Practical Thinking: Innovation in Battle Command Instruction.

Abstract : Instruction on practical thinking skills was developed and implemented in a Command and General Staff Officers Course on Battle Command. A cognitive skills approach was emphasized as opposed to the traditional procedural models used in other Army education Programs. The cognitive skills were identified from study of tactical planning and decision making, reviews of civilian cognitive skill Instruction programs, and the application of new models of naturalistic decision making. The program consisted of 12 hours of instruction and six meetings. Practical thinking consists of creative and critical thinking. It is based on natural ways of thinking such as considering multiple perspectives, adapting thinking to situations, looking for hidden assumptions, and following guidelines for reasoning. This report describes the General Officer tasking that led to this work, the identification of requirements for practical thinking, description of the lessons, experience with using the program, and recommendations for further pursuit of improving practical thinking skills.