PEDAGOGY
F or many educators, the concept of learning is closely associated with traditional classroom education – whether at a university, school or training facility. While classrooms can impart valuable concepts and ideas, they often fail to capture the chaotic and dynamic nature of real-world practice. Theoretical lessons in a passive environment can lack the immediacy and practical application needed to be truly effective in the real world. Consequently, the knowledge and skills acquired often become obsolete by the time one enters the job market, where a typical individual might navigate through six or seven different careers over a lifetime. The rapid evolution of job requirements in the digital era highlights a crucial shift from acquiring specific technical skills to the need to master a more adaptive, deep form of learning. This shift involves the development of what we might call a “meta-competence”, or the ability to continually adapt and both upskill and re-skill as job requirements evolve. Rather than focusing on static, job-specific skills, the emphasis is on the ability to “learn to learn”. This meta-competence enables workers to grasp and apply principles that can be modified to various work situations, thus addressing ongoing variability in job demands. To prepare for this kind of learning, it is essential to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical experience, bridging the gap between classroom lessons and workplace realities. Facilitating work-based learning Traditional classroom settings often struggle to translate theoretical knowledge into practical skills. Lessons learned in such environments can easily become disconnected from the realities of the workplace. Business education simply needs to adjust to a world of dynamic change wherein learning would occur contemporaneously with the demands of the job and the surrounding workplace. We consequently need a work-based learning in which theory can be integrated with practice and in real-time. This approach would ensure that learning is applied in the right dose and in the right time to be helpful in the workplace. By embedding learning within the actual process of work, students can learn to cope more naturally with work challenges,
allowing them to understand and use otherwise esoteric concepts practically that might in other circumstances remain merely theoretical. Work-based learning can be described via several key characteristics: • Learning in action: knowledge is acquired in the midst of practice and dedicated to the task at hand • C ollective knowledge creation: learning is viewed as a collective activity involving all members connected to the job; thus knowledge is created through collaborative efforts, making learning a shared responsibility • Learning-to-learn aptitude: this frees learners to question the underlying assumptions of practice, promoting a mindset of adaptation and growth In a work-based learning environment, the role of the teacher undergoes significant transformation. Instead of merely providing knowledge, teachers become facilitators, mentors and designers of learning experiences. They guide participants through real‑world challenges, helping them make sense of and reflect on their experiences while applying theories that work. This shift emphasises active engagement in learning for all participants, where expertise is developed through practice and collaboration rather than through passive receipt of information. In their well-known treatise, The Social Life of Information , John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid highlight this perspective by noting that true expertise is not gained by learning formulas, but by engaging in the implicit practices in the field. For instance, becoming a chemist or a football player involves internalising the idiosyncrasies and culture of the practice, not merely learning appropriate concepts. The emergence of action learning A notable variant of work-based learning is “action learning”, an application originally developed in the UK and now used worldwide. Action learning focuses on solving real-world problems through active engagement and reflection. Participants work on actual projects within their organisations or placements, guided by facilitators or tutors, who help them, often in learning teams, to reflect on their experiences and apply theoretical propositions along with local knowledge. In action learning, then, the emphasis is on learning through problem-solving. In working through their projects, participants gain insights from their experiences and the feedback received.
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Business Impact • ISSUE 3 • 2025
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