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The rough template for a Learning Venture

What became apparent through the course of the LEVERS project is that the design of the Learning Ventures as vehicles for action was as important as the actions themselves. They were designed and iterated through the course of the project, developing differently in each location in response to local need. The design parameters by which we can examine them become a of checklist for anyone embarking on their own learning ecosystem initiative:

The shape and purpose of the Learning Venture group (learning ecosystem)

  • Size, structure, agreements or understandings
  • Ways of working and minimum levels of commitment or invoLearning Ventureement
  • How the initiative is framed e.g. as a partnership, network, interest group,
  • community of practice or working group
  • Values, red lines


Time commitments

  • Meetings format and regularity
  • Other events e.g. partner meetings, presentations


Shared activity or action

  • Is there an explicitly
  • Are all members of the group involved lv 
  • What kinds of activity might be the subject of collaboration


Timescale

  • Fixed endpoint(s)


Favoured tools and approaches

  • Meetings
  • Communications
  • Collaborative tools

Rough typology of Learning Ventures

A bigger agenda setting group which meets semi-regularly; focused sub-groups for specific collaborations and actions.

A smaller number of partners all working collaboratively on specific activities.

A dual track of convening and catalyzing activities; each track informs the other but not (necessarily) directly connected.

The Center for Social Innovation moved away from their usual ideas-led approach, creating a slow structured process in which understanding emerged over time. They reflected that ‘trusting the process’ is a challenge when people expect and want certainty. But not ‘jumping on the first idea’ and responding iteratively to feedback made a material difference to their project in terms of quality and relevance.

As Kersnikova set themselves the task of understanding systemic design and how it might inform their approach to LEVERS they found an innovative way to share the burden. They ran inspiration and exchange sessions for teachers, meaning that they had to understand the theory well enough to table it with others and also that they had a broader community to explore its relevance and application with.