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The original article was written in German by Sabine Bertram.

The challenge of organisational development

Many demands are placed on educational organisations. As one crisis ends, the next one looms – and at the same time organisations are supposed to develop so as to better deal with future challenges and, ideally, shape them proactively. Occasional further training, for example on the opportunities offered by digitalisation, can certainly provide information, but the implementation process has to take place within the respective individual framework conditions.

Mixed emotions among staff

Against this backdrop, staff at educational institutions often see themselves facing an insurmountable number of tasks: everyday work must be performed and at the same time new structures and processes have to be developed and, of course, implemented. This can lead to mixed emotions within a team. An innovative spirit and enthusiastic attitude to change is accompanied by uncertainty; in some instances, people may feel overwhelmed or offer major resistance.

Change management in the profit and non-profit sector

In a corporate context, transformation processes are often supported by internal managers in charge of change or advice is sought from external consultants. A structured framework in which development and growth can occur is particularly important in times of change. However, educational and other social institutions often lack even the time resources required for such processes, as this discussion on Twitter shows. The financial means to comprehensively support such transformation processes are also rarely available.

“Learning communities” as a solution

Methods that focus on peer-to-peer learning offer great potential in this context. There is good reason why “collaboration” is named as a core future competence in the 4C model. The major advantage compared to support from external sources is that these types of learning groups can be easily organised by the participants themselves.

Learning communities form in various settings:

• as collegial advice or intervision to reflect on specific situations with clients.
• as a mastermind group of entrepreneurs to discuss challenges and learn from one another in a trusted circle.   
• as a Working Out Loud circle, whose fixed group members provide mutual support over twelve weeks and expand their own network.
• in social networks, where relevant initiatives regularly form, for example #meinziel22

All methods, regardless of their origins, focus on (further) developing practical skills, transferring knowledge to one’s own field, and mutual support in persisting with the task at hand. And the great thing is they work in both face-to-face and digital contexts!

Methodical basics of learning communities

Despite the diverse methods, there are common denominators that all types of learning communities share:

• Group size

The group size is limited, whatever the format. From four to seven participants has proved to be particularly suitable. The group is then large enough if someone is missing at one of the meetings, but also small enough for everyone to have the chance to address their issues.

• Group structure

The group should comprise people who have both things in common and differences, for example managers from various organisations or employees from various departments. The key thing is that all participants can learn from one another and that trust can grow. 

• Moderation

Experience shows that it is a good idea for one person to act as moderator. They keep an eye on time, adherence to the agreed structure, and ensure that all participants have their say.

• Structure

Every meeting follows a certain pattern. There is an introduction, time to address the relevant topics, the chance to clarify organisational issues, and a conclusion. This structure is transparent and creates trust. For some methods, e.g. WOL, the entire process is clearly structured from week one through to week twelve.

• Time

There are various aspects to consider here. Firstly, each meeting should be equally long. In addition, it makes sense to limit the number of meetings and to keep the gap between meetings more or less constant. The frequency depends on participants’ needs and the methods involved. What is important is to be able rely on the group’s involvement at the agreed times.

• Aim

It is important to have an aim for two reasons. Firstly, a shared group objective defines the reason why the participants are gathered in precisely this setting. Secondly, each participant should state a personal aim that will be pursued as part of the meeting. This dual aim increases motivation and commitment.

Variations are possible

In addition to these basics for learning communities, individual variations are of course also possible. For example, an external moderator might be used so that all participants can concentrate equally on both the process and aim of the meeting. The group meetings might also involve “homework” so that all members pursue their objectives in a step-by-step way. And, of course, contents can be supplemented from time to time, for example in the form of podcasts, specialist articles, or talks which are discussed at the next meeting. There are no limits to the ways in which the “learning communities” format can be creatively adapted to the needs of a particular group.

Conclusion

Support for transformation processes does not always have to involve intensive use of resources. Self-directed formats such as learning communities can also yield great benefit when they follow a certain structure and binding commitment. The education sector, where pedagogical staff develop concepts and implement training formats on a daily basis, ought to be particularly suited to such learning groups designed to foster learning with and from one another.

About the author

Sabine Bertram has been an EPALE Ambassador since March 2021. She explains why this involvement is so important to her in her EPALE blog (in German) "Lifelong Learning and EPALE - why I see the two as interlinked".