Military Review English Edition November-December 2015 | Page 116
As the Human Terrain System training and education managers recognized how important critical
thinking skills were to the graduates, and how poorly
some were applying those skills, they began to reexamine what was taught, how it was taught, and how
the results were assessed.
The managers conducted research for five years.
They reached out to and collaborated with experts
such as Dr. Diane Halpern, former president of the
American Psychological Association.2 A true educator and professional, she not only provided invaluable
insights and advice throughout the process but also
delivered an in-person faculty development session
on the effective instruction of critical thinking skills,
free of charge. In addition, the researchers worked
with Dr. Suzanne Bell, associate professor of industrial
and organizational psychology at DePaul University.3
Her research and consulting specialties include team
composition, fostering team effectiveness, predictors
of job performance, and organizational training. The
researchers discovered that team interactions and
climate also significantly affected the degree to which
graduates would use their critical thinking skills on the
job. Bell provided vital insights, particularly regarding
the design and management of high-performing teams.
The researchers also consulted with experienced
human terrain team members and military commanders and staffs. They experimented with different
program designs and assessed results until, finally,
they identified five keys to teaching critical thinking
skills so that human terrain team members would
apply them after leaving the classroom:
1. An effective talent management program
to inform hiring and assignment practices
and ensure person–job fit (with fit in this
context referring to compatibility) and
person–organization fit for team members
and faculty
Team in theater
Team member
Local
populations
Supported
commander
and staff
Host-nation
military
Figure 1. Multidimensional Cultural Understanding
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November-December 2015 MILITARY REVIEW