Bill’s Outdoor Learning Page

Abstract thinking. August 10, 2008

Posted by Bill in : Learning Organisations, Outdoor Learning , trackback

Funny coincidence. Last night we had a fantastic meal at Abstract Restaurant in Edinburgh, and I have just managed to finish my abstract for my MSc dissertation. I must say I have found it the hardest bit of all. It’s below but next time I will put it in a better format as Fearghal Kelly’s blog has done with his work on CT using Scribd or something similar, I’ll look at these options when I get time.

Can Educational Establishments be Learning Organisations?

ABSTRACT: Current literature on the concept of the Learning Organisation often indicates that schools and educational establishments are incapable of becoming Learning Organisations as they often suffer from hierarchical and bureaucratic structures. These are considered as barriers for all organisations in achieving the Learning Organisation ideal. It is clear that as Educational establishments continue to be placed on the frontiers of change they could benefit from adopting the Learning Organisation concept. Although there is an abundance of literature on Learning Organisations, there appears to be a lack of literature and data on educational establishments as learning organisations. This study examines what the key characteristics of a learning organisation are by reviewing some of the main works on this complex and often vague concept. This work also reviews and selects a diagnostic tool for use within the authors own Local Education Authority to gather data on whether the reviewed and identified key characteristics of a learning organisation are present. A range of educational establishments were sampled within a Scottish Local Authority. The results of a web based questionnaire show that the identified characteristics do exist in the sampled educational establishments. Considering the results highlighted that strengths and areas of learning organisation confidence as well as spikes of dissatisfaction and areas for future work for educational establishments’ to achieve the Learning Organisation ideal were evident. It also concludes that the use of diagnostic tools which give an illustration of Learning Organisation Shape have a potential to support the delivery of Outdoor Management Development courses. The study also appreciates and identifies the need for further work on Learning Organisation Diagnostic Tools for the education sector and the transfer of learning using more coherent language, models and more considered, carefully designed creative and relevant experiential activities in Outdoor Management Development.