ACTIVE REVIEWING TIPS
for Dynamic Experiential Learning

Active Reviewing Tips 1.5   Reflection Icons Editor: REVIEWING DURING THE ACTION Reviewing Tips: REFLECTION ICONS (Guest Contributor) Site News: an AWARD, a PRIZE and NEW PAGES Other Web Sites: MIND TOOLS, SWOT & PEST

A C T I V E . R E V I E W I N G . T I P S   Vol. 1.5  October 1998.   Welcome to Volume 1 Issue 5 of ...   ~~~~~~ A C T I V E . R E V I E W I N G . T I P S ~~~~~~ the free monthly ezine linked to the web-based ~~~~~~ 'GUIDE TO ACTIVE REVIEWING AND DEBRIEFING'   CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE:   • Editor REVIEWING DURING THE ACTION • Reviewing Tips: REFLECTION ICONS (Guest Contributor) • Site News: an AWARD, a PRIZE and NEW PAGES • Other Web Sites: MIND TOOLS, SWOT & PEST • End Bits: 100 ACTIVE REVIEWING METHODS!   CONTENTS (TOP) ~~~~~~ From the editor ~~~~~~   REVIEWING DURING THE ACTION (why)   ( ....... The 'how' part comes in the next issue)   Reviewing tends to happen AFTER the action.   Take a look at any learning cycle and you'll see that's where reviewing appears to 'belong'. You do something, THEN you review it. You experience, THEN you reflect.   As a general rule that's a sound idea. But there are exceptions. Also, by only reviewing AFTER the event, you close off some important options for reviewing at other times.   The trouble with any learning sequence is that it encourages you to do just one thing at a time. Yes, some people may benefit from a step by step approach. But most people have the ability to do several things at once - especially when it comes to learning.   Learning is a speciality of the human race. Our brains are capable of processing many things at once. (Yes, they are even greater miracles than computers!) Encouraging people to process one thing at a time does not necessarily make learning any easier. By sticking to a step-by-step sequence, you might even be DIS-abling people's learning abilities.   Let me give an example.   I understand French best (though not very well) when it is spoken to me at a fairly normal pace. If I am struggling to understand and the speaker SLOWS down for me, I will often find it even HARDER to understand. This is because a lot of the naturally occurring extra clues (of expression, tone, cadence, gesture etc.) disappear when the pace s l o w s   r i g h t   d   o   w   n.   Much the same happens when learning to ride a bicycle. Slow down too much and you fall off! I believe the same applies to learning cycles.   The big plus about experiential learning is that you learn in REAL time. You see the big picture. And you are doing things for real. You are not in the slow lane, learning one step at a time. You are in the fast lane where you must attend to several things at once.   Experience-based learning provides great opportunities for people to switch on all of these different learning skills simultaneously and bring them all together to 'fire on all cylinders'. If we impose a 'one-thing-at-a-time' learning cycle in 'review time' we risk giving out the opposite message: 'switch everything off, except for this one thing we are now looking at'.   Ok, there are times when a single focus works well. But it may not be good practice to get into the habit of excluding other perspectives while focusing on just one. Aside from any other considerations, the typical goals of much experienced-based learning are broad multi-dimensional ones. These might be: broadening horizons seeing new perspectives bringing out potential whole person development working with others performing on all cylinders coping with change learning to learn ... The best chances of achieving such multidimensional goals come from working AND LEARNING in multidimensional ways.   When you next see a 'one-thing-at-a-time' approach in an energised group, look and listen carefully and you will notice people 'falling off their bikes' - as their energy dissipates and their attention wanders. But not everyone. Some people thrive on carefully sequenced analysis and are able to dismantle and reassemble things to achieve improved performance next time they are 'in action'.   What about those learners who are unmoved by dismantling and reassembling? i.e. people who prefer to keep things moving, and who prefer to learn 'on the move'?   'Reviewing in Action' is a strategy that encourages learning WHILE doing. It mirrors the strategy of 'Active Reviewing' (or 'Reviewing by Doing') - strategies that encourage high levels of involvement throughout a reviewing session. By combining these strategies, the worlds of learning and action are never far apart.   Don't worry. We can handle this 'holistic' stuff - we're built for it!   You can find the articles 'Active Reviewing' and 'Doing Reviewing' at: <http://reviewing.co.uk/articles/index.htm>   SUMMARY There are limitless ways in which reviewing can be introduced WITHIN the action, ALONGSIDE the action or in 'mini-breaks' DURING the action. All of these help to bring the worlds of doing and reviewing closer together. Learning AFTER the event is an excellent option, but is not the only one.   Next issue: REVIEWING in ACTION (how)   CONTENTS (TOP) ~~~~~~ Reviewing Tips ~~~~~~   REFLECTION ICONS   Thank you to Ian Cook for these reviewing methods...   Here is a description of a simple structure for doing end of course reviews. People can hang and shape their experience on these 'reflection icons'.   • Light bulb moments These are times during the course when an idea, action or phrase has sparked a sudden realisation in someone's mind.   • Mirror moments These are times or observations that have raised questions for the delegate. Something that has caused them to reflect on what they currently do. It opens up some level of debate in their mind.   • Speaker moments These are times when they have noticed how something someone said has changed the energy in the group for better or worse. It may also be when they have noticed how a comment changed their perception of something.   • Linking moments These are times when they have related something in the course to a circumstance at work and either thought of something new to do or gained insight into the dynamic of their current situation.   Ian writes: I have used this on several occassions and found that the sessions almost run themselves. As soon as someone starts telling their moments other people find links or aspects in common. I have also found that people take to and use the structure readily.   Ian Cook is a Training Consultant at Brathay and a creator of experiential learning games. <mailto:ianjcook@compuserve.com> <http://www.brathay.org.uk>   CONTENTS (TOP) ~~~~~~ Site News ~~~~~~   A W A R D . W I N N E R 'Congratulations! You have earned the "LEARNING FOUNTAIN" award.' This very welcome e-mail arrived a few days ago. It is now proudly displayed on my home page (together with an explanation) It's not easy to get this award - a site I recommended for the award didn't make it. Visit my home page to find out more, or go straight to the Learning Fountain site. http://reviewing.co.uk http://www.learningfountain.com   • NEW: Much improved navigation/searchability/indexing - you might find something you missed on an earlier visit. While you're there ...   • Visit the Guide to Active Reviewing before October 21st and you can win a Palm III (tm) by 3Com (r) for recommending it. Details are at the foot of the 'Communications Page' at <http://reviewing.co.uk/quick.htm> *** This offer ends SOON - on 21st October. ***   • NEW: Experiential Learning Cycles (in the research index) <http://reviewing.co.uk/research/resindex.htm>   CONTENTS (TOP) ~~~~~~ Other Websites ~~~~~~   Reviewing Your Position (as a business) using SWOT and PEST analysis: <http://www.dis.strath.ac.uk/people/sheila/marketing/pest.html>   CONTENTS (TOP)