Cocreating Collaborative Leadership Learning Environments: Using Adult Learning Principles and a Coach Approach

Abstract

7As educators, we seek to answer the following question: "What magic can happen when you believe that people are whole and resourceful and you hold the space for generative, collective wisdom?" This chapter explores collaborative leadership and learning with adult learners. We focus on creative ways to optimize learning and enhance capacity to lead self and others.In this chapter, we share our experiences of collaborative leadership in the classroom. Our overarching premise is that collaborative leadership and collaborative learning are interdependent. Drawing on Kolb' s (1984) experiential learning model, current theories of mindfulness and presence, and coaching principles and practices, we explore the possibilities for meeting learners in the classroom in a way that honors adult learning principles, leadership development, and individual learner needs. We prefer the term learner to student because learner captures the essence of curiosity, discovery, collaboration, self-awareness, and personal mastery we strive to support. These values coexist with our responsibility as educators for clearly articulated competencies, learning outcomes, and assessment guidelines. Our aim is to recognize that adult learners are partners in the learning experience. As such, they can help to cocreate a collaborative leadership learning environment.As we share our examples and experiences, we focus on the opportunities to collaborate with learners in service of enriching their learning experiences and enhancing capacity to lead themselves and others. We continue to explore the following question in our teaching and facilitation practice: "What magic can happen when, as an educator, you believe that people are whole and resourceful and you hold the space for generative, collective wisdom?" This question inspires us to seek creative ways to engage adult learners in collaborative learning spaces that optimize both individual and collective learning and promote collaborative leadership in the learners' own contexts.

Understanding the Leadership Construct of Young Women Leaders

“…Collaboration skills underscore the ability to work with others efficiently and harmoniously to achieve a common goal. Collaboration is about finding or creating ways to work together (Page & Margolis, 2017).…”

Components of Effective Supervision and Training for Paraeducators

“…Teachers must be able to provide a rationale for using the EBP, explain the components or steps of the EBP, and model the EBP for paraeducators. Providing external resources as part of teaching an EBP can be useful and is part of Kolb's (1984) abstract conceptualization where conceptual resources inform practice (Page & Margolis, 2017). Resources might include articles or books to read, a local workshop to attend, or online training modules to complete.…”

“…This means having paraeducators work toward a goal that is applicable and relatable to what they need to learn, which enables them to see the benefit of the learning, ensuring application and active participation of the learned skills (Douglas & Uitto, 2021). This model allows the learner to grow through reflection of their experience (Page & Margolis, 2017). Reflection is critical as it encourages learners to increase their experiences and comprehension by asking and answering questions of their actions independently and collectively with the supervisor (Akella, 2010).…”

Promoting University–Community Alliances in the Experiential Learning Activities of Agricultural Extension Postgraduate Students at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa

“…Many scholars have theorized that applied learning is critical to the competency and skills development. Kolb's [26] experiential learning theory (ELT) for instance, largely draws attention to the certitude that having applied knowledge is central to learning and development [27][28][29][30][31][32]. Percy [33] explained the contrast between traditional and experiential learning; his viewpoint suggests that whilst new knowledge is transferred to learners in the conventional learning process, learners build on an already existing knowledge base in the experiential learning approach.…”