Learning strategy
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How to measure real-world outcomes in learning initiatives
This is the second of two articles about assessment, exploring how The Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF) measures real-world outcomes in learning initiatives. The first article examines the structural limitations of pre- and post-test designs, commonly used in global health and humanitarian response training, which cannot provide evidence of impact. The question behind the question When…
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What pre and post tests cannot tell you: A critical review of a widely-used but poorly-understood assessment method
This is the first of two articles about assessment, exploring the limitations and misuse of pre and post tests. The second article examines the framework used by The Geneva Learning Foundation to overcome the limitations described here. The reassuring illusion of the knowledge quiz Imagine a two-day workshop on menopause for healthcare providers. Before the…
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Book review: A handbook of learning for transformation
A cartography of learning for transformation The Palgrave Handbook of Learning for Transformation offers a sweeping map of the territory of transformative learning. The editors have curated a massive collection of perspectives that stretch the boundaries of the field beyond its traditional roots in the work of Jack Mezirow. The volume is organized not as…
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5 surprising insights from the science of successful learning
The work of Reda Sadki offers a provocative, often counter-intuitive critique of how we learn, lead, and solve complex problems. Here are five surprising insights about what it takes to create successful learning. 1. Text is superior to video for learning In an era where educational technology is obsessed with video content, immersive simulations, and…
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5 reasons why our current systems of learning are broken – and how to fix them
Reda Sadki’s writing explores how systems of learning matter when tackling complex challenges across global health, humanitarian aid, and education. Over twelve years of articles on his blog, he has built a cohesive argument for why our current systems of learning are broken and how we might fix them. Since 2016, his work at The…
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The future of hybrid engagement: accelerated action to tackle global threats
How can we use the new physics of digital connections to save lives? What is the future of hybrid engagement? The ultimate test of any digital architecture is whether it can deliver results in the real world. In the context of global health, the challenge is bridging the “know-do gap.” This is the chasm between…
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What is the pedagogy of Teach to Reach?
In a rural health center in Kenya, a community health worker develops an innovative approach to reaching families who have been hesitant about vaccination. Meanwhile, in a Brazilian city, a nurse has gotten everyone involved – including families and communities – onboard to integrate information about HPV vaccination into cervical cancer screening. These valuable insights might…
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Brevity’s burden: The executive summary trap in global health
It was James Gleick who noted in his book “Faster: The Acceleration of Just About Everything” the societal shift towards valuing speed over depth: “We have become a quick-reflexed, multitasking, channel-flipping, fast-forwarding species. We don’t completely understand it, and we’re not altogether happy about it.” In global health, there’s a growing tendency to demand ever-shorter…
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The capability trap: Nobody ever gets credit for fixing problems that never happened
Here is a summary of the key points about the capability trap, from the article “Nobody ever gets credit for fixing problems that never happened: creating and sustaining process improvement”. What is the capability trap? Core causal loops The capability trap The “capability trap” refers to the downward spiral organizations can get caught in, where…
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Pandemic preparedness through connected transnational digital networks of local actors
What is the link between pandemic preparedness, digital networks, and local action? In the Geneva Learning Foundation’s approach to effective humanitarian learning, knowledge acquisition and competency development are both necessary but insufficient. This is why, in July 2019, we built the first Impact Accelerator, to support local practitioners beyond learning outcomes all the way to…
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