Military Review English Edition November-December 2014 | Page 45

ARMY LEARNING CONCEPT

transitions. While these initial changes do not equal
total transformation, they are a good start:
(1) Convert most classroom experiences
into collaborative problem-solving events,
led by facilitators (vice instructors) who
engage learners to think and understand
the relevance and context of what they
learn.
(2) Tailor learning to the individual learner’s experience and competence level based
on the results of a pre-test or assessment.
(3) Dramatically reduce or eliminate instructor-led slide presentation lectures and
begin using a blended learning approach
that incorporates virtual and constructive
simulations, gaming technology, or other
technology-delivered instruction.7
In addition, ALC 2015’s instructional guidelines
state that all Army education and training programs
should integrate skills for working with diverse cultures and joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and
multinational partners; incorporate comprehensive
fitness goals into all courses; develop a flexible frame
of mind in all learners that will encourage adaptability to meet operational demands; and use ALC’s 21st
Century Soldier Competencies as an integral part of
all learning outcomes.8
ALC 2015 lists the competencies as—
• Character and accountability
• Comprehensive fitness
• Adaptability and initiative
• Lifelong learner (includes digital literacy)
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Communication and engagement (oral,
written, negotiation)
• Critical thinking and problem solving
• Cultural and joint, interagency, i ntergovernmental, and multinational competence
• Tactical and technical competence
(full-spectrum capable)9
We believe every class taught by U.S. Army instructors to every soldier should be linked directly to
these critical competencies.
When classes are linked to the competencies,
and proven methods of instruction are used, we feel
certain the Army will be moving toward the desired
end state.
MILITARY REVIEW  November-December 2014

Warrant Officer Career College
Learning Initiatives
USAWOCC has attacked the challenge head-on,
implementing ALC 2015 guidance in 2011—soon
after its publication. Consistent with the concept, the
college has adopted David A. Kolb’s experiential learning model.10 It has restructured and retrained its faculty and implemented a curriculum that leads to outcomes ALC 2015 describes as “rigorous, relevant, and
measurable.”11 USAWOCC trains and educates more
than 3,800 students annually through its Warrant
Officer Candidate Course (initial military training for
warrant officer 1), Warrant Officer Intermediate Level
Education (professional military education for chief
warrant officer 4) and Warrant Officer Senior Service
Education (professional military education for chief
warrant officer 5).
USAWOCC now tailors learning to the individual
learner’s experience and competency level. The college
is developing standardized learning outcomes for
warrant officers, and it uses those outcomes together
with senior-level education joint learning areas and
objectives (joint professional military education phase
I, outlined in Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Instruction [CJCSI] 1800.01) to tailor relevant, doctrine-based, and learner-centric outcomes that can be
measured objectively.12
Strategy discussions in the professional military education classroom are based on the National
Security Strategy and the Quadrennial Defense Review.13
Students identify U.S. national interests in international conflicts. They address those interests through a
synthesis of ends, ways, and means. Students examine
issues of joint strategic leadership and communications and their places in history. They demonstrate understanding and application through oral and written
assignments and practical exercises.
USAWOCC uses ALC 2015’s 21st Century Soldier
Competencies as an integral part of all learning outcomes. For example, the commandant of USAWOCC,
Col. Garry L. Thompson, is a tireless proponent
of comprehensive fitness and leader development.
Moreover, he advocates directly to students the value
of out-of-classroom learning experiences. To that end,
USAWOCC has established pilot programs to reach
students through various social media outlets. The
programs have drawn positive reactions from current
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