Life long learning: Experience as a learning resource

Life long learning: Experience as a learning resource Martin Bicknell

Experiencing experiential learning? seeing experience used as learning resource Using experience as learning resource in management education Andragogy or pedagogy? Can we leverage experience better across other disciplines

Pedagogy or Andragogy? Source: Knowles, M., E. Holton, R. Swanson (2011) The Adult Learner. Oxford, UK: Butterworth-Heinemann: p 61

All adult learning is ‘filtered’ through prior experience Learning is seen as a perspective transformation with experience as a key learning resource Adult learners are more inclined to self-direction Learning is a life-long project The death of the professor has special significance Andragogy as context

The nature of management knowledge Education about management Education for management Episteme Phronesis Techne Metis Knowledge by exemplification Knowledge by representation

Research question • How, by recognising the nature of learning, can tutors develop learning spaces conducive to learning-for-management by post-experience learners?

Cyclical (action research?) approach Cycle 1: explore the characteristics of post-experience learner Cycle 2: problematise the nature of post-experience learning space in management education Cycle 3: explore facilitation approaches that expand the learning space

Situating learning Perspective transformation Learner Facilitator Ideation (precepts) “natural environment” (percepts)

Teacher’s conception Student’s conception Teacher’s constructed environment Student’s action Experiential, situated learning

Formative feedback Application, adaptation, clarification and challenge “Lecture” New concepts and models ≡ Teacher’s conception Didactic models Teacher constructed environments Teacher’s conception Activities

Tutor-led, experiential learning Formative feedback Teacher’s conception Application, adaptation, clarification and challenge New perspectives New criticality Unlearning New concepts and models ≈ Teacher’s conception

Student-led, experiential model Group experimentation Work practice Different narrated experiences Same experience re-narrated different perspective New criticalities Application, adaptation, clarification and challenge Compare and contrast Synthesis, perspective transformation Teacher’s conception

So …? • Get difference experiences onto the table • ‘Re-tell’ these from different perspectives- hidden voices? • Challenge key presumptions and reassess significance • Develop frameworks • Explore difference • Extend beyond the classroom

Discussion • Can we better help all tutors to use experience to facilitate learning which is a life-time experience?

Life long learning: Experience as a learning resource