Char of life-long learners LO5362

Scott R. Cypher (scypher@perform.vt.edu)
Mon, 5 Feb 1996 09:33:09 -0400

Replying to LO5338 --

>>replaced by some more efficient solution like 'teaching', ' ?? ' and
>>'managed'.
>
>I'd be careful with the new words we use. Teaching often implies one
>active person teaching many passive people. Managing often implies
>controlling. I like the leadership concepts of coaching and helping.

Its interesting to note that those implied meanings are often held by
those not formally educated on what those terms mean.

For example, most college professors I've ever been in a class with, at
both the undergraduate and graduate level, tend to default to the lecture
mode, or a lecture/discussion formate. There has been research in
educational methods, designs, how we, as humans, learn, and the
relationship between them. Concepts like self-directed learning,
collaborative and cooperative learning, coupled with assessment procedures
and instructional design are not part of the formal college professor's
educational requirement or expected knowledge base.

Any term we use is subject to a set of implications that might not mean
what is intended. I know managers who think they are coaching and
helping, but its clear from their behaviors and communications they
aren't.

The only solution(s) that has worked for me is to:
Defining the term up front.
Seeking to understand how they define the term first, before I recommend one
Keep the usage simple and clear (layman terms, proper context)

Very Respectfully,

--
Scott R.Cypher                                   Project Manager
Center for Organizational Performance Improvement
(The Performance Center @ Virginia Tech)
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
1900 Kraft Drive, Suite 200
Blacksburg,VA             24060

(540) 231-6925 (Fax) SCypher@perform.vt.edu (540) 231-2773 http://www.perform.vt.edu/personal/scypher

If you cannot explain your phyics (or any other concept) to a (lay-person), you are over complicating things. -Arther Snow

-Info: learning-org-approval@world.std.com or <http://world.std.com/~lo/>