Teaching Smart People How to Learn
Hello! This week, I’d like to discuss the importance of teaching smart people how to learn. This reflection is inspired by two quotes—one ancient and one contemporary. Epictetus, a 2nd-century philosopher, said, “It is impossible to begin to learn that which one thinks one already knows.” Chris Argyris (1991), Professor Emeritus of Education and Organizational Behavior at Harvard, added, “Teaching people how to reason about their behavior in new and more effective ways breaks down the defenses that block learning.”
Leadership, Learning, and Trust
Current societal perceptions of leadership reveal widespread distrust and cynicism (Edelman, 2019). Higher education institutions play a critical role in fostering trust by preparing students to become active participants in transforming society (McEvily & Zaheer, 2004; Palmer, 1998). UNESCO (2017) emphasizes that learning must focus on values, attitudes, and behaviors that enable individuals to collaborate in a diverse and interconnected world. Teaching and learning practices that prepare leaders to process information and develop effective mental models are needed to meet this ambitious goal (Argyris, 1991).Additionally, effective leaders must think across boundaries, synthesize information from various sources, and create innovative solutions (Folke et al., 2003; Gardner, 2007).
The complex challenges of today’s world demand collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches. At Creighton, the EdD in Interdisciplinary Leadership Program integrates evidence-based practices to prepare leadership practitioner-scholars. We embrace innovative teaching practices to cultivate the learning of adult practitioner-scholars, i.e., people who are already well-educated and smart.
Effective Strategies for Adult Learning
In the late 1960s, Malcolm Knowles introduced andragogy, a theory defining the distinct needs of adult learners compared to traditional undergraduates (Knowles, 1980). This framework, along with subsequent scholarship (Granello, 2001; Knowles et al., 2015), identifies five unique characteristics of adult graduate learners:
They have an independent self-concept and can direct their own learning.
They bring a rich reservoir of life experiences.
Their learning needs are tied to evolving social roles.
They prioritize immediate application of new knowledge.
They are internally motivated to learn.
Recognizing these traits is vital for faculty and students in our program because they remind us to collaborate with our students in the learning journey.
In an online learning environment focused on adult students, we integrate the andragogical strategies with online teaching practices to create spaces for learning. Grant and Thornton (2007) propose eight principles for teaching adults in online environments:
Foster interaction and communication.
Encourage student collaboration.
Connect course content to students’ personal lives.
Provide prompt feedback.
Scaffold assignments to maximize time on task.
Communicate high expectations.
Respect diverse talents and learning styles.
Treat technology as a medium for learning, not the end goal.
These strategies promote environments where learners are introduced to new perspectives, deepen their understanding of diverse viewpoints, and expand their sense of community (Page, 2017; Palmer, 1998).
Finally, Bloomquist et al. (2018) identify four key elements that specifically support interdisciplinary leadership development:
Structure learning environments to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration.
Incorporate reflective practices in every course.
Encourage students to bring their work and life experiences into discussions.
Train instructors to embrace ambiguity.
Advancing the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
The EdD in Interdisciplinary Leadership Program not only applies these practices but continuously refines them to advance the scholarship of teaching and learning in leadership development. Our mission is to prepare practitioner-scholars who practice leadership in impactful ways, serve others, share responsibility, and leverage new power to drive change.
Understanding how smart people learn benefits educators, leadership practitioners, and students alike. It helps break down defenses, fosters critical thinking, and enhances reasoning and synthesizing skills—key elements of lifelong learning and leadership.
Next week, I’ll explore faculty learning and examine the question: What do educators in higher education do?
Bibliography
Argyris, C. (1991). Teaching smart people how to learn. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/1991/05/teaching-smart-people-how-to-learn
Bloomquist, C. D., Georges, L., Ford, D. J., & Moss Breen, J. (2018). Interdisciplinary leadership practices in graduate leadership education programs. Journal of Leadership Studies, 12(2), 60-63. https://doi.org/10.1002/jls.21579
Boyer, E. (1990). Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities of the professoriate. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Edelman (2019). Edelman trust barometer: Annual global study. https://www.edelman.com/sites/g/files/aatuss191/files/2019-2/2019_Edelman_Trust_Barometer_Global_Report.pdf
Folke, C., Colding, J., & Berkes, K. (2003). Synthesis: building resilience and adaptive capacity in social-ecological systems. In F. Berkes, J. Colding, and C. Folke (Eds.), Navigating social-ecological systems: building resilience for complexity and change (pp. 352–387). Cambridge University Press.
Gardner, H. (2007). Five minds for the future. Harvard Business School Press.
Grant, M. R., & Thornton, H. R. (2007). Best practices in undergraduate adult-centered online learning: Mechanisms for course design and delivery. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 3(4), 346-456.
Knowles, M. (1980). The modern practice of adult education. Cambridge.
Knowles, M., Holton, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (2015). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development. Routledge.
Merriam, S. B. (2001) Andragogy and self-directed learning: Pillars of adult learning theory. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 89, 3-13. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.3
McEvily, B. & Zaheer, A. (2004). Architects of trust: The role of network facilitators in geographic clusters. In R. M. Kramer & K. S. Cook (Eds.), Trust and distrust in organizations: Dilemmas and approaches (pp. 189-213). Russell Sage Foundation.
Page, S. E. (2017). The diversity bonus: How great teams pay off in the knowledge economy. Princeton University Press.
Palmer, P. J. (1998). The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher’s life. Jossey-Bass.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2017). Role of education. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/fight-against-discrimination/role-of-education/
