We Produce the Future

Dr Matthew StaffordChief Academic Officer

Squadron Officer College

Critical Thinking… something to think about …

SECTION II

We Produce the Future

Section II

Develop America's Airmen Today ... for Tomorrow

3The Intellectual and Leadership Center of the Air Force

Fly – Fight – Win in Air, Space, and Cyberspace

Thinking About Thinking

• Cognition: ‒The mental process regarding how humans

come to understand things‒How humans select, process and retain

information and knowledge

• Meta-cognition‒Thinking about the cognitive process‒Self-regulation to match personal

perceptions against others’

Develop America's Airmen Today ... for Tomorrow

4The Intellectual and Leadership Center of the Air Force

Fly – Fight – Win in Air, Space, and Cyberspace

Cognitive Levels

Level Definition

KnowledgeRecall previously learned material (facts, theories, etc.) in essentiallythe same form as taught.

ComprehensionSee relationships, concepts, and abstractions beyond the simpleremembering of material. Typically involves translating, interpreting,and estimating future trends.

ApplicationUse learned intellectual material in new and realistic situations,including the application of rules, methods, concepts, principles, laws,and theories.

Analysis

Break down material into its component parts so that the organizationalstructure may be understood, including the identification of the parts,analysis of the relationships between parts, and recognition of theorganizational principles involved.

Synthesis

Put parts together to form new patterns or structures, such as a uniquecommunication (a theme or speech), a plan of operations (a researchproposal), or a set of abstract relations (schemes for classifyinginformation).

Evaluation

Judge the value of material for a given purpose. Learning in this area isthe highest in the cognitive hierarchy because it involves elements ofall the other categories, plus conscious value judgments based onclearly defined criteria.

Develop America's Airmen Today ... for Tomorrow

5The Intellectual and Leadership Center of the Air Force

Fly – Fight – Win in Air, Space, and Cyberspace

Cognitive Levels

Level Definition

KnowledgeRecall previously learned material (facts, theories, etc.) in essentiallythe same form as taught.

ComprehensionSee relationships, concepts, and abstractions beyond the simpleremembering of material. Typically involves translating, interpreting,and estimating future trends.

ApplicationUse learned intellectual material in new and realistic situations,including the application of rules, methods, concepts, principles, laws,and theories.

Analysis

Break down material into its component parts so that the organizationalstructure may be understood, including the identification of the parts,analysis of the relationships between parts, and recognition of theorganizational principles involved.

Synthesis

Put parts together to form new patterns or structures, such as a uniquecommunication (a theme or speech), a plan of operations (a researchproposal), or a set of abstract relations (schemes for classifyinginformation).

Evaluation

Judge the value of material for a given purpose. Learning in this area isthe highest in the cognitive hierarchy because it involves elements ofall the other categories, plus conscious value judgments based onclearly defined criteria.

Seeking to retain information

Develop America's Airmen Today ... for Tomorrow

6The Intellectual and Leadership Center of the Air Force

Fly – Fight – Win in Air, Space, and Cyberspace

Cognitive Levels

Level Definition

KnowledgeRecall previously learned material (facts, theories, etc.) in essentiallythe same form as taught.

ComprehensionSee relationships, concepts, and abstractions beyond the simpleremembering of material. Typically involves translating, interpreting,and estimating future trends.

ApplicationUse learned intellectual material in new and realistic situations,including the application of rules, methods, concepts, principles, laws,and theories.

Analysis

Break down material into its component parts so that the organizationalstructure may be understood, including the identification of the parts,analysis of the relationships between parts, and recognition of theorganizational principles involved.

Synthesis

Put parts together to form new patterns or structures, such as a uniquecommunication (a theme or speech), a plan of operations (a researchproposal), or a set of abstract relations (schemes for classifyinginformation).

Evaluation

Judge the value of material for a given purpose. Learning in this area isthe highest in the cognitive hierarchy because it involves elements ofall the other categories, plus conscious value judgments based onclearly defined criteria.

Seeking to retain information

Reconstructing information in individual terms

Develop America's Airmen Today ... for Tomorrow

7The Intellectual and Leadership Center of the Air Force

Fly – Fight – Win in Air, Space, and Cyberspace

Cognitive Levels

Level Definition

KnowledgeRecall previously learned material (facts, theories, etc.) in essentiallythe same form as taught.

ComprehensionSee relationships, concepts, and abstractions beyond the simpleremembering of material. Typically involves translating, interpreting,and estimating future trends.

ApplicationUse learned intellectual material in new and realistic situations,including the application of rules, methods, concepts, principles, laws,and theories.

Analysis

Break down material into its component parts so that the organizationalstructure may be understood, including the identification of the parts,analysis of the relationships between parts, and recognition of theorganizational principles involved.

Synthesis

Put parts together to form new patterns or structures, such as a uniquecommunication (a theme or speech), a plan of operations (a researchproposal), or a set of abstract relations (schemes for classifyinginformation).

Evaluation

Judge the value of material for a given purpose. Learning in this area isthe highest in the cognitive hierarchy because it involves elements ofall the other categories, plus conscious value judgments based onclearly defined criteria.

Seeking to retain information

Reconstructing information in individual terms

Transferring information and using it in new ways

Develop America's Airmen Today ... for Tomorrow

8The Intellectual and Leadership Center of the Air Force

Fly – Fight – Win in Air, Space, and Cyberspace

Cognitive Levels

Level Definition

KnowledgeRecall previously learned material (facts, theories, etc.) in essentiallythe same form as taught.

ComprehensionSee relationships, concepts, and abstractions beyond the simpleremembering of material. Typically involves translating, interpreting,and estimating future trends.

ApplicationUse learned intellectual material in new and realistic situations,including the application of rules, methods, concepts, principles, laws,and theories.

Analysis

Break down material into its component parts so that the organizationalstructure may be understood, including the identification of the parts,analysis of the relationships between parts, and recognition of theorganizational principles involved.

Synthesis

Put parts together to form new patterns or structures, such as a uniquecommunication (a theme or speech), a plan of operations (a researchproposal), or a set of abstract relations (schemes for classifyinginformation).

Evaluation

Judge the value of material for a given purpose. Learning in this area isthe highest in the cognitive hierarchy because it involves elements ofall the other categories, plus conscious value judgments based onclearly defined criteria.

Seeking to retain information

Reconstructing information in individual terms

Transferring information and using it in new ways

Breaking complex information into subcomponents

Develop America's Airmen Today ... for Tomorrow

9The Intellectual and Leadership Center of the Air Force

Fly – Fight – Win in Air, Space, and Cyberspace

Cognitive Levels

Level Definition

KnowledgeRecall previously learned material (facts, theories, etc.) in essentiallythe same form as taught.

ComprehensionSee relationships, concepts, and abstractions beyond the simpleremembering of material. Typically involves translating, interpreting,and estimating future trends.

ApplicationUse learned intellectual material in new and realistic situations,including the application of rules, methods, concepts, principles, laws,and theories.

Analysis

Break down material into its component parts so that the organizationalstructure may be understood, including the identification of the parts,analysis of the relationships between parts, and recognition of theorganizational principles involved.

Synthesis

Put parts together to form new patterns or structures, such as a uniquecommunication (a theme or speech), a plan of operations (a researchproposal), or a set of abstract relations (schemes for classifyinginformation).

Evaluation

Judge the value of material for a given purpose. Learning in this area isthe highest in the cognitive hierarchy because it involves elements ofall the other categories, plus conscious value judgments based onclearly defined criteria.

Seeking to retain information

Reconstructing information in individual terms

Transferring information and using it in new ways

Breaking complex information into subcomponents

Taking discrete pieces of knowledge and producing a new whole

Develop America's Airmen Today ... for Tomorrow

10The Intellectual and Leadership Center of the Air Force

Fly – Fight – Win in Air, Space, and Cyberspace

Cognitive Levels

Level Definition

KnowledgeRecall previously learned material (facts, theories, etc.) in essentiallythe same form as taught.

ComprehensionSee relationships, concepts, and abstractions beyond the simpleremembering of material. Typically involves translating, interpreting,and estimating future trends.

ApplicationUse learned intellectual material in new and realistic situations,including the application of rules, methods, concepts, principles, laws,and theories.

Analysis

Break down material into its component parts so that the organizationalstructure may be understood, including the identification of the parts,analysis of the relationships between parts, and recognition of theorganizational principles involved.

Synthesis

Put parts together to form new patterns or structures, such as a uniquecommunication (a theme or speech), a plan of operations (a researchproposal), or a set of abstract relations (schemes for classifyinginformation).

Evaluation

Judge the value of material for a given purpose. Learning in this area isthe highest in the cognitive hierarchy because it involves elements ofall the other categories, plus conscious value judgments based onclearly defined criteria.

Seeking to retain information

Reconstructing information in individual terms

Transferring information and using it in new ways

Breaking complex information into subcomponents

Taking discrete pieces of knowledge and producing a new whole

Thinking of different ways to synthesize information and making a judgment about which method is better

Develop America's Airmen Today ... for Tomorrow

11The Intellectual and Leadership Center of the Air Force

Fly – Fight – Win in Air, Space, and Cyberspace

Why “Think about Thinking?”

• Improve thinking efficiency

• Improve thinking effectiveness

• Dedicate more effort to practice

Many different approaches!

Develop America's Airmen Today ... for Tomorrow

12The Intellectual and Leadership Center of the Air Force

Fly – Fight – Win in Air, Space, and Cyberspace

AFSO-21 8-Step Model

1. Clarify problem

2. Break problem into component parts; identify gaps

3. Set target(s)

4. Analyze/determine root cause(s)

5. Develop countermeasures

6. See countermeasures through

7. Evaluate/confirm results and process

8. Standardize successful processes

Develop America's Airmen Today ... for Tomorrow

13The Intellectual and Leadership Center of the Air Force

Fly – Fight – Win in Air, Space, and Cyberspace

6-Step Problem-Solving Model

1. Define the problem

2. Gather information

3. List possible solutions

4. Test solutions

5. Select best course of action

6. Implement solution

Develop America's Airmen Today ... for Tomorrow

14The Intellectual and Leadership Center of the Air Force

Fly – Fight – Win in Air, Space, and Cyberspace

John Boyd’s OODA Loop

Observe

Decide

OrientAct

Develop America's Airmen Today ... for Tomorrow

15The Intellectual and Leadership Center of the Air Force

Fly – Fight – Win in Air, Space, and Cyberspace

Comparing…

CCA OODA 6-Step 8-Step

Discover and interpret facts Observe

Define problem Clarify problem

Gather informationBreak problem into component parts;

identify gaps

Trace effects back to causes Orient

List possible solutions Set target(s)

Test solutions Analyze/determine root cause(s)

Investigate and evaluate – consider

alternatives. Look for better courses of action.

Decide Select best course of action

Develop countermeasures

Act Implement solution

See countermeasures through

Evaluate/confirm results and process

Standardize successful processes

We Produce the Future

PLEASE VIEW

Section IIINEXT

Develop America's Airmen Today ... for Tomorrow

17The Intellectual and Leadership Center of the Air Force

Fly – Fight – Win in Air, Space, and Cyberspace 17

The Intellectual and Leadership Center of the Air Force

We Produce the Future…

One Student at a Time

One Faculty Member at a Time

One Idea at a Time