Natural Learning

Jay Cross über Natur und Lernen, Lernen von der Natur: ” A major component of informal learning is natural learning, the notion of treating people as organisms in nature. They are free-range learners. Our role is to protect their environment, shelter the newborn, provide nutrients for growth, and let nature take its course. Shouting at roses will not turn them into rhubarb nor artists into engineers. You can’t motivate a person to become something they are not.

Putting natural learning to work is more like landscape design and gardening than traditional instructional system design. All of life is interconnected. Organisms cannot live independent of their ecosystems. Self-service learners are connected to one another, to ongoing flows of information and work, to their teams and organizations, to their customers and markets, not to mention their families, friends, and friendship groups. We can improve their connections and nurture their growth but we cannot control them or force them to live …”