Collaborative Definition for Action Learning

  Action Learning is a systematic, collaborative process, which involves small groups and individuals of various experiences and skills working together to solve real problems. It leads to personal, professional and organizational development, as the learner engages in self-assessment and feedback as well as reflection for, in and on action, hereby learning through doing. It is an active learning process that involves critical analysis of an issue, deciding on areas for change, formulating an action plan, sharing and learning while working towards achieving common goals and evaluating progress. Action Learning improves performance and propels individuals to be lifelong and life wide learners.



              Reflection 4.1

 Effective group work is like learning to drum collaboratively in rhythm (Gillie Bolton, 2010). Completing activity 4.1 was truly a fascinated and awesome experience. Members of Group E, Viline, Keisha, Barbara, led by our talented leader, Ann Jacobs, had an exploration using technology. We dialogue through Skype, composed via Google.doc and mind mapped on bubbl.us. Bubble.us was a new and exciting venture for me; as we listened and followed our adept leader who guided us through the process, oh! What an experience. We encounter a bit of difficulties along the way but eventually we were victorious.

 Working as a team to formulate a thorough and in-depth definition for action learning was extremely fruitful. Like a multi link chain, we all hooked together and gave our ideas and thoughts until we were satisfied that we did justice to the term ’action learning’. This collaborative task was deeply educative and augurs well for us as reflective practitioners, who are striving to bring positive changes to our learning environment and our region as a whole. This activity brings to mind what Bleakley (2002) opined ‘Reflection is a shared and distributed activity’. I now close with a quote from John Dewey ’’the most important attitude that can be formed is that of desire to go on learning’’.

