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Transformative Learning in Practice

By Emily Brown, Wayland Chau, John Laugesen, Edward Marinos, Georgia Mello, Mojisola Oyadeyi, Lavan Puvaneswaran, Marcie Theoret, Meagan Troop, and Vanessa Robinson

This chapter will provide rich exemplars of transformative learning in practice gathered from faculty since Winter 2022 in the Pilon School of Business. In the context of our Community of Practice (CoP), our full-time faculty members are engaged in several meaning-making activities that are underpinned by principles of transformative learning and in many cases connected to the development of 21st century interdisciplinary competencies for business education.

Here are some of the activities that we have engaged in with the CoP as we developed connection and care, when framing our why, what, and how for the Transformative Learning initiative.

Framing the Conversation on Transformative Learning

Faculty were paired up in the CoP to engage in conversation, guided by the transformative listening protocol. They were asked to share stories related to teaching and learning.

Handout about transformative listening protocol
Anderson Sathe, L. et al. (2022). Listening for Transformation: Discovering Third Space and Connection Using a Listening Protocol. In: Nicolaides, A., Eschenbacher, S., Buergelt, P.T., Gilpin-Jackson, Y., Welch, M., Misawa, M. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Learning for Transformation. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84694-7_24

 

Description of the Transformative Learning Protocol diagram above

This activity was designed by the Transformative Listening Project in conjunction with the 2018 international Transformative Learning Conference. “Building Transformative Community: Enacting Possibility in Today’s Times.” It is meant to improve appreciative listening skills through sharing and responding to stories in pairs and in groups.

Before the Story-Storyteller and Listener(s):

  • Take a deep breath; relax
  • Be fully present to the story and your body’s responses
  • Listen to the story without judgment
  1. Storyteller – Describe an experience of yours Listen deeply as if you are there (3-5 minutes)
    • What and whom did you see? Hear? Smell? Feel? Taste? Sense?
    • What happened?
    • How did you feel during the experience? After the experience?
    • What made this experience important to you?
  2. Appreciative Listener(s) – Listen deeply as if you are there
    • What and whom do you see? hear? smell? feel? taste? sense?
    • What do you perceive is happening
    • What are you feeling? What do you perceive the storyteller is feeling?
    • If your mind wanders or you find yourself wanting to ask questions, refocus on the story.
  3. Appreciative Listener(s) – After the story, share (3-5 minutes)
    • What particularly stands out for you in the story.
    • If listening stirs up feelings or memories you have had in your own experiences.
    • What you appreciate about their sharing.
  4. Storyteller – Listen to the listener(s)
    • ls/are the listener(s) understanding you well
    • How are the listener(s)’ feelings alike or different from yours?
    • What new feelings or meanings are emerging for you?
  5. Storyteller – Reflect on and share what you are feeling or learning (3-5 minutes)
    • What did you feel or learn when you were in the story?
    • Are listener comments leading to new feelings? Insights? Questions?
    • What are your “take-aways”?
  6. Appreciative Listener(s)– Listen again to the storyteller (and any other listeners), and share (3-5 minutes)
    • Is listening to their reflections leading you to feelings? Insights? Questions?
    • What are your “take-aways”?
  7. Afterward – Sharing New Feelings, Insights, Stories
    • You can dialogue, e.g., share similar stories.
    • Another person may tell a different story.
    • Share reflections on how this process has helped you to tell stories and listen more effectively.”
    • Thank each other for sharing and listening.

Transformative Principles in Practice

We engaged our CoPs with a gallery walk activity that required them to respond to critical prompts to address in what ways, if any, transformative learning principles were integrated into their teaching and learning practice. They were asked to free associate (words, quotations, frameworks, images) and share their ideas on a series of Jamboards.

Here are the four principles that faculty explored:

  1. The Whole Learner Learns
  2. Experiences, disjuncture, and critical reflection as conduits for learning
  3. Learning is emergent and socially constructed
  4. Instructor as learning facilitator and companion

(Longmore et al., 2018)

 

[Download the Jamboards from the Transformative Learning in Practice Activity, Fall 2023]

License

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Transforming Business Education Copyright © 2023 by Meagan Troop, Anne-Liisa Longmore, Marcie Theoret, Karen Booth, Erin Stripe, Emily Brown, Wayland Chau, John Laugesen, Edward Marinos, Georgia Mello, Lavan Puvaneswaran, Mojisola Oyadeyi, Douglas Peebles, Vanessa Robinson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.