Action learning in the BBC

This account tells the story of the development of an action learning culture in the BBC between 2002 and 2007. From its early beginnings as a sporadic, unsystematic intervention with a small number of leaders scattered throughout the organisation, action learning has now become embedded in our approach to the way we develop our leaders. In this paper we look at the organisational context in which we were developing action learning, the way it became an integral part of a systemic change intervention, the barriers we had to overcome on the way, how we built an internal resource capability and how action learning evolved. We evaluate the impact it has had on the organisation and on our practice, exploring lessons learned during this time and offering ideas for the way ahead.     

论学术在大学发展中的地位与作用

影响大学发展的因素主要有政治因素、经济因素以及内部自主性因素。这三种因素在大学发展过程中 ,通过不同机制的整合确立了以行政为中心和以学术为中心两种不同的治校理念。学术治校理念的确立是保证学术在大学发展中的中心地位以及统率作用发挥的重要前提     

Action learning in China

Action learning was introduced into China less than 20 years ago, but has rapidly become a valuable tool for organizations seeking to solve problems, develop their leaders, and become learning organizations. This article provides an historical overview of action learning in China, its cultural underpinnings, and five case studies. It concludes with the six major challenges and six powerful forces that will propel the use of action learning in China.     

Action learning and organisation development: overlapping fields of practice

This paper explores the relationship between action learning and Organisation Development (OD). It proposes that they are overlapping fields of practice, with interesting similarities and differences. Both fields of practice are experienced as challenging to conventional ways of viewing organisations and people but are also subject to increasing challenge themselves and both aspects are examined. Two accounts of practice are included, which cast light on action learning and OD and some preconditions for a more fruitful future relationship between the two fields are proposed.     

Action learning as invigoration

The present account of action learning describes its adoption for pragmatic reasons by the University of the Third Age (U3A). The reason for the existence of this movement is the education of retired people. The account seeks to explain why the action learning method spread from one local U3A to another and across it to other local U3As. The case is that the directness of action and its power to involve people brought action learning a following among persons so that they could carry out specific activities even though the persons concerned would never have heard of the term action learning. The successful use of the method fed through into the users' minds and brought about a mode of thought, one which unconsciously was capable of extension into an outlook that could be applied to a variety of situations. Thus two types of learning took place: that between U3As and that within U3As.     

行动学习法与行动研究辨析

行动学习法和行动研究都是针对解决教师实际工作中遇到的问题,反思他们的经验,以促进教师专业发展的一种教师培训模式.本文概要描述了行动学习法与行动研究的内涵缘起及意义,分析了他们共同的特征,并从内涵与外延、主体活动的形式、目标的侧重点、内容、过程的运作方式等方面探讨了它们之间的区别.     

Action learning: the possibility of differing hierarchies in learning sets

This paper presents the proposition that a variety of differing hierarchies exist in an action learning set at any one time, and each hierarchy has the potential to affect an individual's behaviour within the set. An interpretivist philosophy underpins the research framework adopted in this paper. Data were captured by means of 11 in-depth interviews that formed part of wider research into set members' perceptions of what makes an effective action learning set. The interviewees were all former students of the researcher and her colleagues. The research draws upon grounded theory as a dominant research paradigm and uses thematic analysis to interpret the research findings. The findings of the research serve to simply illustrate that there is the potential for a variety of differing hierarchies to exist in an action learning set at any one time. Some of the hierarchies may exist for the full duration of the set; others are somewhat ephemeral. The findings from this research also present themselves as points of consideration for academics and practioners who have used or are about to use action learning as a learning vehicle.     

Action learning over time: an ipsative enquiry

The aim of this article is to explore several decades of experience of action learning and to distil lessons from that experience that are worth sharing with other practitioners. The method is to systematically collect the experiential data within three categories (sense-based, affective and cognitive data), interrogate them to draw out lessons and report those conclusions that have broader significance. The main conclusions are about (1) participants' readiness for action learning, (2) the development of people's abilities to self-facilitate and self-manage action learning and (3) the role of action learning in universities.     

Action learning: how learning transfers from entrepreneurs to small firms

This paper presents research with small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owners who have participated in a leadership development programme. The primary focus of this paper is on learning transfer and factors affecting it, arguing that entrepreneurs must engage in ‘action’ in order to ‘learn’ and that under certain conditions they may transfer learning to their firm. This paper draws on data from 19 focus groups undertaken from 2010 to 2012, involving 51 participants in the LEAD Wales programme. It considers the literatures exploring learning transfer and develops a conceptual framework, outlining four areas of focus for entrepreneurial learning. Utilising thematic analysis, it describes and evaluates what (actual facts and information) and how (techniques, styles of learning) participants transfer and what actions they take to improve the business and develop their people. This paper illustrates the complex mechanisms involved in this process and concludes that action learning is a method of facilitating entrepreneurial learning which is able to help address some of the problems of engagement, relevance and value that have been highlighted previously. This paper concludes that the efficacy of an entrepreneurial learning intervention in SMEs may depend on the effectiveness of learning transfer.     

古代书院教育特点及其现代启示

书院是我国古代特有的教育组织形式。其教育特点表现在：学生的学习以自学为主，管理方面以学生自我管理为主，书院的教师非常重视学术研究，书院在传播知识的同时还很关注社会实际。这些经验对当代高等教育的教育理念有着一定的借鉴和启示作用。     

Action learning: developing leaders and supporting change in a healthcare context

This account of practice outlines how action learning was used as the key component of a leadership development initiative for managers in an acute hospital setting. It explains how the initiative was conceived, why action learning was chosen and how action learning principles were incorporated. Insights into the outcomes and considerations for the future are also included.     

Action learning: cultural differences

The article describes the experience of forming a set in a higher education institution and offers some observations and insights gained from the perspectives of the role of the set adviser, cultural differences and the challenges of attempting to align theory, practice and experience.     

Action learning and critical thinking: a synthesis of two models

Recent scholarship and the news media have identified a lack of critical thinking and ethical behavior in the business world. These deficiencies have led to faulty decision-making, ineffective planning, and frequent organizational dysfunction. This situation has focused attention on both practitioners in the field of business and on the university programs that educate them. A number of upper-tier universities have begun to address these important issues by exploring ways of revising their Master of Business Administration programs to place greater emphasis on their graduates' ability to think critically and consider ethical implications before and after taking action. The authors propose a potential means of addressing these issues in both the business and academic environments through a synthesis of two well-established models based on the constructs of critical thinking and action learning. This synthesis has the potential to produce symbiotic and synergistic effects that may provide educators and practitioners with a new tool for encouraging critical thinking and ethical behavior. The implications for future research and practice are also discussed.     

行动研究：建设高职学习型文化的有效路径

构建学习型文化是高职院校可持续发展的必由之路,而以解决实际问题为目的的教育行动研究是构建学习型文化最有效的方式。通过教育行动研究使教师“学会学习”,培养合作学习能力,养成反思性思维习惯,提高专业化程度。     

Action learning in virtual higher education: applying leadership theory

This paper reports the historical foundation of Northeastern University’s course, LDR 6100: Developing Your Leadership Capability, a partial literature review of action learning (AL) and virtual action learning (VAL), a course methodology of LDR 6100 requiring students to apply leadership perspectives using VAL as instructed by the author, questionnaire and survey results of students who evaluated the effectiveness of their application of leadership theories using VAL and insights believed to have been gained by the author administering VAL. Findings indicate most students thought applying leadership perspectives using AL was better than considering leadership perspectives not using AL. In addition as implemented in LDR 6100, more students evaluated VAL positively than did those who assessed VAL negatively.     

Action learning and executive education: achieving credible personal,practitioner and organisational learning

Action learning involves balancing the often conflicting forces between working knowledge and academic knowledge. This paper explores the experience of executive learners; academics and external contributors involved in action learning at the postgraduate level. The executive learners are members of cohorts on two masters programmes based in Ireland. The programmes adopt an action learning methodology. Action learning supports a reflective culture for the executive learners and an enriched understanding of their workplace. The challenges associated with action learning are explored. The understanding of best practice in the facilitation of action learning for executive learners is enriched for practitioners and academics. The use of narrative structuring provides an insight into the reality of action learning for executive learners. If action learning is to be successfully integrated into executive education, then there needs to be high levels of communication, commitment and trust between the executive learners; academics and external contributors.     

Action learning in ActionAid Nepal: a case study

This article describes an example of how action learning was used as a framework for an organisational intervention to fundamentally change the organisational culture over a period of time. It also identifies our learning over that period of time and what worked well (and not so well) in an International Non-Governmental Organisation in Nepal.     

三明明清书院考述

三明辖境在明朝有16所书院,在清朝有29所书院,较之两宋的6所书院数量上虽有很大的提高,但是书院总数已从宋代的超过全省的百分之十降至不足全省的百分之十,书院的影响力和号召力也有所下降。这反映了三明辖境在明清两朝是福建省文化较为落后的区域,也是福建省经济较为落后的区域。今天,我们仍要结合书院的传统特点挖掘书院对新时期文化建设的功能。     

LEAD at lunch: inquiry,learning, and action

This account of practice discusses the author's experience in facilitating a small group of managers in health care over lunchtime utilizing an action learning approach. This was part of a larger leadership development initiative which took place in the organization and the intention was to create a more intimate, informal and safe setting whereby the group could further delve into the collaborative learning process, explore issues around leadership, garner feedback about the formal programming, gain insight into larger organizational issues, and perhaps develop strategies for change. Outcomes achieved include better meeting management, revision of an organizational communication forum, the development of a training program for performance management, as well as plans for more collaboration with upper administration and the development of a mentoring program. In summary, this venue created a supportive space whereby all aspects of a problem could be explored and resolutions could be formulated and acted upon.     

Action learning for professionals: a new approach to practice

Following on from the article ‘Building Capacity in Social Care: An Evaluation of a National Programme of Action Learning Facilitator Development’ (Abbott, C., L. Burtney, and C. Wall. 2013. Action Learning: Research & Practice 10 (2): 168–177), this article describes how action learning is being introduced in Cornwall Council, UK and explores the relationship between social work and action learning in practice. In essence social work needs to perform well and achieve positive outcomes for users of its services. Cornwall Council's Children's Social Work and Psychology Services is introducing action learning for professionals as a new approach to practice.