When Managers Become Philosophers: Integrating Learning With Sensemaking (Schwandt, 2005)

What an informative, thought-provoking article!

Thank you, Tom, for bringing this article to our attention!

As I think about the people I meet and my desire to cultivate personal and organizational growth, the fact that learning is not always immediate and the fact that the organization will retain the aftermath of my learning long after I am gone, this handy reference of information blows me away!

The 5 theoretical orientations to adult learning include:

Behaviorist = environmental stimuli evoke responses or behavior changes

Cognitivist – Learning involves reorganization of experiences in order to make sense of
Stimuli. Does cognitive development end between 15 and 20 years of age?

Humanist – relationship of learner and environment is characterized by discovery, value acquisition, control of impulses, continuous concern with the wonder of human potential for growth and fulfillment.

“For the individual, the motivation to learn is intrinsic and leads to self-actualization (Maslow, 1943) to the extent that self-actualization is more th goal of learning than mastery of content (Caffarella, 1994).

Social-Learning = an individual’s knowledge depends on interaction with and
observation of other people in a social context.
I have trouble accepting the validity of this theory. So often people are upset and dissatisfied with group activities in an adult classroom setting. The facilitator must constantly balance the needs of those who do enjoy learning by interaction with others and the needs of those who attend class for information “not games”. Is this theory only valid for certain folks?

Constructivist = experience is the source of meaning for the individual and reflection becomes the method for changing mental frames.

Sensemaking is human interactions or a process that uses prior knowledge to assign meaning to new information.

Basic components of sensemaking (meaning making)
Cues from environment signal that meaning is required
Framework or knowledge structure (rules, values) serves as a guide to knowledge
understanding
script linking new info to framework

Properties distinguishing sesnsemaking from other processes
Grounded in identity construction
Retrospective
Enactive of sensible environment
Social (never solitary)
Ongoing
Focused on and by extracted cues
Driven by plausibility rather than accuracy
Areas of thought
Nature of knowledge and meaning
Action-learning relationship
Social context
Reflectivity

Knowing how one learns requires practice, experience with self reflection and reflective judgement.