Module 4 – Background

Module 4 – Background

Required Material

First, start out with these short animated videos that gives you an overview of action learning:

Action learning. (2014). Learning Series. NGO Learning Centre, Liverpool, Australia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRnw1MguS6o:

McLuckie, R. (2014). Action learning. WIAL Global, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpLheyQV4Es:

This is the probably the toughest topic of this class so make sure to take some time to carefully go through all of the readings. The following book chapter will give you a general overview of action learning and is a good place to start:

Passmore, J.(2011). Chapter 3: Action learning supervision for coaches. Supervision in Coaching: Supervision, Ethics, and Continuous Professional Development. London: Kogan Page. [EBSCO eBook Collection]

Now read up on action learning in much more detail in these following readings:

Pedler, M., & Abbott, C. (2013). Chapter 1: Action learning: Its origins and principles. Facilitating Action Learning: A Practitioner’s Guide. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education. [EBSCO eBook Collection]

Marquardt, M. J. (2004). Chapter 8: Introducing, implementing, and sustaining action learning. Optimizing the Power of Action Learning: Solving Problems and Building Leaders in Real Time. Yarmouth, ME, USA: Nicholas Brealey Publishing. [Ebrary]

Action learning is one of the tougher topics of this module, so if you are still have some difficulty with the concepts you may want to take a look at some of the optional materials below.

Optional Material

Clifford, J., & Thorpe, S. (2007). Chapter 4: Learning and development methods. Workplace Learning & Development: Delivering Competitive Advantage for Your Organization. London: Kogan Page, pp. 29-32. [eBook Academic Collection. Note: You don’t have to read the whole chapter, just the section on action learning]

Sethi, B. (2014) Action learning for executive coaching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If2cxABYLNo:

Peters, M. (2013). Accomplish two for one with action learning. T + D, 67(2), 52-57. [ProQuest]

Module 4 – Case

Case Assignment

Before starting on this assignment make sure to go through the background materials carefully and go through the main textbook readings. Also, reflect carefully upon your Module 1-3 Case Assignments and think about some major areas that you would like to improve upon for your own leadership development based on the self-assessments you have done so far in this class.

Once you have reviewed the background materials and gained a solid understanding about the main steps and challenges of action learning, write a 4- to 5-page paper addressing the following questions:

1. Since this is your last Case Assignment for the class, start out this assignment by reflecting on what you have found in your Module 1-3 Case Assignments. Based on your prior assignments and what you have learned so far, what do you think are some of the main areas you and/or some of the coworkers that you have written about should try to improve upon?
2. Now turn to Chapter 1 of Pedler and Abbot (2013) and pages 41-42 of Passmore (2011) where the potential benefits of action learning is discussed. Based on your answer to Question 1 above and from these two readings, what would you hope to improve upon using an action learning program? Do you think action learning would help you improve in these areas? Explain your reasoning both with respect to the readings and the areas for improvement in your leadership that you have identified so far in this class.
3. Go to the “Organizational Readiness for Action Learning” quiz on pages 43-44 of Pedler and Abbot (2013). Fill it out and report your results. Overall what does the quiz say about your organization’s readiness to engage in an action learning program?  Do you agree with the results?  What kind of challenges do you think you would face in setting up an action learning program at your organization?
4. Finally, take a look at pages 37-38 of Passmore (2011) and Chapter 8 of Marquardt (2004), which give step-by-step guidelines on setting up an action learning program. Based on your answers to Questions 1-3, how would you design an action learning program in your workplace? Include in your answer what kind of problem your set would work on, who you would include in your set, how often you think the group should meet, and other relevant steps outlined in the required readings. Explain the reasoning for your choices and what kind of outcomes you would hope to get out of this experience.

Assignment Expectations

• Follow the assignment instructions closely and follow all steps listed in the instructions
• Stay focused on the precise assignment questions, don’t go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials
• List supporting references and cite sources in proper format
• Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization, grammar, and spelling).

• Include both a bibliography and in-text citations. See the Student Guide to Writing a High-Quality Academic Paper, including pages 13-14 on in-text citations.