Creating a Learning Community

Well, this thing is starting to come together, so I think it's time to talk about "research with" and "learning communities".

Traditionally, the word "research" conjures up pictures of people in white coats with clipboards (the researchers) peering at people doing something, probably through one-way mirrors (the subjects).  And they do it to find out "what is".

That's not my style.

I research to find out "what might be" (we call that Action Research).  And we do it together (we call that Co-Operative Inquiry).  My primary research subject is me; I expect yours will be you.  My primary research question is "how can I move forward in some area of my life, primarily in a way that works for me, maybe in a way that could work for you, too, and possibly in a way that could help a number of people".  In other words, the research is "For Me, For Us, For Them".

But if I'm the only person in my research project, then it gets a bit reflexive, a bit incestuous, so it's good to invite others.

I envisage a community of (more or less) intelligent adults, all of whom bring "wants and offers".

For instance, on my "wants" list, there are two learning blocks that currently bug me in my life.

The first concerns my eating habits (I have lost 100lbs this year, so I've clearly learned something, but food is perennially on my mind, and I know that as soon as I've let my guard down, the weight will all pile back, so there's clearly more to learn).

The other concerns my business.  Here, I'm not short of information, or knowledge, or motivation ... but I'm fascinated that my behaviour hasn't changed as much as I would like.  So, by my own definition, there's more learning, of some sort or other, so go.

On my offers list might be a lot of stuff about learning (in 20 years of studying adult learning, I've picked up quite a bit!)

There are a number of people I want to invite to join the group.  A friend and colleague is as overweight as me; we can support each other and research together in this field.  This friend is a master of business skills and business integrity, and could teach me a lot.  But this person is a total neophyte (and, I believe, somewhat resistant!) when it comes to using modern technology.  After 20 years in the IT industry, including running "Computing for the Terrified", I think I have something to offer here.

Another friend and colleague is similarly overweight, and worried about diabetes (which I have cured in myself).  So this person could also be part of this support group.  They know much more that I do about sailing, so maybe we could work together to develop my "Sailing for the Terrified"course that I want to run in the future.

A third, highly, intelligent person, a skilled coach and mentor, clearly has a block about writing clear English; something you'd never guess until reading something they've written, and they've helped me move forward through their coaching skills.

So, if any of this rings any bells for you, then I'd like to hear from you.  If there is some area of your life where you haven't achieved all that you want, and you feel even the faintest frisson of discomfort were I to ask "so what's stopping you?" then, by my definition, I suggest that there may be some sort of inhibitor to some aspect of your learning.

Quite how our learning community might operate, who would be a member, what we would do, where and when, and through what media, we might meet are open to discussion.

In the first instance, follow the blog, post responses, send me an email, give me a call, let's meet over coffee.