Via: Novonics Training Technology Lab – Critical Thinking Training Game
Leadership is a vital element in the combat readiness of naval forces, placing critical thinking among the top skills required by the 21st Century Navy.
As a result of applied research effort, Novonics Training Technology Lab (TTL) developed a Serious Game solution for teaching critical thinking skills to junior Navy officers.
Critical Thinking Training for Navy Leaders: A Serious Game
The ultimate goal of the game is to accelerate leadership development, allowing players to apply critical thinking skills to a series of real-life leadership challenges.
Within the game, you will assume the role of the junior Division Officer Ensign Steve Jones, who has recently been assigned to serve as Damage Control Assistant aboard the USS Never Sail. Your mentor avatar captain Barnacle will provide guidance and feedback throughout the entire journey.
Among the challenges offered under the “To Do” menu, one has particularly drawn my attention: “Surviving the Chief”, which in my view is a most useful skill in any work sector.
Gaming Technology For Soft Skills Acquisition
The use of gaming technology for soft skills acquisition has been the subject of intensive debate over the last decade.
Although the movement towards using games for teaching soft skills within the military setting has been relatively cautious, the need to provide the modern Navy with the most effective training opportunities continues to drive research and innovation in this area.
Prior to the Novonics project, the Center for Naval Leadership laid a solid research foundation by conducting a feasibility study on the uses of instructional simulations and games for critical thinking and leadership skills acquisition.
This project utilizes a critical thinking process methodology, known as CASE, which is based on a series of cognitive stages ranging from collecting information and assessing a situation to selecting a decision and evaluating and monitoring its respective outcomes.
In conjunction with the theoretical foundations by J. Freeman and M. Cohen, the Novonics TTL team leveraged existing research conducted in support of the Navy Tactical Decision Making Under Stress (TADMUS) program.
Critical Thinking Training for Navy Leaders: Real-Life Instructional Scenarios In An Engaging Self-Reinforcing Environment
Novonics Corporation is a small business founded in 1994. Their customers primarily include the US Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Department of Justice (DoJ) focused on the areas of simulation-based training, network test and evaluation, command and control, information management, and training architectures.
The Orlando Operating Center of Novonics Corporation hosts the Training Technology Laboratory (TTL), a state-of-the-art training development facility designed to function as a collaborative work environment for instructional designers, digital media specialists and software engineers.
As a part of the Florida High Tech Corridor, the Novonics TTL is conveniently located in the heart of the Research Park adjacent to the University of Central Florida (UCF).