I intentionally design to maximize learning. I conduct a needs assessment, asking select questions of participants and stakeholders, studying websites and key documents, and observing events and meetings of the client and small groups. I check my assumptions and work to align the steps of design to ensure the best content is being offered at […]
I work in a closed society*. My colleagues do as well. In fact, we are all from the country in which we work and are passionate about what we do. We facilitate learning sessions with individuals in small and large communities, from grassroot organizations and concerned civil servants, victims as well as perpetrators of violence, […]
How do you turn a concept into a useful visual to teach and reinforce that concept over time? How do you take that visual off the page so that people can interact and learn from it? Here’s a story to illustrate how you might do just that. We hope it inspires you with its simplicity. […]
As we reviewed the assessments coming in after the pilot of a newly developed training course, two words stood out: breakout rooms. Half of our team expected the feedback on these virtual discussion groups to be negative, the other wondered why almost every participant wrote about them in their responses. We pored over the data […]
“Remember that your authority over other human beings is an artificial construct.” [1] I’ve been asking people about their core values and characteristics when they are at their best for over 20 years. I was introduced to this practice through the field of restorative justice. I witnessed mentors help groups identify their core values in […]
I had the privilege of participating in a life-changing wildlife educational experience about black bears. When I got home after the first year, I felt I hadn’t made the most of this incredible opportunity. A guided learning journal I created for year two helped me remember what I learned and transfer the learning to action […]
At GLP we see “learning events” and “meetings” as distinct and unique gatherings. The principles and practices of a learning-centered approach apply to both, however, there are also differences that need to be considered. The main difference: In learning events, we determine what learners want or need to learn that is new. As designers of […]
I have learned a lot about connection recently. Previous to the last couple of months, I was afraid of it. In a way, I’d imagine we all were. As a shared humanity, it seems as though in the last year we’ve never been farther apart. Amidst wars and division in many facets of life, we […]
Have you ever set up a breakout room and only half the people went there? They didn’t ‘move’ because they were no longer at their desk. But how could you know: their webcam was OFF! Have you ever found yourself begging, even pleading, for individuals in a Zoom meeting to turn their webcam ON, but […]
The Situation International Budget Partnership (IBP) is a global leader in Fiscal Transparency and Accountability. One of IBP’s core strengths and contributions to the fiscal field has always been its ability to convene and facilitate strategic conversations and peer learning. However, these convenings have predominantly been in-person. In light of COVID-19 IBP had to face […]