Week 38: Three Tiers of Learning

Training is a learning process for the trainer as well for the trainees.

Broadly speaking there are three tiers of learning process:

1. Learning by listening and reading.
2. Learning by reflection.
3. Experiential learning

Learning by Listening and Reading

In this, one’s focus is on receiving more and more information either by listening to different experts in the field or by reading. Information collection, assimilation of knowledge is the primary purpose here. Any individual undertaking to learn anything may have to go through this stage.

When it comes to 40 hours’ mediation training, this stage becomes more important.  In this the trainer’s effort is very active and the trainees’ effort will be comparatively passive. Trainer has to take lot of strain in seeing to it that the necessary information and basic knowledge related to nuances of mediation reaches the trainees. In order to do this, trainer has to have a treasure house of accurate knowledge with him/her. Trainees must be inspired to listen and read. They have to be properly guided in listening and must be motivated to receive more and more knowledge.

Learning by Reflection

 This is used by the trainer and trainee in refresher courses and in advanced trainings.

Here the trainer’s role is not as active as that of a trainee. Trainees must put cent percent effort and understand the benefits of learning by reflection. Trainer will stay behind and guide the trainees. Trainer will correct them if and whenever necessary.

Learning by reflection is a personal effort. No master can sit with the reflector all through. To know the advantage of learning by reflection, one has to work with masters who have inculcated this art. When learning is strengthened by reflection, the way in which one trains is different. So also, the way in which one conducts mediation will be different.     

Every trainee has to make immense effort to learn by reflection. Every concept that is introduced in the forty hours’ training, or learnt by the trainees either by listening to experts or by reading materials on the subject may have to be recapitulated. Every now and then the trainee should ask, why is this so? Why it is not so?  Nothing is taken for granted by any one is learning by reflection. They question, understand the logic behind and then agree or disagree. There is a sound homework done on every single sentence one speaks or every single act one does, post learning by reflection their behavior conduct and approach completely gets changed.  

Experiential Learning

In this, trainer remains as an observer. Trainees have to make all efforts to learn. They learn by their own experiences and also from experiences of the others. A question may arise then as to ‘why then a Master is necessary here’? Master gives inspiration to the trainees to understand the importance of possibility of experiential learning. The very presence and silent conduct of a master demonstrates ‘how one becomes a Master by experiential learning’. The possibility of being the best can be watched by the trainees, and they may also try to reach the same or even greater level than the master.

In this again, the trainees’ role is more and the trainer’s role is negligible. Trainee has to once again reach out to the learning by reflection, take out all that was learnt, and adapt it to the experiences and find out where he /she has gone wrong and why? And whether he/she could have done better?

EXAMPLE

Stage I. During 40 hours’ training in mediation

Trainer gives inputs on the skill of ‘reframing’.

Trainees listen to the trainer. They also collect various reading material on the subject and read the same seriously.

They conduct several mediations after completion of 40 hours’ training.

Stage II. During refresher course

Trainer says ’it is safe to avoid using the skill of ‘reframing’ in joint session, more particularly avoiding in the first joint session.’

Trainees will now start recapitulating what all they have listened to and read about reframing, and start thinking, ‘Why should not ‘reframing’ be done during joint session? Why should it be restricted to private session?’

They analyze this question from various angles and try to come to their own conclusions. They may or may not agree with the trainer’s statement.

Stage III: During advanced training

In a role play wherein subject matter is “divorce sought by the wife after 25 years of marriage”, wife tells the mediator:

Wife: My husband has been so cruel to me. He uses abusive language, he humiliates me in front of others, etc., he does not take responsibilities of any kind. I want divorce”.

Mediator: (While making a restatement, uses skills of summarizing, paraphrasing and reframing) Madam, according to you for various reasons as stated by you, there are disturbances in your matrimonial life which has hurt you a lot. Do you mean to say you are expecting to have love, care and respect from your husband?

Wife: Not any more. Enough is enough. I am not a fool to have any expectation from this man after 25 long years.

Husband: I will not give her divorce. Let her run to court till her death.

Matter gets referred back to court.

Analysis: Consider the damage caused here and the reasons for the same through reflection

Trainer takes the role of mediator in the same role play:   

Trainer spends quality time with the wife. Allows her to vent out emotions. Asks her to reveal about the past. Assists her to have an understanding on her own that ‘nothing in the past can be altered’ but ‘some thing about future can be worked out’. Asks her to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of taking divorce. Sets an atmosphere in another joint session for the husband to convey his regret about his conduct with the wife, and his sincere unconditional apologies, and his inability to live without his wife. Facilitates the parties to have empathetic connection. Then, trainer sets further private session with the wife. Allows her to reflect on the proposed decision in the backdrop of her husband’s commitment. When it comes from the wife that “I can consider living with my husband but I don’t know what to do …”. Then the Trainer-mediator, using the skill of reframing asks the question, “Do you mean to say ‘you expect love, care and respect from your husband?’ Wife says, “YES. That is all I wanted. That is all I want”.

Trainees learn by observing the experienced trainer playing the role of mediator.

“The only source of knowledge is experience”

Albert Einstein

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(All copy rights reserved by the author S. Susheela)