Action learning


Action Learning is an approach to problem solving that involves taking action and reflecting upon the results. This method is purported to help improve the problem-solving process and simplify the solutions developed as a result. The theory of Action Learning and its epistemological position were originally developed by Reg Revans, who applied the method to support organizational and business development initiatives and improve on problem solving efforts.
Action Learning is effective in developing a number of individual leadership and team problem-solving skills, and has become a component in many corporate and organizational leadership development programs. The strategy is advertised as being different from the "one size fits all" curricula that are characteristic of many training and development programs.

Overview

Action Learning is ideologically a cycle of "doing" and "reflecting" stages. In most forms of action learning, a coach is included and responsible for promoting and facilitating learning, as well as encouraging the team to be self-managing.
The Action Learning process includes:
  1. An important and often complex problem
  2. A diverse problem-solving team
  3. An environment that promotes curiosity, inquiry, and reflection,
  4. A requirement that talk be converted into action and, ultimately, a solution,
  5. A collective commitment to learning.

    History and Development

The action learning approach was originated by Reg Revans. Formative influences for Revan included his time working as a physicist at the University of Cambridge, wherein he noted the importance of each scientist describing their own ignorance, sharing experiences, and communally reflecting in order to learn. Revan used these experiences to further develop the method in the 1940s while working for the United Kingdom's National Coal Board, where he encouraged managers to meet together in small groups to share their experiences and ask each other questions about what they saw and heard. From these experiences Regev felt that conventional instructional methods were largely ineffective, and that individuals needed to be aware of their lack of relevant knowledge and be prepared to explore that ignorance with suitable questions and help from other people in similar positions.

Formula

Revans makes the pedagogical approach of Action Learning more precise in the opening chapter of his book which describes that "learning" is the result of combining "programmed knowledge" and "questioning", frequently abbreviated by the formula:
In this paradigm, "questioning" is intended to create insight into what people see, hear or feel, and may be divided into multiple categories of question, including open and closed questions. Although questioning is considered the cornerstone of the method, more relaxed formulations have enabled Action Learning to gain use in many countries all over the world, including the United States, Canada, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.
The International Management Centres Association and Michael Marquardt have both proposed an extension to this formula with the addition of R for "reflection":.
This additional element emphasizes the point that "great questions" should evoke thoughtful reflections while considering the current problem, the desired goal, designing strategies, developing action or implementation plans, or executing action steps that are components of the implementation plan.

''Questioning'' in Action Learning

Action Learning purports that one of the keys to effective problem solving is asking the 'right question'. When asked to the right people at the right time, these questions help obtaining the necessary information. The Action Learning process, which primarily uses a questioning approach, can be more helpful than offering advice because it assumes that each person has the capacity to find their own answers.
Action-based learning questions are questions that are based on the approach of action learning where one solves real-life problems that involve taking action and reflecting upon the results. As opposed to asking a question to gain information, in Action Learning the purpose of questioning is to help someone else explore new options and perspectives, and reflect in order to make better decisions.

Types of questions

Closed questions

Closed questions do not allow the respondents to develop their response, generally by limiting respondents with a limited set of possible answers. Answers to closed questions are often monosyllabic words or short phrases, including "yes" and "no".
While closed questions typically have simple answers, they should not be interpreted as simple questions. Closed questions can range widely in complexity, and may force the respondent to think significantly before answering. The purposes of closed questions include obtaining facts, initiating the conversation, and maintaining conversational control for the questioner.
Examples of closed questions:
  • "What is your name?"
  • "What color is the sky today?"
  • "When two quantities are dependent on each other, does an increase in one always leads to an increase in the other?"

Open questions

Open questions allow the respondent to expand or explore in their response, and do not have a single correct response. In the framework of Action Learning, this gives the respondent the freedom to discover new ideas, consider different possibilities, and decide on the course of action which is right for them.
Open-ended questions are not always long, and shorter questions often have equal or greater impact than longer ones. When using the Action Learning approach, it is important to be aware of one's tone and language. The goal is usually to ask challenging questions, or to challenge the respondent's perspective. The purposes of open questions include encouraging discussion and reflection, expanding upon a closed question, and giving control of the conversation to the respondent.
Examples of open questions:
  • "Why do you think that might have happened?"
  • "How did that make you feel?"
  • "What problems do you think this strategy could cause?"

Use in organizations

It is applied by using the Action Learning question method to support organizational development. Action Learning is practiced by a wide community of businesses, governments, non-profits, and educational institutions. Organizations may also use Action Learning in the virtual environment. This is a cost-effective solution that enables the widespread use of Action Learning at all levels of an organization. Action e-Learning provides a viable alternative for organizations interested in adapting the action learning process for online delivery with groups where the members are not co-located.
Robert Kramer pioneered the use of Action Learning for officials in the United States government, and at the European Commission in Brussels and Luxembourg. He also introduced Action Learning to scientists at the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen, to officials of the Estonian government at the State Chancellery in Tallinn, Estonia, and to students of communication and media studies at Corvinus University of Budapest.

Models of Action Learning

The influence of Revans's Action Learning Formula can be seen today in many leadership and organization development initiatives in corporate training and executive education institutes. Since the 1940s, several developments to Revan's original training model have been created. As with other pedagogical approaches, practitioners have built on Revans' original work and adapted tenets to accommodate their specific needs.

Action Reflection Learning and the MiL model

One such branch of Action Learning is Action Reflection Learning, which originated in Sweden among educators and consultants under the guidance of Lennart Rohlin of the MiL Institute in the 1970s. Using the "MiL model," ARL gained momentum in the field of Leadership in International Management.
The main differences between Revans' approach to action learning and the 'MiL Model' in the 1980s are:
  1. The role of a project team advisor,
  2. The use of "team projects" rather than individual challenges,
  3. The duration of the sessions, which is more flexible in ARL designs.
The MiL model and ARL evolved as practitioners responded to diverse needs and restrictions—MiL practitioners varied the number and duration of the sessions, the type of project selected, the role of the Learning Coach and the style of their interventions. In 2004, Isabel Rimanoczy researched and codified the ARL methodology, identifying 16 elements and 10 underlying principles.

The World Institute for Action Learning model

The World Institute for Action Learning model was developed by Michael Marquardt, Skipton Leonard, Bea Carson and Arthur Freedman. The model starts with two simple "ground rules" that ensure that statements are related to questions, and grant authority to the coach in order to promote learning. Team members may develop additional ground rules, norms, and roles as they deem necessary or advantageous. Addressing Revans' concern that a coach's over-involvement in the problem-solving process will engender dependency, WIAL coaches only ask questions that encourage team members to reflect on the team's behavior in efforts to improve learning and, ultimately, performance.

Executive Action Learning (EAL) Model

The action learning model has evolved from an organizational development tool led by learning and development managers to organizational alignment and performance tool led by executives, where CEOs and their executive teams facilitate action-learning sessions to align the organizational objectives at various organizational levels and departments. One such example is the Executive Action-Learning Model which originated in the United States in 2005.
The EAL model differs from the traditional organizational training methods by shifting the focus from professor-led, general knowledge memorization and presentations to executive-led and project-based experiential reflection and problem-solving as the major learning tool.