Learning for Tomorrow

This book is essential reading for everyone concerned with the deeper issues of learning in terms of structure, context, process, group dynamics and outcomes. Based on a subtle understanding and a vast range of experience and building on the work of such people as John Heron, Carl Rogers and John Rowan, the reader travels through some new landscapes on a journey that involves all the faculties. Individuals are no mere spectators, but rather they are involved in what they are going to learn, how they learn it, and how the process of reflection and peer assessment will be carried out. There is a focus on interpersonal needs such as inclusion, control, collaboration and openness, all of which will invariably emerge in the course of a two or three day process. This makes participants much more sensitive to others and their reactions, along similar lines to Bohm dialogues.

The peer principle, an educational expression of equality, is a key element in this approach and is explained in detail in the expectation that 'tough, open, honest confrontation is the norm to be aimed at', which many people will initially find uncomfortable. The situation is essentially co-operative, participative, emergent, open-ended, experiential and co-creative. Much of the rest of the book is taken up with explanations of learning in groups, facilitating groups, assessing the process and formulating accreditation. By the end of the book, the reader is in no doubt that whole person learning is a radical new paradigm which has extensive implications for all kinds of education. This is a not only a comprehensive overview but also a landmark in this new field.