to get into the lesson.  Once we got into TLAC, I found that it made me think about the entire class.  It was time well spent.” 

“Good class.  I can apply this to help me in my staff job in my unit.”  “TLAC is excellent when conducted in a group setting.  I was able to learn

what others would have done.  Very helpful.”  “TLAC made me think of questions I would ask my platoon leaders.”    “TLAC gets you into a decision making mindset.”    “In TLAC, there were many things brought out in the discussion that I did not

think of when I worked separately.” 

TLAC in the ACCC-RCStudent Comments

“TLAC vignette has real world application to what we are doing right now in Iraq.  TLAC makes you think and consider things that you might miss.” 

“TLAC provides good real world training experience.”  “TLAC makes you ask the hard question of WHY things are

occurring.”  “Would like to spend more time working with TLAC.”