Developing Intercultural Adaptability in the Warfighter: A Workshop on Cultural Training and Education

摘要

From humanitarian relief operations to counter-insurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, culture has emerged as a central consideration for both general-purpose forces and specialists. Cultural training and education can provide the capabilities needed to confront the cultural complexity characteristic of the current and future missions. A two-day workshop focused on the instructional design process as applied to the development of cultural training and education. Participants were approximately 130 representatives from government, industry, and academia who are actively involved in planning, developing, or delivering cultural training and education or in conducting research in those areas. Research gaps needing further investment were identified in six primary areas: cultural performance requirements analysis, learner motivation and development, development and validation of instructional sociocultural content, flexible instructional solutions, methods and metrics for training evaluation, and continuing opportunities for exchange and collaboration. These findings can inform future directions for research programs and force development efforts for sociocultural capabilities.