The Cultural Fluency Toolkit: Cultural Training for Human-to-Human Interactions at the Tactical Level

We propose to create a "Cultural Fluency Toolkit," a self-paced, computer-based training tool that personnel involved in SSTR operations will use to develop cultural fluency skills in general, and fluency skills for Mid-East cultures in particular. The Toolkit will incorporate several innovative approaches in terms of content, instructional approach, and technical design. It will convey the following direct benefits to DOD. 1) It will directly improve the performance of junior military personnel in the Middle East. 2) It will engage and motivate learners through games, simulations, and other techniques, increasing interest in cultural fluency and improving acquisition and retention of specific fluency skills. 3) It will allow ongoing updating at the unit level, so that it will maintain its relevance as the COE changes. 4) It will be inexpensively and easily extendable to other non-Western cultures. 5) It will integrate with and contribute to overall DOD efforts to improve cultural awareness.