Hamilton eight propositions

Hamilton offers eight propositions, which are of interest to all who are concerned to observe teaching and learning:

1.  Within the learning context students (learners) and teachers never learn nothing. (nothing ever happens)
2.  Learners (or teachers) are never ignorant or know nothing.
3.  Taken together tutors and learners comprise an interactive social nexus.

4.  As knowledge is unevenly distributed (and redistributed) the learning                          

     Nexus is inherently unstable.

5.In this context the relationship between tutor and learners is best understood as a refracting rather than transmitting medium. (different learners learn different things from the same event.)

6. The learning milieu is not a pre-ordained setting, instead is socially constructed.

7. Within the learning context time is a potent influence suffusing all that takes place.

8. Communication is not merely verbal; all participants are transmitters of a range of additional ‘messages’

From  “At Classroom Level” by T.Hamilton pg. 177 et seq. (UnpublishedPhD thesis) University of Edinburgh. 1973.

I offer the above from Hamilton as I recognise that though these propositions are ostensibly referring to learning situations they are relevant also to the ‘Consultation’ process. As an ‘Experiential’ learner and tutor I am reminded that my students or I are not ignorant/lacking in knowledge rather that sometimes our knowledge may be dormant or not yet ‘known’ on a conscious level. My duty as a tutor is to help bring knowledge into consciousness or when working with new information to create situations where both learners and myself can assimilate this new information creatively.

The basis or context of experiential learning is that of negotiation, both student and tutors are negotiating what is learnt and how that learning will take place. This is easier with experienced learning practitioners who have a repertoire of learning styles to make choices from, with those who are more used to learning in the ‘pedagogic’ or “Chalk and Talk” methods negotiating a learning package can be perceived initially as stressful. My context here is that if negotiation is not practised within learning  i.e. if tutors for the MSc in Management Consultancy do not work with learners to negotiate their own learning then we fail them in one of the greater skills of Consultancy: that of Negotiation. All situations/contexts in life are arenas for learning, my suggestion then is that as in the above proposal 8 by Hamilton, there are a range of messages being transmitted by tutors and learners, the greater text here is that ‘we must practice what we preach.’

P. Barber and J. Mulligan in ‘The Client Consultant Relationship’ (August ’97) discuss Consultancy as both an Art and a Science, their paper describes the following characteristics as Yin-Art and Yang-Science:

Yin, Soft Focus, Inner World directed, Exploring through Experience, Attuned to feelings an intuitions, Attending to the relational dance, Concerned with being, Expresses and creates.

Yang, Hard focus, Outer world focus, Applies theories, Attuned to thoughts and senses, Attends to boundaries and rules, Concerned with doing, Diagnoses and tabulates.

“Neither stance is right or wrong” they suggest and recognise that both stances are needed to create a successful strategy in the world of consulting. The difficulty with holding a ‘style’ is that style or presentation can be mistaken for content. A style that once may have proven successful (either too Yin or Yang) can be become outmoded, only when the owner of a position is convinced that they can do or be another way of functioning will changes in content, understanding and style take place. I suggest in this paper that the best way to educate learners and help them to change or derive other possibly better (and a balanced) ways of being is to give them experiences that help them recognise advantages of newer ways for themselves.

Below I offer some of the characteristics of experiential learning, Experiential learning can be ‘seen’ as Yin, however in the hands of skilled practitioners Yang is also experienced, if this were not so then balance again would be lost. This is my understanding of the concept of Yin and Yang, artist and scientist: if I am too ‘Artist’ (Yin) I may have the social, relational and creative skills but lose my client through not being focussed enough upon ‘their world.’  If I am too scientist (Yang), I may have the theories, be client world focussed and have diagnostic skills but not have the relational skills to help my client…

Characteristics of ‘Experiential learning’

1. Personal experience, the involvement of our whole being: our thinking, feeling, behaving and body senses. When involved in learning that has been negotiated we are totally involved i.e. the learning situation makes sense, provides a sense of purpose, is oriented toward a meaningful outcome for us and develops personal meaning in terms of a personal learning outcome ( not necessarily the same as another’s’  though the same  learning experiences may have been negotiated)
2. Reflective process, in pedagogic learning the student is presented with knowledge or information, they are then expected to take this ‘package’ away and reflect upon it. Within experiential learning learner reflection is of vital importance. Immediate understanding or reflection within the moment is important when involved in relationships such as Consulting in order that clarity of purpose, successful contracting and resolutions can occur.

3.  Transformation of knowledge, primarily this occurs through reflection,  

      again though in the context of Consulting, transformation is the resolution of issues, the creation of a shared knowledge with consultant and client. If knowledge is regarded as being passed on from consultant to client without the client bringing in their own understandings, experience and information then I suggest that as soon as the consultant leaves the premises of the client then any new knowledge goes with them also. So too would any learning on the MSc. In Management Consultancy if learning were not negotiated.

4.  Holistic Development, the integration and education of the whole person, including, social and professional skills, the intellect, emotions, body and mind, ethics, values, creativity and their spirituality all combined and developed concurrently.

5. Self Direction, creating an environment where learners become self motivated, self supervising and begin to recognise and develop their own self potential

6.  Peer-Hierarchy Combinations, a range of learning methods, both facilitator centred, e.g. presentations of expert and scholarly content to inform, prescribe and challenge, together with sharing from peers, self reflection and self valuing

 From this I recognise my task, as an educator is to pose problems for learners in order that they may begin to question and re-evaluate their knowledge. This approach is I suggest preferable in that learners recognise that learning is a continuing ‘process’ rather than a situation where they ‘once attended a course, read the handouts, forgot the tutorial advice and are now getting on with the job.’

This recognition of learning as a continuing process helps practitioners (here Consultants) to continually advance their skills by self reflection and the acquisition of new skills learnt as part of their own practice or from others. In life we learn from others through discussion, reflection and the example of others, succinctly put then: experiential learning is learning from experience, discussion of experience, reflection of our own and others good practice and a recognition that learning does not end with tutor experience or ‘tips’ on how to ‘do things.’ Discussion here refers to the exploration of what is good practice as a Consultant and giving of ‘feedback’ this in itself is a skill that needs to be acquired and though guidelines can be taught, giving feedback is best learnt from experience.

 My purpose here is not to disparage or to urge experiential learning as a replacement for more traditional techniques. Instead my intended meaning is that experiential learning combined with traditional methods creates a more powerful and comprehensive educational experience, this can only help learners develop more meaningful strategies within their consultancies.

Traditional teaching and experiential learning models may appear much the same, yet their purpose and uses are very different:

1. Group discussions
2. One-to-one exercises
3. Role play
4. Co-counselling and Counselling exercises
5. Psychodrama
6. Simulations
7. Meditation
8. Relaxation exercises
9. Problem solving exercises
10. Structured exercises
11. Games
12. Guided fantasies
13. ‘Fishbowl’ feedback exercises
14. ‘Hot seat’ assumption/motive clarifying.
15. Reflection/discussion/presentation/reflection cycles
16. Sharing of good practice
17. ‘Thinking out loud exercises.’

For Consultancy groups of particular importance would be the exercises involving: Discussion, Role play, Psychodrama, Simulations, Problem solving, Structured exercises, ‘Fishbowl’ feedback exercises, Hot seat assumption/motive clarifying sessions, Reflection discussion presentation reflection cycles, thinking out loud and sharing of good practice sessions.

These particularly represent the possibilities of learning from experience and learning through experience, both of these need to be addressed to create understanding and knowledge.

The major differences in experiential learning methods from the more didactic approach are those emphases on: Action, Reflection, Clarifying from tutors and the Accenting upon personal experience as a valued resource.  Action refers to the student ‘do-ing’ rather than adopting a passive role and ’be-ing’ in that they may ‘do’ an exercise but may also adopt a role and ‘be.’ Reflection is the understanding and knowledge gained and the integration of new experiences with older experiences. Integration can be gained through peer discussion and/or the use of tutors as group facilitators. Facilitation In this way requires the tutor to adopt a non-directive and non-authoritative stance, to adopt authority or give direction at this point would be to ascribe meanings for students and this would then hinder their learning. This may appear to be ‘Clarifying’ however experientially clarifying is a different process: clarifying is helping students to make sense of their own experiences or to invite a group to make sense of what happened. This process is aids learners to verbalise thoughts and feelings but is not directive in assigning importance or rank to either. This accenting upon personal experience and non-directive approach is designed to promote self-understanding and validation for learners. They do not have to ascribe to meanings placed upon their experiences by others but learn instead to trust their own motivations and meanings. Also, as meanings and motivations can and do change over time, learners recognise that their knowledge is dynamic, evolving and becomes part of themselves. Our learning becomes part of who we are and this in turn changes us…

We are our learning. As we learn more from our experience and the experiences of others, we develop a wider experience and become ‘better’ at what we are and what we do, from this I recognise that experiential learning addresses the ‘Be’ and ‘Do’ of human existence.

Bibliography:

Barber P. and J. Mulligan (1997) The Client Consultant Relationship. Chapter 4 in Sadler P. (ed.) The Management Consultancy Industry, Kogan Page, London.

Barber P. an Introductory guide for Workshop Facilitators (1998)

Boydel T. (1976) Experiential Learning. Manchester Monograph No.5

Heron J. (1978) Co-Counselling Teachers Manual . Human Potential Resource Group. University of Surrey.

Kilty J.  (1982) Experiential Learning. H.P.R.G. University of Surrey

Kolb. D.A. (1984) Experiential Learning: Experience as a Source of Learning and Development.  New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Schon D. Educating the Reflective Practitioner. Josey Bass, San Francisco.

Reason P. Human Inquiry in action: Developments in New Paradigm Research Sage, London.

(c)neilbenbow