Methods for Situational Training in a Volatile World
Socratic Arts Delivers Webinar on Scenario-Centered Learning for Military Training.
Nearly 100 participants joined our latest webinar exploring innovative approaches to defense training in an unpredictable world.
Socratic Arts SVP of Design Dr. Tammy Berman recently co-presented a webinar on Scenario-Centered Learning methodologies for the Federal Government Distance Learning Association (FGDLA). Partnering with Dr. Benjamin Bell from PBDC Federal Group, the dynamic duo delivered a session that Dr. Carla Lane, VP of FGDLA's Higher Education Sector, praised as “exceptional.”
The webinar, titled "Methods for Situational Training in a Volatile World," addressed a critical challenge in military education: how to build training scenarios that truly prepare soldiers for the complexity and unpredictability of real-world situations.
Scenarios are only as effective as the stories they're built upon, and too often, those stories miss the mark. Drawing on decades of Tammy’s experience in the learning sciences and Ben’s in applying emerging techniques in AI to improve training, decision support, and military readiness, the pair explained when and how learning happens from a cognitive perspective. They then outlined a comprehensive process for developing scenario-centered training that invokes the natural learning process and changes behavior.
Their methodology begins with gathering authentic “war stories” from subject matter experts—real accounts of failures, challenges, and hard-won lessons, especially around the conditions that make real-world practice difficult. Those insights are then woven into compelling fictional scenarios that create memorable, high-impact learning experiences.
Participants learned practical techniques for defining performance objectives, crafting authentic narratives, structuring realistic tasks, and implementing meaningful assessments. The session also explored emerging opportunities to leverage AI from development through assessment, such as mining historical documents for failure patterns and generating adaptive role-players for practice sessions.
The webinar drew nearly 100 participants from across the federal government and broader training community, reflecting strong interest in innovative approaches that move beyond traditional "PowerPoint and test" methods toward experiential learning that builds real capability.
The webinar, now available on the FGDLA website, exemplifies Socratic Arts' continued leadership in transforming how organizations approach learning and development, particularly in high-stakes environments where effective training can make the difference between mission success and failure.
For more information about Scenario-Centered Learning or to discuss your own training design challenges and opportunities, book a learning consultationwith Dr. Berman and the team at Socratic Arts.
