What games will military leaders need?

Abstract

Games-based learning has its historical roots in the military context with examples such as chess and Kriegsspiel. Nowadays, digital games and simulations are widely used in military training with a focus on operation planning and mission command. However, the rapidly changing global situation calls for new types of leadership skills, both in the civilian world and in military service. To be efficient in the military context, a leader must be competent in three areas: technical, social, and conceptual. As the nature of military conflict evolves, army officers must be ready to act in ill-defined situations and interact with diverse populations. Currently, the games and simulations designed for leadership training generally address technical and managerial skills, whereas the social and conceptual skills are neglected. It is suggested that the social and conceptual skills of military leaders should be given particular attention during both pre- and in-service training. The development of conceptual understanding and personal awareness cannot depend on traditional learning methods, and the games-based approach offers potential for filling this gap. This paper introduces a basic model of the competencies needed in the military sector, which could be developed with the support of games-based methods. Many studies have described the core elements of an effective educational game, and researchers agree on the basic stages of game development. Because the terminology used is frequently ambiguous, a basic taxonomy of the stages of game development will be included in the paper.