The shifting shape of knowledge
The format of the traditional lecture has been the foundation of higher education learning for decades. Professor stands behind a podium, slide deck projected, disseminating knowledge to students. It's a passive method to learning, one in which you listen and process information. This format isn't dissimilar to keynote speeches in business either. Thought leader on stage, mic in hand, attendees gathering inspiration to bring back to their workplace. Is this the best method for knowledge sharing, or are there nuances to be applied to the lecture and keynote?
Active learning isn't one-size-fits-all
Over the past several decades, academics and researchers have discovered a better way for students to learn: actively. Active learning is a process of learning in which students are engaging with educational material in the classroom through collaborative, problem-based and project-based curricula. Learning environments in higher education have been designed for the active learning method and continue to grow in popularity. North Carolina State University developed the SCALE-UP (Student-Centered Active Learning Environment with Upside-down Pedagogies) methodology. MIT's TEAL (Technology Enhanced Active Learning) classroom, the University of Iowa's TILE (Transform, Interact, Learn, Engage) initiative, and University of Minnesota's ALC (Active Learning Classrooms) have been designed with a collaborative educational pedagogy in mind.
image via Herman Miller case study at California State University in Fresno
But, hold up… there are limits to the idea of active learning. Case Western Reserve University has recently gone through two studies that examined its initiative to implement active learning classrooms and pedagogies. The first study was incredibly successful. Students responded positively to the experience and said it was the most engaging class they've ever been a part of. The second study, completed the following year, uncovered greater truths about the teaching method. Out of twelve classrooms which used active learning, the students in the two largest classrooms responded unfavorably to the format in surveys at the end of the semester. The average classroom size for the ten classroom with positive reviews had an average of 22 students; the two large classrooms had two sessions of 50 students and a group of 200 students. While proponents of active learning methods have indicated the approach could work in large size classrooms, these results may prove otherwise.
There's more than just the keynote
This brings me to another idea, out of education and into the business world. The traditional lecture in higher education is equivalent to the keynote presentation in business, the prevailing method for knowledge sharing events. Industry conferences, morning lecture series, TED talks… no matter where it is, or when it is, they're all formatted like a "keynote sandwich:" two slices of networking bread with a slab of keynote in the middle.
image via Shaping a Creative Future, a conversation on sustainability and innovation in Milan hosted by Prada
Like the shift toward active learning in higher education, there are models that transform the business event into something new and more engaging. Based on a seminar at the Yale School of Management where she teaches, Jessica Helfand is experimenting with "The Next Stage," a new kind of event that reorients the focus from a single person on a podium, to a deep dialogue with the people around the room. At her beta launch last month at Continuum in Boston, a group of about 60 or 70 people were seated in the round in an open event space. Jessica – the prolific designer, author, and podcaster, and founder of Design Observer – was also seated… no podium, no slideshow, just dialogue. And we didn't just hear from her; we also heard from a consumer behavior psychologist, an industrial engineer, a graphic design professor, an entrepreneur, a sustainability advocate, marketing professionals, and more. In a non-hierarchical way, the format allowed the opportunity for our conversation to morph, from a singular idea into a string of connected ideas that came from different perspectives. The "presenter" becomes less of a presenter, and acts more like a facilitator, able to connect thoughts and extend ownership of the discussion back to the attendees.
The shape of knowledge depends on context
The studies at Case Western Reserve University revealed something. There's a threshold in the effectiveness between small groups in active learning settings and large groups in passive learning settings. Likewise, at Jessica Helfand's event, even though there wasn't an attendee survey, I would venture to guess that if the size of the group was any larger, people would have felt disconnected from the conversation. Alternatively, if the group was smaller, there might be an even more engaged and participatory audience.
In education as in business, there still remains a place for both passive listening and active engagement. What does this variable level of engagement mean within the context of design? The shape of knowledge changes, and it all depends on the context, the place, and the people.