Abstract:

In a dynamic and insecure environment, a new approach is needed to the teaching of subjects to military students. Traditionally, students spend a lot of time reading, writing, and talking about decisions, but not enough time practicing how to make them [1]. The wargaming method would be one of the training tools to prepare future officers to solve the complex problems of tomorrow. Today, wargaming has a wide range of applications, not only in its traditional use to explain and better understand warfare, but also in the education system for learning purposes to develop students' competencies. Wargaming can be successfully applied in both military and civilian disciplines. According to Subhash & Cudney (2018) [2], games evoke many positive emotions in students, such as a sense of concentration, engagement and achievement. The game's scenario and rules-based design allow students to apply the theoretical knowledge they have acquired during the course to decision-making practice in a changing environment [3].

This investigation focuses on the identification of competencies acquired by the future military officer by applying the wargaming approach in the learning process. To achieve this purpose, the author uses a comparative analysis of scientific findings and presents the results of cadets' survey revealing their abilities acquired applying the wargaming method in the subject of study. Furthermore, the author discusses different types of games that are aimed at achieving specific results of the study subject and at the same time encourage the development of different competencies of future military officers.

The author concludes that for learning purposes, war games can be an effective tool for developing certain general (organizational, instrumental, executive and innovative) and specific (knowledge and attitudes) competencies depending on the role in the task and the type of the game. This helps to prepare for future challenges that require decision-making under uncertainty and to achieve the outcomes of the study process.

References:
[1] R. Brynen, “Wong on wargaming in professional military education”, 2016. Retrieved from https://paxsims.wordpress.com/2016/07/14/wong-on-wargaming-in-professional-military-education/
[2] S. Subhash, E. A. Cudney, “Gamified learning in higher education: a systematic review of the literature”, Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 87, pp. 192-206, 2018.
[3] P. Pournelle, “Designing wargames for the analytical purpose”, The Magazine of National Security Analysis, vol. 50, no 2, pp. 48-53, 2017.

Keywords:

Wargaming, competencies, military officers.