by Darlene Goetzman
Partner ~ Global Learning Partners
Several hundred thousand people
may die if sixteen young people from town, and one mountain-village
woman, Fatuma, do not quickly learn to do many complicated, specifically
sequenced live-saving tasks in this--their first job ever! The
stakes were as high as the Ethiopian mountains surrounding them;
yet within the first hours, an easy dialogue and focused practice
amongst all was emerging despite age s and language differences!
Now in week two of three, the group-work had devolved into infatuated
couples. Dr. Jane Vella left the group, saying, "When you
are ready to work, come get me!"
After ten agonizing minutes, the translator asked Vella to return.
Here she found a room of palpably expectant learners--the only
other difference, Fatuma's rifle lying on the front table.
Adapted from Learning to Listen Learning to Teach, Jane Vella,
1996
The creation and experience of safety,
like all Dialogue Education (DE) principles, is historically
constituted, and therefore both time and situation-specific.
And, like the other DE principles it is the intersection of
principles that evokes the learning experience.
Safety is directly related to a person's
willingness, motivation and ability to listen without judgment,
to question, respond, think critically, commit to memory and practice
or develop competence--in another word: learn. (Brookfield, 1987;
Cranton, 1994; hooks, 1994; Jenson, 1997; Johnson, 2006; Smith
and Berg, 1987; Taylor, Marienau and Fiddler, 2000; Vella, 1995,
1996; Wlodkowski, 1999).
In the situation above, a slice of
a history--safety extended beyond the learning event and into
the greater
community--thousands might lose their lives. At the intersection
of DE principles and practices, the decision was the groups'.
They had to choose whether or not to rise to the work at hand.
A useful tool and lens for examining
how safety is created and for viewing intersection of DE principles
is the CDE Model as described by Glenda Eoyang, with the Human
Systems Dynamics Institute (2003, 1997). Born out of the fields
of complexity theory and other systems theories, Human Systems
Dynamics uses metaphors from natural sciences to explore the patterns
within and between human systems.
The CDE Model (container, difference, and exchange) is often used to examine organizational issues here
we will use it to examine a microcosm - learning events and the
creation and experience of safety in order to increase learning.
It does not matter which or in what order we view container, difference,
or exchange, each can help to explore safety. We might ask: What
things hold this group together? And therefore identify one of
many types of containers. Or we might look for what differences
appear to keep them apart. We might then explore exchanges by
inquiring: What exchanges could help transform the differences
keeping people apart into coherence? The benefit of The CDE Model
is its usefulness in providing multiple ways to view the complexity,
the interwoven historically constituted dimensions of any situation.
Containers
Several containers can be found in the beginning situation: the
formed group being one container that Vella changed when she left
the room. Here are some other examples of containers that the
DE approach uses to build safety:
-
A tight time limit for completing
a learning task which in turn increases the energy, may make explicit
the production is about practice not perfection, and encourages
speedy group delegation of roles, or sharing of contributions.
-
A set of achievement-based objectives names and provides the boundaries for what participants will have
done (achieved) by the end of the session, thus ensuring a certain
comfort of knowing where the group is going, and what they will
be doing.
-
A table group or learning task too
can serve as containers as this group works together on a particular
task.
Here's a real example of how a container
literally attended to safety (and choice) in a closing:
At the end of a four-day course, participants
were told a bowl of candy would be passed from person to person,
serving similarly to a talking stick. Unlike the Native American
tradition, the bowl would be passed around just twice, participants
were invited to select a piece of candy, and share thoughts that
would help bring closure to the session for the group, or quietly
pass on the bowl.
Choice is a substantial factor toward
creating safety. In this example, the parameters of task created
a container, a boundary that in turn provided the freedom (choice/safety)
to "pass" or speak as he or she chose. What DE principles
do you see intersecting here?
Differences
In our first story, the young adults and Fatuma's age differences
and home-locale, the former in town, the latter in the mountains
where suffering was greatest, was a significant difference and
influenced the principle of safety. In a DE approach to learning
and change, we are always looking for the difference that makes
a difference. Some other ways that difference can be explored
safely for learning include:
-
Learning tasks that invite participants
to compare their research to the expert's research, note what
differences arise, postulate the implications of these differences
without judgment, and brainstorm alternatives to mediate any implications.
-
Alternating the timing of tasks,
the variety of tasks, and taking breaks to ensure energy and focus
for whatever challenge is at hand, each of these acknowledges
and honors learning differences in a way to promote learning for
all.
-
Small group work can take advantage
of differences and provide for safety when the learning task is
designed as an open question for the small group with all the
resources they need to successfully respond.
Here's real example of how differences
were honored in a way to promote learning:
Sally (fictitious name) was a participant
in a Learning to Listen course several years ago. Her LNRA responses
included "Being told to come." This provided
me (the teacher) with important information so I could acknowledge
the frustration this presents for any human. I invited all participants
to find what would work for them in this course, "Just try
it on, without any obligation to 'buy'". Sally was now able
to relax and later in the course was one of the most enthusiastic
learners! Sally specifically attributed her change in attitude
to this invitation.
When we ignore differences in the room,
we potentially loose opportunities for learning, for ourselves
and others. Differences can often present as resistance, when
we do as Vella suggests--Celebrate resistance! We invite safety,
and take advantage of differences.
Exchanges
When Jane Vella decided to leave the room to honor learners as
decision-makers, she was also honoring her own need and right
to safety; she had a job to do. However, had she not attended
to the intersection and operation of all the other DE principles
and practices prior to this declaration and leave-taking, it would
not have been dialogue education, it would have been manipulation.
We can influence and/or build safety
with our exchanges too. Whether they are: declarations, information,
money, affirmations, an agenda, or many other options- all indicate
a certain level of give and take, and as indicated in the previous
paragraph, exchanges like containers or differences can be used
respectfully or not.
Here are a few other examples of exchanges:
-
A small group, provided with a case study and the four open
questions is an excellent opportunity for transformative exchanges:
~
What do you see happening here? (Describe)
~
Why do you think it happens? (Analyze)
~
When it happens in your life, what problems does it cause? (Apply)
~
What suggestions do you have for change? (Apply)
-
Inviting participants to share and
explore their experience in light of a particular concept, also
opens the way for exchanges, sometimes these are transformative
exchanges.
-
Affirmation of contributions enhances
the potential of exchanges by assuring safety through the nonjudgmental
acceptance of a person's participation.
Here's a real example of how exchanges
can enhance safety (and learning!),
In this distance learning Masters level
course, the six students quickly noted how the open questions,
affirmation and an atmosphere of inquiry promoted an exploration
of the assigned readings. Here are a few of their comments:
-
"These dialogues made the
reading much more interesting"
-
"It kept us connected despite the hundreds of miles we were
apart"
-
"I felt like we really were learning together"
When meaningful respectful exchanges
are invited and affirmed, safety is assured. In this example,
students felt free to explore and question, not only the readings,
but each other as well. This in turn deepened the analysis, examined
assumptions, and engendered a higher level of critical thinking.
Using the CDE Model provides practitioners
with one more way to consider safety as historically situated
and dependent upon the intersection of multiple DE principles
and practices for its existence. By considering the various containers
that form and can be formed, noting and respectfully juxtaposing
differences that make a difference, and creating opportunities
for exchanges that honor learners as decision-makers in an atmosphere
of respect and safety- we can and do increase the learning that
takes place when adults take responsibility for their choices.
In her new book On Learning and
Teaching
Dr. Jane Vella reminds us:
"The design is the means, the end is the learning,
the purpose is peace."
