ACTIVE REVIEWING TIPS
for Dynamic Experiential Learning

Active Reviewing Tips 2.10   Active Reviewing (part 2) ACTIVE REVIEWING ARTICLE - Part 2 HOW TO TRANSFER LEARNING - New training workshop

Active Reviewing Tips for Dynamic Experiential Learning http://reviewing.co.uk   Active Reviewing Tips 2.10 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ISSN 1465-8046   CONTENTS ~ ~ ACTIVE REVIEWING ARTICLE - Part 2 ~ ~ HOW TO TRANSFER LEARNING - New training workshop ~ ~ About Active Reviewing Tips ~ ~ How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ A C T I V E . R E V I E W I N G . T I P S ~ ~ FOR DYNAMIC EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ~ ~ the free monthly newsletter associated with the ~ ~ 'GUIDE TO ACTIVE REVIEWING' http://reviewing.co.uk ~ ~ Editor: Roger Greenaway roger@reviewing.co.uk ~ ~ Vol. 2.10 ~ ~ ACTIVE REVIEWING ARTICLE (Part 2) ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~   Editor's note: I have just learned that http://reviewing.co.uk has received another complimentary review in the Training Journal. If you have a copy of the review, please let me know. I'd love to see a copy!   CONTENTS (TOP) A C T I V E    R E V I E W I N G   [This is Part 2 of the article begun in Active Reviewing Tips 2.9]   REVIEWING BY DOING active testing of theories during a review   Course members arrive with theories about what a good leader, a good manager or a good team member does. They record their theories for display, and after doing some group tasks and receiving feedback from observers, the group considers whether to adjust the theory and/or their practice.   Groups also develop theories about themselves and each activity may put such theories to the test.   Testing theories is a sound process, but groups can sometimes delude themselves. Reviewing can be a time for examining any of these theories (whether about managing, or about teamwork, or about the nature and behaviour of their own group). Trainers should be alert to opportunities for testing out theories - especially suspect ones. 'EXCUSES' provides an example of this.   EXCUSES A group which was highly disorganised following their arrival at a remote and basic mountain hut came up with a theory about themselves during their initial review in the hut. This went along the lines of: "...it was dark..." "...we'd never been there before..." "...we were tired..." "...we would manage it much better another time, or in a different 'new' situation..."   After their return to the training centre, their disorganised arrival at the hut was reviewed for a second time. This time, the trainer darkened the room and supplied the group with three torches after scattering information about the hut's resources around the room on bits of paper.   This simulation allowed the group a second attempt to organise themselves on arrival at the 'hut'. It was just as much of a shambles. The second (active) review had exposed the inadequacy of the initial (all-talk) review and brought out a more accurate explanation of the group's disorganisation.   NEWSROUND EXTRA sharing individual experience through action   This is particularly useful where a group has been operating in smaller units or comes together to review their individual experiences. In these situations (where there is a lot of news to exchange) verbal review methods can be particularly time-consuming. Levels of concentration and interest may be low when the time comes round for the last people in the group to tell their stories.   One way of keeping people 'involved', is to invite people to act out the story as it is told. One person acts or mimes the part of the narrator, while others take the parts of any animate or inanimate objects which turn up in the narrative. This can become exhausting and chaotic! It can become so physically involving that rather than bringing the story alive, the story gets lost as the group concentrate on the challenge of staging it. More time-consuming, but more controllable (if desired), is to give individuals time to prepare performances in subgroups. Each performance can be required to include (for example) 2 high points, 2 low points, 2 interesting points and 2 learning points.   SHARING WORK EXPERIENCE THROUGH ACTION Individuals can represent their work experience or 'problem at work' by putting it into action using the group. The problem-solving resources of the group can then be harnessed by other group members offering alternatives through action. For example ...   "SHOW ME A BETTER WAY" A trainer was unhappy about his introductory meeting with a new group. A few days later, he invited group members to enact alternative ways of starting the course, each in turn taking on the role of the trainer. The trainer discovered a wider range of options and received useful advice as the group discussed their suitability.   This method can help people develop constructive action plans. Symbolic and abstract representations of work can sometimes provide a more effective means of sharing than realistic representations, but both approaches have their value.   INSTANT REPLY (through re-enactment) This is a method of promoting understanding between groups or between subgroups. Group A has a theory, perhaps a grudge, about Group B, which is related to a particular incident. Group A now re-enact the incident as if they are Group B, and in the presence of Group B.   As soon as Group A has finished, Group B replies with their version of what happened. Because the reply is spontaneous, it is likely that the dialogue between the groups is honest and open, with the groups learning about each other without lapsing into defensiveness and justification.   To even things up, the exercise should be repeated, this time starting with Group B re-enacting an incident as if they are Group A.   ACTIVE APPRAISAL The presentation of mimed gifts to each other can be worth more than lots of words. These tend to be more considered and sincere than verbal 'gifts'. Verbal explanation of symbolic gifts is recommended if there is a risk of misunderstanding!   ACTING ON APPRAISAL "I'll try out your advice" A manager led a group on a mountain expedition, and received a thorough and constructive appraisal. A few days later he staged a re-enactment of the expedition in which he tried out the advice offered by the group.   SEARCH TECHNIQUES Some active reviewing techniques can be surprisingly time-efficient. Some techniques simply provide quick and easy ways of finding out what's worth talking about (although they can also be used for other reviewing purposes). Amongst these 'search techniques' are:   * HEAD-HEIGHT HAPPY CHARTS in which individuals show their state of morale at various points during an earlier exercise by the height of their heads above the floor.   * LINE-UPS. Attitudes, behaviours and contributions during an exercise can be quickly revealed by lining up in order of, say, enthusiasm, thoughtfulness, job satisfaction etc.   Alternatively, the attitudes within the group can be demonstrated by HUMAN SCULPTURES, in which the centre and periphery of the room correspond to the centre and periphery of the group.   In all such techniques, individuals can place themselves, and can have the option of moving one or more (perhaps all) of the others in the group.   ACTIVE REVIEWING AS A GROUP NORM Active reviewing techniques should not be regarded as the sole property of the trainer.   Once a group is familiar with the use of active language and active conventions, then the mixing of discussion and action can become the norm - providing everyone with wider opportunities for enlivening, extending and enriching their reviews.   HOLISTIC EXPERIENCES NEED HOLISTIC REVIEWS If the experiences being reviewed are holistic rather than purely cerebral, then it makes sense to offer reviewing media and methods that are suitable vehicles for these multifaceted holistic experiences. If the reviewing vehicles offered are merely discussion-based, then the less discussible aspects of experience will remain untapped, unreviewed and unharnessed. Important sources of power, energy and insight will remain neglected and underused.   IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND WORDS TO EXPRESS ... People interviewed after disasters struggle to find words that adequately express their feelings. Experience-based training should of course not expose people to such trauma, but the principle is the same: new and intensive experiences, however traumatic or pleasurable they might be, challenge us to find adequate ways of expressing ourselves. Experience-based learning (especially when it is also adventure-based) creates experiences that can be very rich, extensive, intensive, confusing or complex. If the quality of the experience is to have maximum impact for learning, then it must be matched by reviewing methods that are capable of dealing with the depth, essence and richness of the original experience.   THE REVIEWER'S TOOLKIT Active and creative reviewing techniques should be seen as basic tools in a reviewer's toolkit, but they will never replace the need for the skilful and imaginative use of verbal techniques, and for facilitating group discussions. Active reviewing techniques have many purposes. At all stages of the reviewing cycle there are active techniques that can assist the reviewing process i.e. for establishing facts, for expressing feelings, for examining findings and for exploring futures.   [end of ACTIVE REVIEWING article] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE?   If you want to READ more about ACTIVE REVIEWING   1) Do nothing! Just continue with your free subscription to Active Reviewing Tips and you will receive a monthly(ish) dose of practical ideas for active reviewing.   2) Search http://reviewing.co.uk There's now a full text search box at the top of the home page from where you can navigate this 220+ page site - mostly about reviewing, and quite a lot about outdoor learning.   3) Use http://reviewing.co.uk to find related sites. You will find useful links throughout the site.   4) Go to http://reviewing.co.uk/pbk.htm and learn more about Playback online. (You can also buy a copy from here.)   If you want practical face-to-face TRAINING on the subject   Take a look at http://reviewing.co.uk/_wkshops.htm for a full list of workshops or write to me at roger@reviewing.co.uk You will find a menu of workshops to choose from, but in most cases the workshops I provide are customised one-off events to meet the needs of a particular staff team.   If you want to HOST a customised or open workshop, please write to me at roger@reviewing.co.uk     DON'T JUST DO IT -       ACTIVELY REVIEW IT !!   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~   CONTENTS (TOP) A NEW trainer-training workshop with Roger Greenaway Reviewing Skills Training ========================== HOW TO TRANSFER LEARNING and give your training lasting impact ========================== Experience-based training has impact. But how do you ensure that the impact leads to valued, significant and transferable change? By taking part in this practical 2 day workshop you will learn how to improve the chances that the full benefits of your training are transferred to the 'real' world.   As a participant you will gain ...   * an understanding of key issues in the transfer of learning. * the know-how to make learning experiences more transferable. * an expanded toolkit of reviewing techniques that assist transfer * first-hand experience of 'transfer planning'   ==== DAY 1 ====   TRANSFER, TRANSLATE OR TRANSFORM * Who does what to assist transfer? * Key issues about transfer * Doing nothing about transfer * What you can do before, during and after training events to promote transfer   THINKING LINKING * Warm-ups and skills development * Mind opening exercises * Association games * Physical games * Creative thinking exercises * Systematic comparisons * Pattern making * Parallel worlds * Developing learning skills   TRANSFER WITHIN A TRAINING EVENT * Linking by design vs. linking by review * 'Do-Review-Apply' within a course. '* Do-Review-Apply' within an activity. * Reviewing how transfer is happening * Re-reviewing to find new associations   TRANSFER BEYOND A TRAINING EVENT * When and how to focus on the future * Reviewing how transfer is happening * Models of transfer: bridging the gap with your favourite vehicle for change. * Transfer plan = action plan + learning plan * Writing 'smart' objectives with muscle! * Rehearsing 'what if' scenarios   ==== DAY 2 ====   MAKING TRANSFER INEVITABLE * Growth, capacity and potential * Storing success * Working with stories and metaphors * Working at different levels   MAKING LEARNING READY TO USE * hooks - internal and external * talking with different people about the course   CUSTOMISING LEARNING TRANSFER * travelling alone * creating and using support * action plans or learning plans? * preferred learning style   BEYOND TRANSFER * translating and transforming * what do you do with unfinished learning? * evaluation measures and supports transfer   Roger Greenaway is the author of Playback and other books and articles about reviewing.  Roger provided his first trainer-training courses in reviewing at Brathay in the early eighties. He was awarded a doctorate in 1995 for a study entitled 'Powerful Learning Experiences in Management Learning and Development'. Roger now provides reviewing skills training and consultancy in the UK and abroad.