THE LEARNING CURVE
STUDYING AMID THE CHAOS
Ruwandi Perera writes that crisis times can foster learning opportunities
War! Huh!
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothin’!
Edwin Starr’s 1970’s hit may have been about the Vietnam War but its lyrics ring true even today as the world sits on the brink of, or is in the middle of, World War III – at the time of writing, at any rate.
Among the many adverse impacts of war is its short, medium and long-term effects on learning and education, as was seen in both previous world wars and all civil wars that have tainted human history in the 20th century.
Learning and development might be the last thing on our minds during times of conflict – whether we’re near the battlefields or several time zones away. Yet, learning remains a fundamental human requirement, which we invest in today to reap the benefits tomorrow.
It follows that it shouldn’t be stalled – no matter how uncertain times may be.
Chaos creates calamities but also gives rise to opportunities. Throughout history, we have seen many human phoenixes rising from the ashes of disorder.
Former South African President Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years before he dismantled the apartheid regime, and Mahatma Gandhi used chaos to launch nonviolent campaigns and lead a national movement. Steve Jobs, who was once ousted from Apple, returned when the company was on the brink of bankruptcy and launched some of the world’s most innovative products.
Although many countries aren’t directly affected by the crisis that began at the end of February in the Middle East, its ripple effects can’t be ignored given the ultra-globalised world of interdependence we live in. Feelings of uncertainty, confusion and hopelessness fill us, and make future centric investments such as learning feel unimportant and useless.
Yet, learning in times of chaos isn’t only necessary to ensure a bright future; it is also helpful because uncertainty based learning nurtures adaptability, resilience and innovative thinking. Turning disruption into opportunity prepares learners beyond curricula.
So individuals and organisations would do well to not interrupt their learning activities during chaos but embrace the uncertainty and implement the right strategies. This applies to both learners and learning facilitators, regarding both individual centred qualifications and organisation led training programmes.
For learning facilitators, enabling pedagogy of care is useful so that the learner’s wellbeing is prioritised over the content. This type of learning and development is equitable and not rigid, and caters to varying student needs. It’s supportive and nurturing, and promotes holistic development instead of singular focussed training.
Trauma informed pedagogy is a similar approach where a supportive learning environment is created through empathy over strict rules and flexibility over rigid policies. Learners feel safe from the trauma of the outside world and are empowered to develop themselves.
Organisations that act as learning or training facilitators need to practise more empathy, understanding and patience, when acknowledging and adapting to the uncertainty that surrounds learners. This will result in effective development.
When it comes to individual learners, there are several strategies to employ that begin with perhaps the most useful: leveraging chaos theory.
Chaos theory is widely known as the butterfly effect; it says that the world works in unpredictable, uncertain and unstable ways. Even the smallest action, like the flapping of a butterfly’s wings, can cause unprecedented consequences because things don’t work according to linear systems or plans.
Understanding this reality helps learners adopt the right mindset to learn even during the most stressful times. They will be able to embrace the truth that everything is constantly changing and come to terms with it.
This thinking will also help them adopt another useful learning strategy, which is to reframe uncertainty as an opportunity.
While the world stands still awaiting a return to normalcy, using the transitional period to develop ourselves for the next change is both important and beneficial. With this change of mindset, chaos isn’t seen as stressful but rather, a challenge that must be overcome.
Learning against such disruption isn’t only effective but rewarding too.
Lastly, it’s important to have a routine and discipline – not only through groundbreaking initiatives to develop yourself but also via small, repetitive and actionable steps.
One page at a time, one hour at a time… and before long, learning – which might have started as a distraction against chaos – becomes a habit within it.
