"Wikis for Critical Thinking and Contextual Application."

The below blog post is a continuation from last weeks course plan for the Amphibious Warfare class I taught as a Naval ROTC instructor. This week's post shows the handout I would give the class outlining the details of the wiki project assignment. This is an exercise in critical thinking that challenges the student to think about amphibious warfare in more then just a historical context. It makes them analyze and evaluate strategies and tactics learned in the class and how they effect the tide of battle.

 

Wiki project handout

Ladies and gentlemen of AW141, this handout includes the detailed information needed to complete the course wiki project. The four groups (already assigned) will each choose one major battle during their era to break out from the group and create a “what if” scenario as to what would have happened had one deciding factor or strategy been different.

Example: If choosing the battle of Tarawa Atoll of WWII pacific theater, you could have chosen one of the following deciding factors to change to “what if”;

   - Air campaign: what if the carrier strike group had given the ground commander the    

     fully requested 3 days of pre-bombardment vice the 3 hours given?

 

            - Would the majority of defenders have survived to defend the atoll?

            - Would the emplaced guns have survived the bombing?

            - Would the ground campaign have been as long and bloody?

   - What if the tide had been at the level predicted or the reef as deep as predicted?

            - Would the landing ships have been able to reach shore on both sides of the atoll?

            - Would the initial wave have been able to secure a larger beachhead ?

            - If more heavy machine guns had made it to shore on the first wave, would the  

              number of American casualties been as high? 

Purpose

The purpose of the wiki project is to look at the “what if” scenario and predict what could have happened had a deciding factor or strategy been different in a major battle. This is an exercise in critical thinking that is designed to make you think about the strategies used in amphibious warfare and how single variables can often change the tide of war. The group will develop an in-depth analysis of the battle post-event and tie it in to any outcomes or innovations that resulted from the battle and further examine what impacts it would have had on future battles and the period in general.

 

i.e. In the Tarawa scenario, if the tide had been a little higher and the landing craft could have gotten all the way to shore, the first wave would have most likely developed a longer and deeper beachhead to land more equipment and personnel. The ensuing battle would have been much shorter and more decisive (this is a simple description; your scenario will need to be well developed and supported by historical examples and in-depth research).  

   - The Marine Corps developed a new landing craft, new tactics on securing the beachhead and new

     naval gunfire and air support procedures after the heavy losses in the battle on Tarawa – those

     innovations were deciding factors in future battles and on the war.

Frame

Home page: The Home page will contain a detailed account of the chosen battle and hyperlink to the “what if” scenario and detailed analysis.

Scenario page – the scenario page will have the detailed account of assumed actions and outcomes after taking into account the “what if” event. The page will also go into detail on assumptions of lost or altered innovations or strategies that resulted from the battle. The last section will have details on future battles and the time period/area covered (i.e. for Tarawa, how would the change have effected all the battles that occurred afterwards and the rest of the war in the pacific theater).

Management timeline

- The decision on which battle and the home page detailing the overall battle is due at the end of

  week 6.

- The “what-if” scenario must be approved by me before the mid-term break.

- The scenario page is due by the end of week 12.

- Discussion topics for posting on the other group’s scenarios will be will be outlined in class during 

  week 13 and due during week 14.

- The "what-if" scenarios will be presented in class for guided discussion during week 15.