As usual, Vana, you get to the heart of the matter. I truly think it is
the one-on-one connection that makes it possible for people to take steps
they would or could never have done otherwise. To apply it to my own
arena, I have discovered that group training and/or information sessions
-- whether it be teaching staff to use our research data base or getting
their buy-in on a procedural change -- is best done one on one. While at
first it doesn't seem as "efficient," the fact is that the results are
better and longer lasting and in the process, I am finding I build
relationships that make the next collaboration even easier. That said,
understand how ironic it is for an educator to make this statement since
my job is creating "classes" that meet minimum enrollment expectations and
are not really designed for the kind of learning I just described. My
solace is that it is not an either/or proposition -- there are ways to
balance group and individual experiences within an educational setting,
but it is humbling for me to note that (once again) my own experience
leads me to question the assumptions upon which I base most of my
professional decisions. I'm assuming it's no different for anyone else
who is taking a meta-view of what they do from an LO perspective.
Harriett.
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