# Knowledge Hydrant

<!-- TOC -->
* [Knowledge Hydrant](#knowledge-hydrant)
  * [Introduction](#introduction)
  * [Concepts](#concepts)
  * [Summary](#summary)
    * [1. SPIRIT](#1-spirit)
    * [2. ATMOSPHERE](#2-atmosphere)
    * [3. ROLES](#3-roles)
    * [4. CUSTOMS](#4-customs)
  * [1. Spirit](#1-spirit-1)
    * [1.1 Knowledge Hydrant](#11-knowledge-hydrant)
    * [1.2 Pool of Insight](#12-pool-of-insight)
    * [1.3 SAFE PLACE](#13-safe-place)
    * [1.4 ENDURING ENERGY](#14-enduring-energy)
      * [Frequent Meetings](#frequent-meetings)
      * [Hour Meetings](#hour-meetings)
      * [Short Breaks](#short-breaks)
    * [1.5 KINDRED COLLABORATORS](#15-kindred-collaborators)
  * [2. ATMOSPHERE](#2-atmosphere-1)
    * [2.1 COMMON GROUND](#21-common-ground)
    * [2.2 PUBLIC LIVING ROOM](#22-public-living-room)
    * [2.3 INTIMATE CIRCLE](#23-intimate-circle)
    * [2.4 VIRTUAL SPACE](#24-virtual-space)
  * [3. ROLES](#3-roles-1)
    * [3.1 ENTHUSIASTIC LEADER](#31-enthusiastic-leader)
    * [3.2 MOTIVATED MODERATOR](#32-motivated-moderator)
    * [3.3 ACTIVE PARTICIPANT](#33-active-participant)
    * [3.4 PREPARED PARTICIPANT](#34-prepared-participant)
    * [3.5 DISTINGUISHED PARTICIPANT](#35-distinguished-participant)
  * [4. CUSTOMS](#4-customs-1)
    * [4.1 OPENING QUESTION](#41-opening-question)
    * [4.2 SEQUENTIAL STUDY](#42-sequential-study)
    * [4.3 AGENDA](#43-agenda)
    * [4.4 SUBGROUP](#44-subgroup)
    * [4.5 STUDY CYCLE](#45-study-cycle)
    * [4.6 DISTRIBUTED DIARY](#46-distributed-diary)
    * [4.7 AFTER HOURS](#47-after-hours)
<!-- TOC -->

## Introduction

A study group can make a difficult book easier to understand, it can succeed
where an unsatisfying class fails, and it can support you if your environment
doesn't support your ongoing learning and growth.

A study group is a collection of individuals who meet regularly to improve
their understanding of some non-trivial subject, like a body of great literature,
by participating in dialogue.

The authors and architects of the original pattern language understood that
individuals vary in how they obtain knowledge. Some don’t have a lot of time
and want to gain knowledge as fast as possible. Others prefer to extract as
much knowledge as they can by pondering a work’s every paragraph and
page. Still others prefer to study a work’s visual elements–its photographs
and sketches–before diving into the words.

There are 21 patterns in this pattern language. They are grouped into four
sections called Spirit, Atmosphere, Roles, and Customs. As you study the
patterns from each section, consider the structure of this language: **the
patterns from the Spirit section, at the beginning of the language, help to
define the study group's core, its spirit of learning. The patterns that follow
this section, in Atmosphere, Roles and Customs, are all intimately tied to the
earliest core patterns and serve to re-enforce them**.

## Concepts

| Concept            | Meaning                                                                      |
|--------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [Great] Literature | Piece of information in it's original form, un-destiled, no summarized, etc. |


## Summary

### 1. SPIRIT

_After identifying a great source of knowledge in a subject, work to create a
rewarding, intellectually safe environment for the study of that subject._

1. KNOWLEDGE HYDRANT
2. POOL OF INSIGHT
3. SAFE PLACE
4. ENDURING ENERGY
5. KINDRED COLLABORATORS

### 2. ATMOSPHERE

_Establish a home for the study group that is centrally located, comfortable,
aesthetically pleasing, and conducive to dialogue._

1. COMMON GROUND
2. PUBLIC LIVING ROOM
3. INTIMATE CIRCLE
4. VIRTUAL SPACE

### 3. ROLES

_Lead and energize the group, come prepared, and help guide dialogues so
that they are insightful and productive._

1. ENTHUSIASTIC LEADER
2. MOTIVATED MODERATOR
3. ACTIVE PARTICIPANT
4. PREPARED PARTICIPANT
5. DISTINGUISHED PARTICIPANT

### 4. CUSTOMS

_Follow customs that will re-enforce the spirit of the group, piquing
participant's interest in dialogues, accommodating different learning levels,
making the study of literature easier, recording group experiences, and
drawing people closer together._

1. OPENING QUESTION
2. SEQUENTIAL STUDY
3. AGENDA
4. SUBGROUP
5. STUDY CYCLE
6. DISTRIBUTED DIARY
7. AFTER HOURS

## 1. Spirit

### 1.1 Knowledge Hydrant

> . . . where can one obtain knowledge in its fullest, unfiltered, unsimplified, form?

This ignorance about great literature is widespread. It exists today primarily
because several important ideas about great literature have been forgotten.
These include some of the following facts:

- The hard work put into the study of great literature is worthwhile because
it ensures that people retain the knowledge they wish to obtain
- Great literature is much easier to understand when it is studied in an
intelligent sequence ([4.2 SEQUENTIAL STUDY](#42-sequential-study))
- It is easier and more rewarding to study great literature with other people ([1.2 POOL OF INSIGHT)](#12-pool-of-insight))

**Discover the great literature in your profession or area of
interest—the finest books, articles, and speeches ever
written—and then begin an earnest study of these works.**

So how do you find the great literature worthy of study? Ask people. Ask
knowledgeable people which authors they like, what are their favorite books,
what profoundly influenced them?

After identifying the works, form or join a study group  ([1.2 POOL OF INSIGHT](#12-pool-of-insight)), order the works
to be studied ([4.2 SEQUENTIAL STUDY](#42-sequential-study)), and compose an [4.3 AGENDA](#43-agenda).

### 1.2 Pool of Insight

> . . . once you've discovered your [KNOWLEDGE HYDRANT](#11-knowledge-hydrant), it can be overwhelming to drink from it. This pattern suggests how to make the study
> of great literature easier and more rewarding.

**To obtain the fullest understanding of great literature--to penetrate its
meaning – it is tremendously helpful to read and study a work on one's own
and then engage in meaningful dialogue on the work with others.**

In dialogue, people get the chance to learn from themselves and from their
colleagues. In communicating how they understand something, people may:

- clarify what confused others
- expose their own misunderstandings
- reveal new ideas
- articulate that which they didn't know they knew

There is a spirit present in dialogues that one doesn't
find in many other learning environments. Frequent meetings help sustain this
spirit. **When a group doesn't meet frequently, it can struggle to keep its
momentum and enthusiasm**; lively subjects and debates can fade between
meetings, and if people miss just one meeting, they will be absent for a very
long period. **Many groups sustain a group's spirit by meeting weekly or
biweekly**.

Group study also helps motivate people to learn, especially when they are no
longer officially "in school." A reading assignment every week or every other
week can help individuals continue to learn while balancing work and family
life.

**Read and study literature on one's own, but discuss it with
others in a regular study group. Aim to ask questions about
what you don't know and explain what you do know. Your
exchanges with colleagues will enrich your understanding
immensely.**

The best study groups are those in which individuals feel comfortable
learning with others ([1.3 SAFE PLACE](#13-safe-place)).

Atmosphere plays an important role in a dialogue. Some environments
promote dialogues ([2.1 COMMON GROUND](#21-common-ground), [2.2 PUBLIC LIVING ROOM](#22-public-living-room))
and some don't.

The most enriching study happens when a group has a [MOTIVATED
MODERATOR](#32-motivated-moderator) and [PREPARED PARTICIPANTS](#34-prepared-participant)...

### 1.3 SAFE PLACE

It is so important that a place of learning be a safe place. People need to feel
that they can experiment, or be wrong, for almost everyone becomes
uncomfortable if they fear that anything they say will be harshly criticized.
When places of learning have highly critical or judgmental natures, an
individual's ability to learn can easily be compromised.

In dialogue, participants must be comfortable to ask questions, even illogical,
overly simple, or silly questions. **It is the group's task to handle such
questions in such a way that individuals aren't stifled, or embarrassed, but
encouraged to continue learning**.

All participants within a dialogue need to help establish the safe place.
Usually, it is up to the [MOTIVATED MODERATOR](#32-motivated-moderator) to be especially
vigilant. With great diversity in a group-- people who are provocative or
reserved, skeptical or generous, newcomers or veterans --it is very easy for
study group sessions to become unsafe.

Maintaining a safe place is easier if a group establishes customs. Such
customs can help participants and moderators know what to do when different
types of discord arise

**Establish a warm, tolerant, polite and focused environment
in which individuals help each other and where everyone is
comfortable to ask questions and make mistakes.**

### 1.4 ENDURING ENERGY

> It's fairly easy to start a study group. But keeping it going,
> so that members are active, dialogues are insightful, and the
> group is long-lived, is another matter altogether.

A study group's energy initially comes from its founder. If the founder is
genuinely interested in creating a thriving, long-lasting [POOL OF INSIGHT](#12-pool-of-insight),
to improve himself and his community, the group will start life with a
powerful energy. But if the founder is merely interested in short-term gains,
or personal recognition, the group will be short-lived.

#### Frequent Meetings

It is difficult to maintain any sort of flow, or continuous energy, if a
group doesn't meet very often. When a group is studying a body of
knowledge, a month between meetings is usually far too long for people
to maintain focus and enthusiasm. Therefore, have the group meet
weekly or bi-weekly. **These frequent meetings will allow a group to
study effectively, and may lead some members to become [KINDRED
COLLABORATORS](#15-kindred-collaborators)**.

#### Hour Meetings

A one-hour meeting is typically not enough time for a group to have an
insightful dialogue on a piece of literature. But three hours is too much
time, since most participants can't actively engage in dialogue for that
long. Therefore, **limit dialogues to a maximum of 2 hours, and if energy
has waned significantly before that time, finish the meeting early**.

#### Short Breaks

At a certain time in a dialogue, a group's intensity, focus and
effectiveness will begin to diminish. If the group doesn't take a break at
this time, the quality of the dialogue may begin to deteriorate, and people
will become uncomfortable. Therefore, **allow for a short (ten or fifteen
minute) break in the middle of a study group session**, to let members
reflect, chat, use the restrooms, and prepare for the next half of the
dialogue.

Equally important, is a group's meeting quarters, since the location and space
will play a huge role in sustaining a group's energy. People need to be excited
about attending a group.

**Create study groups out of genuine enthusiasm to study a
subject in-depth. Meet weekly or bi-weekly for two hours,
and have a short break in the middle. Choose a meeting
location where people will enjoy passing time, and study only
those writings which are worthy of the group's attention.**

### 1.5 KINDRED COLLABORATORS

Join or form a small group that meets regularly and studies ideas that are
important to you. As you get to know people, valuable, career-enhancing
collaborations will develop.

## 2. ATMOSPHERE

### 2.1 COMMON GROUND

People want to connect with others but aren't willing
to do so in settings that make them feel uncomfortable. Location plays a vital role in the life of a group.

> Oldenburg's thesis is that people need informal public places
where they can gather, put aside the concerns of work and
home, relax, and talk. Germany's beer gardens, England's
pubs, and French and Viennese cafes created this outlet in
people's lives, providing a neutral ground where all are equal
and conversation is the main activity. 

**Hold public study groups where diverse individuals will all
be on common ground. The best locations are easy for
people to get to, but not too close to their offices or homes.**

### 2.2 PUBLIC LIVING ROOM

Great locations for study groups resemble large, comfortable living rooms. There are various types of chairs that may be rearranged, perhaps a sofa and rugs, some lamps or other warm lighting, and windows. When people feel comfortable they forget about themselves and may freely engage in dialogue.

_Some of the best locations are quiet, aesthetic places that invite reflection_: a centrally located cafe, a spacious gallery or bookstore, a room with a magnificent view, or some nook or corner of a hotel or lodge.

> Place each sitting space in a position which is protected, not
cut by paths or movements, roughly circular, made so that
the room itself helps suggest the circle - not too strongly -
with paths and activities around it, so that people naturally
gravitate toward the chairs when they get into the mood to
sit. Place the chairs and cushions loosely in the circle, and
have a few too many.

**Choose a warm, spacious establishment where people will
enjoy mingling before and after study sessions, where there
is comfortable, rearrangeable furniture, plenty of warm lighting, and a variety of foods and drinks.**

### 2.3 INTIMATE CIRCLE

**Awkward seating arrangements alienate people and thwart a
group's ability to work together. The best configurations
allow participants to easily see and hear each other. Yet
many establishments don't provide either the furniture or
space to make this happen, or don't let groups rearrange the
furniture.**

> ...**people will feel oppressed, both when they are either
working in an undifferentiated mass of workers and when
they are forced to work in isolation**. The small group
achieves a nice balance between the one extreme in which
there are so many people, that there is no opportunity for an
intimate social structure to develop, and the other extreme in
which there are so few, that the possibility of social groups
does not occur at all.
...
In our own survey of attitudes towards workspace -- taken
among workers at the Berkeley City Hall -- **we found that
people prefer to be part of a group that ranges from two to
eight.** When there are more than eight, people lose touch
with the group as a human gathering. 

**Choose a location with ample room, many tables and chairs,
and the freedom to rearrange the spaces to form rough
circles or ovals that may dynamically expand or contract.**

### 2.4 VIRTUAL SPACE

**Without an online presence, a study group will lack a cost-effective way of advertising its existence, organizing events,
staying connected and attracting new members.**

The trick to building a good site, is to avoid loading the site with too much
content that will regularly change, and to enlist the group's participants to
maintain the content that will need routine updating.

If the study group keeps a [DISTRIBUTED DIARY](#46-distributed-diary) or provides feedback
to authors, it is a good idea to post this material to the site, for the edification
of group members, and to foster online dialogue. For conducting such
dialogues, a simple, group email server or service (such as eGroups) is useful.
[AGENDA](#43-agenda) are particularly helpful for members and non-members of a
group and are therefore best placed on the site. A good agenda will span
several months, giving people the chance to plan their schedules and study
readings prior to group meetings ([3.4 PREPARED PARTICIPANT](#34-prepared-participant)).

**Establish an online presence where the study group's
mission, activities, and [DISTRIBUTED DIARIES](#46-distributed-diary) are posted, where members may continue dialogues, or chat, and where prospective members may learn more about the
group.**

## 3. ROLES

### 3.1 ENTHUSIASTIC LEADER
### 3.2 MOTIVATED MODERATOR
### 3.3 ACTIVE PARTICIPANT
### 3.4 PREPARED PARTICIPANT
### 3.5 DISTINGUISHED PARTICIPANT

## 4. CUSTOMS

### 4.1 OPENING QUESTION
### 4.2 SEQUENTIAL STUDY
### 4.3 AGENDA
### 4.4 SUBGROUP
### 4.5 STUDY CYCLE
### 4.6 DISTRIBUTED DIARY
### 4.7 AFTER HOURS
