Training Tools to Improve the Teaching and Coaching Skills of Military Advisors

This proposal describes the development of an informed, comprehensive curriculum to improve U.S. military advisor training. The goal is to enhance the effectiveness of military advisors so that they understand and utilize principles and practices of intercultural training. Although this proposal is replete with innovative and informed approaches to training military advisors, we highlight five specific areas: • An integrative approach to understanding relevant cultural differences and teaching strategies; differences such as power distance and relationship to time must infuse the actual implementation of host national counterpart (HNC) training and mentoring. • Cultural general framework; the training must accommodate cultures from around the world, not just current hot-spots like Afghanistan and Iraq. • A systems approach to training; the research literature is clear that training must be phased and continue well into the field. • Multi-modal content; the proposed curriculum uses an engaging variety of video, audio, computer generated characters, and text to increase propensity and learning. • Comprehensive assessment. A panel of experts, including nationally renowned interculturalists, cross-cultural education specialists, and experienced military personnel, will assess the curriculum throughout its development and two pilot studies will be used to statistically assess the training’s effectiveness.