ABSTRACT

This account of practice is about the ‘Scale Up’ programme, an attempt by an external consultant and their client to implement a model of Action Learning in an academic environment. It tells the story of establishing an Action Learning programme for local business leaders in collaboration with an academic business school. The programme involved classic Action Learning methods and structures, with the addition of external input from expert lecturers. The article explores how the programme was co-created to provide the advantages of both academic expertise and practical tools and highlights the challenges posed by this combination of practice and theory. The central crisis focuses on the first lecturer on the programme, whose behaviour emphasised the divide between academic teaching and practice-based, facilitated learning. By returning to Action Learning concepts, the programme coordinators were able to structure the academic input and ensure the sessions were more in service of the delegates’ learning. Reflecting on the programme, the external consultant learned the importance of being clear with collaborators from different learning disciplines, and the unique challenge of combining academia and practice through Action Learning.

摘要

该实践说明是关于“扩大规模”计划的，这是外部顾问及其客户在学术环境中实施行动学习模型的尝试。它讲述了与学术商学院合作为当地商业领袖建立行动学习计划的故事。该计划涉及经典的行动学习方法和结构，并增加了专家讲师的外部输入。本文探讨了该计划如何共同创建以提供学术专业知识和实用工具的优势，并强调了这种实践与理论结合所带来的挑战。中心危机集中在该计划的第一位讲师身上，他的行为强调了学术教学与基于实践的促进学习之间的鸿沟。通过回到行动学习的概念，项目协调员能够组织学术投入并确保会议更多地为代表的学习服务。反思该计划，外部顾问了解到与来自不同学习学科的合作者保持清晰的重要性，以及通过行动学习将学术与实践相结合的独特挑战。