I need to post a comment of at least 75-words to my class mate’s post. Action Learning Gurus Nicholas Greetings class, I viewed several videos featuring Reg Revans that were provided by the YouTube channel GULLltd. As the originator of this concept, it

I need to post a comment of at least 75-words to my class mate’s post.

Action Learning Gurus

Nicholas

Greetings class,

I viewed several videos featuring Reg Revans that were provided by the YouTube channel GULLltd.  As the originator of this concept, it’s difficult to argue with Dr. Revan’s expertise in the area.  I can appreciate some of the relatable examples and analogies that he presents. For example, he compared how long it took Columbus to cross the Atlantic by ship versus himself in a Concord in order to illustrate the rate of advancement (GULLltd, 2010).  Unfortunately, some of his examples were understandably dated.  The dated examples and less than exuberant presentations are to be expected as Dr. Revans was in his 80’s when he gave these talks.  Conversely, I believe that Michael Marquardt is relatively adept at explaining the methodology of action learning in modern terms.  I think the way in which a concept is communicated is equally as important as one’s knowledge of the concept.  You can have intimate knowledge of a subject, but you won’t be successful in passing on the information if it’s not presented properly.   I believe this is where Dr. Marquardt outperforms Dr. Revans.  Dr. Marquardt has a bit more charisma and makes effort towards keeping the message entertaining.  For example, he got quite a bit of laughs as he mentioned, “now, I’m a grandparent.  I have nine grandchildren and my most important role in life is to undo the damage that my children do to my grandchildren” (VCUSOE, 2013).  It’s important to keep one’s presentation light and entertaining in this manner so that the presenter can maintain the attention of the audience. 

Another important technique that Dr. Marquardt uses to accomplish this is by asking the audience questions throughout the presentation and allowing them to provide answers.  I definitely recognized the benefits of this interactive approach as the engagement of his audience was readily apparent.  Additionally, he’s very animated and uses a significant amount body language throughout his presentation.  Moreover, Dr. Marquardt incorporated a well-constructed PowerPoint presentation into his presentation.  The use of visual aids such as this is another excellent way to maintain the attention of the audience.  All of these techniques combine to make for a much more engaging presentation than those provided by Dr. Revans.

Optimization of audience attention aside, Dr. Marquardt does a fantastic job of utilizing real-world and hypothetical examples and analogies to explain the topics covered.  It’s important to understand how abstract concepts such as these apply to real-world scenarios.  Additionally, such examples help to paint a mental picture that can create a more thorough understanding of these topics.  For this reason, I’d highly recommend watching the video cited below, entitled “Michael Marquardt Action Learning Lecture”, if you are still struggling to fully grasp the concept of action learning. 

Very respectfully,

Nick 

[GULLltd]. (2010, Oct 11). 1. Rate of change | Reg Revans 1994 | Briefings. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtqlHxKE-_w.

[GULLltd]. (2010, Oct 11). 1. On intellect and wisdom | Reg Revans 1991 | Briefings. [Video File]. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2D_sGQcVz8&t=5s.

[IFALOfficial]. (2012, Nov 22). Action Learning - Introduction by Reg Revans. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bJ9RXkYPSU.

[VCUSOE]. (2013, Feb 1). Michael Marquardt Action Learning Lecture. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtVG8kF8qf4.