On 17th June 2016, the GRLI hosted the second vCollab (virtual collaboratory) based on the 50+20 Collaboratory Approach. GRLI has developed the vCollab format to prototype virtual spaces as a warm and participative forum to explore complex issues in transformative education. It has been designed to support active listening and full participation both in small groups and whole group format.
This session focused on management education for the Next Generation and attempted to answer the following question: Responsible Leadership — what makes a great learning experience? Julia Weber (Oikos International), Anna Beyer (Oikos Executive Board) and Heidi Newton-King (Spier, South Africa) acted as Conversation Starters and shared their great learning experiences. This was a starting point for the group to explore in depth what creates a great learning experience and how we can bring these approaches to management education in a way that encourages responsible leadership.
Together, we started to identify factors that make a learning experience great:
- “ We can’t think our way into a new way of doing, we need to act our way into a new way of being”
- Getting out of our normal ways of doing and patterns of thinking
- Taking risks and learning through failure
- Whole person immersion experience (also through activities like gardening or art)
- Spending time in nature
- Being in a zone of the unknown. Building yourself back up from a space of complete uncertainty
- Feeling “comfortable” outside the comfort zone → safe space
- Posture of teacher is so important to engage and connect with the students
- Using visuals for explaining complex issues
- Focusing on beliefs/expectations when starting a course and reflecting after every exercise
- “Finding your voice” to “give more” and to find your “dangerous edge”
- Having someone with your own interests at heart who pushes you to your edge
- The courage to risk something — which can resonate powerfully with others. This can unlock a very different energy.
- Openness, curiosity, presence → listening
Then we addressed the following question: How can great learning experience be put into practice in Management Education? The following ideas emerged:
- Through guided reflections
- Learning Journals
- Whole person development
- Problem solving
- We need schools of leadership BEYOND schools of business
Anna also shared the idea of the “enemies of learning” and “friends of learning”:
