Page 79 - Wish Stream Year of 2018

Course participants at the Academic College for Military Studies
runs through the week and allows participants to apply ICM tools of conflict analysis, media- tion and institutional reform. As a result, the course offers participants an ICM toolbox, while also enhancing their analytical, problem-solving, teamwork and leadership skills.
Although we have delivered this course suc- cessfully in a range of other countries, the Chil- ean experience was particularly interesting and rewarding due to the diversity of the course par- ticipants. The group included military and civilian officials from various government departments, as well as academics from different institutions, with a wide range and different levels of expertise and professional experience. Having designed the course mainly for officials in the security sec- tor, this diverse audience challenged us to adapt our teaching methods to facilitate a construc- tive dialogue between participants from different professional backgrounds. Additionally, whereas in our experience, these courses are usually delivered to predominantly male audiences, the course participants in Chile reflected a good gender balance. Ultimately, the group diversity worked as a force multiplier for the course, as participants were able to network and contribute to the class discussion from many different and complementary angles. This has been identified as a crucial element for the exceptional suc- cess of this course, as reflected in the feedback received from the UK Defence Attaché, the Chil- ean Directing Staff and the course participants.
As a result of this experience, we have identi- fied three points of reflection as a contribution to best pedagogical practice in academic Defence Engagement efforts. Firstly, while it is vital to arrive with a well-prepared course, flexibility and adaptability are key to successful delivery. Due to the diverse nature of the audience in
Chile, we adjusted the course, throughout the week, to enhance the learning outcome for all participants. Embracing the different views and perspectives from a diverse audience required adapting teaching methods to ensure all individ- uals in the group are able to fully maximise their learning potential.
Secondly, the use of fictitious case studies offers a way to mitigate pre-conceived and entrenched beliefs that participants may have about real- world conflicts. By using fictional conflict situ- ations in the classroom, the line between the learning material on the one hand and pre-exist- ing ideas on the other becomes more clearly drawn, and allows participants to explore alter- native options in problem-solving exercises with an open mind. Additionally, working with a ficti- tious conflict gives the instructors the flexibility to drip-feed relevant information about the conflict, to steer the debate, and therefore to guide the learning process more effectively.
Finally, the value of a gender-balanced group was significant. Whilst the security sector is often a male-dominated environment, female par-
Dr Rossi (L) and Dr Jacobs with the Director of the College
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