16 KiB
Knowledge Hydrant
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.
- KNOWLEDGE HYDRANT
- POOL OF INSIGHT
- SAFE PLACE
- ENDURING ENERGY
- KINDRED COLLABORATORS
2. ATMOSPHERE
Establish a home for the study group that is centrally located, comfortable, aesthetically pleasing, and conducive to dialogue.
- COMMON GROUND
- PUBLIC LIVING ROOM
- INTIMATE CIRCLE
- VIRTUAL SPACE
3. ROLES
Lead and energize the group, come prepared, and help guide dialogues so that they are insightful and productive.
- ENTHUSIASTIC LEADER
- MOTIVATED MODERATOR
- ACTIVE PARTICIPANT
- PREPARED PARTICIPANT
- 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.
- OPENING QUESTION
- SEQUENTIAL STUDY
- AGENDA
- SUBGROUP
- STUDY CYCLE
- DISTRIBUTED DIARY
- 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)
- It is easier and more rewarding to study great literature with other people (1.2 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), order the works to be studied (4.2 SEQUENTIAL STUDY), and compose an 4.3 AGENDA.
1.2 Pool of Insight
. . . once you've discovered your 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).
Atmosphere plays an important role in a dialogue. Some environments promote dialogues (2.1 COMMON GROUND, 2.2 PUBLIC LIVING ROOM) and some don't.
The most enriching study happens when a group has a MOTIVATED MODERATOR and PREPARED PARTICIPANTS...
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 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, 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.
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 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 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).
Establish an online presence where the study group's mission, activities, and DISTRIBUTED DIARIES are posted, where members may continue dialogues, or chat, and where prospective members may learn more about the group.