Docent Dr Mikael Weissmann

Hybrid Threats | Psychological Defence | Strategic Intelligence | Technology & Defence | Modern Warfare | Urban Warfare | Staff Rides | Wargames | China and the Indo-Pacific | the Balkans | Central Asia

Tag: teaching and learning in higher education

New publication: Fältövningshandboken: Att planera och leda en fältövning

By

On 15 March 2026

In Land Warfare, Professional Military Education (PME), Publication, Staff Ride, Staff Ride, Teaching and Learning, Wargames

I am pleased to share our new updated and expanded staff ride handbook, Fältövningshandboken: Att planera och leda en fältövning (2026, in Swedish), co-authored with Major Jonas Björkqvist and Major Patrik Wiklund.

The handbook explores field exercises as a central pedagogical tool in officer education. It brings together historical perspective, pedagogy, planning, and execution, and is structured in four modular parts covering:

  1. the field exercise as a method and learning tool,
  2. pedagogical design and constructive alignment,
  3. preparation and planning, and
  4. execution, including hybrid formats and the integration of wargaming.

The book is intended as a practical guide for planning and leading field exercises in professional military education, and for strengthening the link between educational objectives, historical cases, and applied military learning.

Availible as a pdf here: https://doi.org/10.62061/mcji4602/

New Article Published: Staff Rides in Professional Military Education

By

On 9 March 2025

In Professional Military Education (PME), Publication, Staff Ride, Staff Ride, Teaching and Learning, War Games, Wargames

A new article, co-authored with Major Jonas Björkqvist of the Swedish Defence University, has been published in Contemporary Military Challenges.
🔹 Title: Staff Rides in Professional Military Education: Fusing History, the Modern Battlefield, and the Battlefield of the Future
🔹 Journal: Contemporary Military Challenges
🔹 Keywords: Staff rides, war games, professional military education, battlefield study


Abstract
This article examines the critical role of staff rides in professional military education (PME), emphasizing their ability to bridge historical military events with modern and future operational realities. It introduces a structured hybrid staff ride model that ensures relevance for today’s military leaders.
Key Insights from the Study:
✔️ The Hybrid Model – A structured approach balancing historical analysis with contemporary and future operational demands.
✔️ Pedagogical Planning Model – A framework for designing staff rides that ensures learning objectives are aligned with practical field activities.
✔️ Integration of War Games – A fully merged model combining staff rides and war games to enhance decision-making and problem-solving skills.
✔️ Historical Personas for Deeper Engagement – Assigning historical figures to participants, helping them immerse themselves in battlefield decision-making.
✔️ Comparison of Staff Ride Models – A review of international approaches, providing valuable insights for PME institutions worldwide.
These insights reinforce staff rides as essential tools for developing critical thinking, decision-making, and leadership skills in military education.
📖 Read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.2478/cmc-2024-0028

New Publication: Guide to Practical Examination of Practical Learning Activities in PME

By

On 14 September 2024

In Professional Military Education (PME), Publication, Staff Ride, Staff Ride, Teaching and Learning

I am pleased to share a recent publication I authored: Guide to Practical Examination of Practical Elements: Constructive Alignment in Officer Education.

This guide introduces a model that integrates learning objectives with practical activities and assessments in the training of officer cadets and senior officers within higher education. Its purpose is to demonstrate how constructive alignment can be applied in the practical teaching and assessment of cadets and officers, ensuring compliance with the standards of higher education examination while linking educational objectives, pedagogical activities, and evaluation methods. This approach enables the customization of practical assessments to reflect military professions’ dynamic and practical nature.

The book provides detailed models and examples, ranging from wargames to field exercises, making it an invaluable resource for those involved in officer education and military training.

Key topics include:

  • Constructive alignment in military education
  • Practical assessments for cadets and officers
  • Wargaming and scenario-based learning
  • Field exercises as educational tools

To learn more or access the guide, visit https://doi.org/10.62061/slep1008.

Presentation on War Games and Staff Rides in PME at the ISMS Annual Conference 2024

By

On 9 September 2024

In Conference, Professional Military Education (PME), Staff Ride, Staff Ride, Teaching and Learning, Urban Warfare, War Games

From 10-12 September, the Swedish Defence University is hosting the International Society of Military Sciences (ISMS) Annual Conference 2024, with the theme “Scaling up, Learning Lessons, Ensuring Quality.”

I am excited to present Major Jonas Björkqvist and my own on “From the Battlefield to Classroom: Incorporating War Games and Staff Rides in Professional Military Education (PME) to Enhance Urban Combat Preparedness.“

This presentation focuses on integrating war games and staff rides into military education, both in general and in relation to improving preparedness for urban combat scenarios. I am looking forward to engaging with fellow experts and sharing innovative ideas during the conference.

Tentative Field Study – the Battle of Ortona and Four Perspectives on Urban Warfare

By

On 15 January 2024

In Land Warfare, Professional Military Education (PME), Staff Ride, Staff Ride, Urban Warfare

On 3-7 January 2024 Major Jonas Björkqvist (Land Operations Division) and I conducted a tentative field study studying the Battle of Ortona 1943 and Orsogna, Villa Rogatti och Sterlin Castle. The aim is to enhance the inclusion of urban warfare in our teaching, staff ride & wargame repertoire. The study is part of curriculum development projects for the Swedish Officers Program and the Joing Higher Command and Staff program.

We are now working on a staff ride field guide with the title The Battle of Ortona: Four Perspectives on operations in urban terrain to be published later this year.

Major Björkqvist is also developing a new card-driven map-based war game on the Battle of Ortona to be used in connection with future staff ride to Ortona as part of Professional Military Education (PME) with a focus in particular on officer cadets and senior officers.

default

Seminar on Tactile Teaching Methods in Higher Education

By

On 14 November 2023

In Professional Military Education (PME), Staff Ride, Staff Ride, Teaching and Learning

On 14 November Major Jonas Björkqvist and myself presented on our approach to tactile teaching methods in practical and scenario-based exercises and examinations at the Swedish Defence University seminar on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

Study Tour to Georgia with the Higher Joint Command and Staff Programme 11-20 Oct 2023

By

On 22 October 2023

In Land Warfare, Professional Military Education (PME), Staff Ride, Staff Ride, Teaching and Learning, Visit

On 11-20 Oct 2023 we undertook a study tour to Georgia with our Advanced Course on Ground Tactics in the Higher Joint Command and Staff Programme. During this week we met with our Georgian counterpart and key institutions in Tbilisi. We also visited the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) to learn more about their work.

Staff Ride Op. Market Garden & Op. Veritable with Land Operations Division of the Swedish Defence University

By

On 21 September 2023

In Land Warfare, Staff Ride

On 18-21 September Major Jonas Björkqvist (Land Operations Division), Patrik Wiklund (Military History Division) and I led a Staff Ride to the Netherlands and Germany studying Operation Market Garden and Operationn Veritable. This tour was part of the skill development of the Land Operations Division at the Swedish Defence University. Besides studying the two operations, the aim was to test a new pedagogical approach to Staff Rides and to study the new Swedish Army Tactical Regulations.

New Article on Staff Rides as a pedagogical tool

By

On 13 December 2022

In Professional Military Education (PME), Publication, Staff Ride, Staff Ride, Teaching and Learning

 My new peer-reviewed article on “Staff Rides as a Pedagogical Tool in Professional Military Education (PME): Planning and Conducting Historical Staff Rides” has just been published in Journal on Baltic Security. It has been co-authored by Major Jonas Björkqvist and Patrik Wiklund at the Swedish Defence University.

Abstract:
The use of various practical pedagogical tools is an important part of officer training. This is also an area where there is a long tradition in the training of officer cadets and officers in staff colleges as well as in the Armed Forces more generally. This article focuses on staff rides aimed at teaching tactics and operational arts based on historical examples. This type of staff-rides aims to learn from history with a bearing on the present and the future.

The article is organized as follows: first, the article gives a short overview of the history of staff rides, followed by a discussion on different types of staff rides. Then the focus shifts to ways to plan and carry out a staff ride. This includes the planning phase, reconnaissance, and the different pedagogical tools that can be used and their implementation. The article concludes with a discussion of how to think when planning and carrying out staff rides, both practically and pedagogically. The article here presented a schematic model of the pedagogical dynamics of the staff ride for different target groups based on their pre-understanding and the complexity of different field exercises.

Citation:
Weissmann, Mikael, Jonas Björkqvist, Patrik Wiklund, “Staff Rides as a Pedagogical Tool in Professional Military Education (PME): Planning and Conducting Historical Staff Rides”, Journal on Baltic Security 8(2022), no. 2, 61-82. FULL TEXT

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén