LOs in Higher Ed LO19457

tom abeles (tabeles@tmn.com)
Thu, 08 Oct 1998 08:35:45 -0500

Replying to LO19430 --

Dr. Steve Eskow wrote, in small part:

> One question, raised here before, is what is the evidence that
>suggests the colleges of our nation and the world are not learning, are
>not learning organizations?

I would posit the following:

1) What is the "organization" that is supposed to be modeled in higher
education? Does it differ from the generic form found in the corporate
world and to which Senge's model is being applied? If so, where and if
not, why?

2) Given the changes occuring in higher education, globally, can an
adaptive model such as the "LO" approach have any relevance where it may
be a matter of transformation or death?

An engineer was hired by a computer firm to help design the plant of the
future. The firm's staff started listing such ideas as robotic
manufacturing, just in time parts and all the terms familiar to most here
on this list. The engineer listened and then asked, "but what will you be
producing in this factory of the future?"

What, indeed, will be the higher education industry in the first place and
is worrying about the university or perhaps many other businesses as LO's
not the right issue to be concerned about. Maybe patching that tire and
tuning the engine on that old sedan is irrelevant because the real need is
a bright and shiney SUV?

thoughts

tom
abeles

-- 

tom abeles <tabeles@tmn.com>

Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>