The chapter in our course text on Thinking Skills opens by discussing the many roles that a soldier must fill and the rate at which they must flexibly be able to change roles. While prominent in the duties of a soldier, thinking skills are necessary for any career. This warrants the need for more explicit training on the development and utilization of thinking skills. Some principles necessary for designing this training are: "Principle 1: Focus on job-specific cognitive and metacognitive skills; Principle 2: Consider a whole-task course design; Principle 3: Make thinking processes explicit; Principle 4: Define job-specific thinking processes" (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 344). Below, I provide an example of Principle 2.
Principle 2: Consider a whole-task course design.
There are many ways to approach whole-task learning, but one of the structured frameworks for this is Problem-Based Learning. PBL has its roots in the medical community but can be applied to a variety of settings. PBL is sometimes referred to as Project-Based Learning. However, it is more than merely doing a project. While working to solve a problem or complete a project, learners must define the task at hand, brainstorm solutions and approaches, and work together to implement the plans created during brainstorming. This enables learners to "develop deeper learning competencies required for success in college, career, and civic life" (BIE, n.d.). The Buck Institute website houses many Project-Based Learning ideas that take a whole-task approach to enhance thinking skills. The website also houses many resources and supports for the educators wishing to switch to a more whole-task type of classroom. While PBL is appealing in many ways, its superiority is debatable.
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References
Buck Institute for Education. (n.d.). Why Project Based Learning? (PBL). Retrieved from http://www.bie.org
Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. San Francisco: Pfeiffer.