Alexandria, VA, Aug. 4, 2022—FedLearn, the first-to-market, online, artificial intelligence-powered learning solutions provider offering content specialized and contextualized to federal government mission areas—particularly in the U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence Community—and Dr. Brian Urlacher, University of North Dakota political science and public administration department chair, are joining forces to offer his growing video library of intelligence analysis topics to FedLearn customers and individual learners.

The initial videos available via FedLearn are:

• Aggregating Information – Reviews two common methods for aggregating information—Bayesian updating and Wigmore diagrams—followed by introducing Urlacher’s own method based on a Bush-Mosteller learning mechanism
• Analysis of Competing Hypotheses – Introduces ACH, a powerful structured analytic technique for avoiding confirmation, premature closure and other cognitive biases in intelligence work
• An Example of the ACH Method – Reviews the ACH method and illustrates its use with a simple case study that demonstrates the construction of a matrix for evaluating hypotheses and data. The example also demonstrates the dialogue between hypotheses, data and the analysis that occurs as the matrix is refined.
• Analytic Standards (Part 1) – Provides an overview of the analytic standards for intelligence analysts included in Intelligence Community Directive 203
• Analytic Standards (Part 2) – Reviews the analytic standards for intelligence analysis specific to tradecraft in ICD 203
• Bayesian Thinking – Introduces Bayesian thinking, along with an example illustrating how this way of cognitive reasoning works and a reflection on how to think about the relative value of new information
• Critical Thinking (Part 1, Definition and Approaches) – Discusses critical thinking as introduced in the book, Critical Thinking and Intelligence Analysis
• Critical Thinking (Part 2, A Useful Taxonomy) – Extends a taxonomy of questions developed by James Madison University professor, Noel Hendrikson, to help organize both structured analytic techniques and the positive mental characteristics associated with critical thinking
• Countering Common Biases with SATs – Discusses the 10 most common cognitive traps identified by intelligence analysts and introduces the SATs that can help counter them
• Evaluating “Good” Judgment – Examines two ways of evaluating the value of a forecast/judgment drawing from the book, Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction
• The Intelligence Cycle – Reviews the six steps in the intelligence cycle, along with a discussion on how the different stages interact
• The Intelligence Cycle and 9/11 – Reviews a case study from the book, American Foreign Policy, in which the author examines the failure of the U.S. to identify and stop the 9/11 hijackers and explores this failure through the six intelligence cycle steps
• The Pre-Mortem – Introduces a SAT that helps individuals or groups identify weaknesses in judgments

Additional videos from Urlacher on a variety of intelligence analysis-related topics will be added to the FedLearn content library when available.

“FedLearn is delighted to welcome Dr. Brian Urlacher as a content partner,” said Dr. J. Keith Dunbar, FedLearn founder and chief executive officer, “Through this new relationship, we can offer Dr. Urlacher’s excellent, informative and easy-to-understand videos that explore various areas of intelligence analysis to our learners in support of their continued development of knowledge and skills in this critical field in support of national security and defense.”

“I am thrilled to be a content partner with FedLearn, which enables me to extend the work I’ve done in a university setting over the past 15 years—helping people improve their critical thinking abilities and sharpen their analytic skills,” said Urlacher.

The videos are searchable via keyword searches after logging in FedLearn. The videos are available at no cost to learners to help advance their understanding of intelligence analysis methodologies, principles and practices.

To learn more about FedLearn, visit fedlearn.com.

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About FedLearn

FedLearn (fedlearn.com) is transforming learning for federal government and government contractor organizations. We offer the first artificial intelligence-enabled, online learning platform with specialized and contextualized content directly supporting government mission areas. Our solutions combine the best of traditional classroom and elearning settings to offer a rich, dynamic and personalized learning experience with quantifiable outcomes. FedLearn is a certified service-disabled veteran-owned small business.

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