A Targeted Assessment of the Strengths and Opportunities of the Maneuver Captains Career Course

Working with the Maneuver Center of Excellence, Command and Tactics Directorate (CATD) at Fort Benning, GA, researchers conducted a targeted assessment of the (1) teaching methodology, (2) instructor certification course, and (3) critical thinking skills assessments of the Maneuver Captains Career Course (MCCC). Findings suggest that the MCCC's approach is well-aligned with the Army Learning Concept for Training and Education (ALC-TE; U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, 2017) and effectively applies the Army's Experiential Learning Model (ELM). In particular, the instructor development processes were a major strength of the MCCC and prepare instructors to achieve the MCCC's learning objectives. Opportunities for improvements include applying elements of the cognitive apprenticeship model to further refine instructor certification and to more deliberatively teach critical thinking skills. Better-trained instructors can then help the MCCC reach its goal of developing leaders who can thrive in the current and future operating environments.