To address complex Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) challenges and promote emergent learning, we are re-visioning a key type of educational programming at the Exchange.
What is emergent learning? It’s a living process! It arises through dialogue and so can not be fully anticipated, but it becomes possible when a group thinks together at the edge of what is known. In practical terms, it means that in addition to having educational offerings that present codified solutions — e.g., through our monthly webinar series — we also want to be eliciting the deep, lived experience and tacit knowledge held by community members and practitioners. We believe this can best happen in learning circles.
Re-defining what happens in learning circles
Last year, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) published a valuable resource on how to run learning circles (A rough guide for running learning circles: Accelerating collective learning at the frontiers of sustainable development). Learning circles, it says, are for stepping back and exploring questions that sit at the edge of what is already codified and understood.
UNDP cites learning circles as a well-suited learning solution when issues resist simple explanations and multiple perspectives are needed to see the full picture. Learning circles are also particularly helpful when practitioners hold knowledge that hasn’t all been written down, and the professional field is actively evolving. Sounds like GSI!
Key features of a learning circle:
- Involves facilitated conversations among knowledge holders.
- Focuses on one or more specific learning questions.
- Explores an aspect of a challenge in the field where we want to accelerate our knowledge and understanding.
- Is part of a bigger process that includes, but goes beyond, sharing knowledge – and aims toward creating new knowledge.
What’s next for the Exchange?
Throughout July, our new Education Manager, Tracy Tegart, will be joining each Exchange learning circle to roll out this new approach. Behind the scenes, she’ll be working with circle co-chairs as they build capacity in facilitating this new type of conversation.
Then in August and September, members can expect to experience first-hand the new discussion format. Each learning circle meeting will be centered on a real-world GSI challenge from the field, and participants will engage in cross-sector problem-solving in ways that promote emergent learning.
We hope you’ll join us at an upcoming learning circle and share your perspective on this new offering! In the meantime, contact Tracy (tracy@giexchange.org) with any thoughts or questions about emergent learning at the Exchange.
