Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 3, 2026
04:36
Setup and Execution of the Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice Death Notification Curriculum
Published on: August 5, 2020
Transformative unlearning: safety, discernment and communities of learning
1Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. gmacdonald@utoronto.ca
Nursing Inquiry
|August 30, 2002
Summary
Unlearning, the process of shedding outdated knowledge, is crucial for knowledge workers. Creating safe spaces for dialogue and transformative learning fosters this essential skill for professional growth.
Area of Science:
- Adult Education
- Organizational Psychology
- Knowledge Management
Background:
- The emerging learning age necessitates continuous adaptation.
- Knowledge workers face challenges in updating skills and practices.
- Traditional learning models may not adequately address the need to unlearn.
Purpose of the Study:
- To raise awareness of the intellectual and emotional aspects of unlearning.
- To highlight the role of safe dialogue spaces in transformative learning.
- To explore unlearning within a transformative education paradigm.
Main Methods:
- Conceptualizing unlearning within transformative education.
- Utilizing a personal narrative and spiral path metaphor.
- Suggesting macro and micro approaches for facilitating unlearning.
Main Results:
- Unlearning involves discernment, receptivity, recognition, and grieving.
- A safe space for dialogue is vital for transformative learning and unlearning.
- Facilitating unlearning requires both organizational and individual strategies.
Conclusions:
- Unlearning is an essential component of lifelong learning for knowledge workers.
- Building 'communities of learning' supports the unlearning process.
- Strategies for facilitating unlearning should be implemented at individual and organizational levels.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Critical Thinking II
Critical thinking is a cognitive process with several attributes. The attributes of critical thinking include the following:
01:18Introduction to Learning
Learning is the process of acquiring knowledge or skills through practice or experience, leading to long-lasting behavioral changes. This acquisition occurs through interaction with the environment and requires practice or experience. For instance, mastering a skill such as surfing requires considerable practice and experience, highlighting the essential role of repeated interactions with the environment in learning.
In contrast to learned behaviors, unlearned behaviors such as crying, sexual...
In contrast to learned behaviors, unlearned behaviors such as crying, sexual...
01:21Cognitive Learning
Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
01:22Purposive Learning
E. C. Tolman emphasized the purposiveness of behavior — the idea that much of our behavior is goal-directed. For instance, employees who aim for a promotion work diligently to meet their targets. Tolman argued that when classical conditioning and operant conditioning occur, the organism acquires certain expectations. In classical conditioning, a child might fear a dog because they expect it to bite. In operant conditioning, a person might consistently work overtime because they expect a bonus...
01:19Critical Thinking
Critical thinking involves reflective and productive thinking and the evaluation of evidence. Critical thinkers seek to understand the deeper meaning of ideas, question assumptions, and make independent decisions about what to believe or do. Scientists, for instance, are often critical thinkers. Critical thinking also requires humility about what we know and don't know and the motivation to look beyond the obvious. It is essential for effective problem-solving.
Colleges and universities are...
Colleges and universities are...
01:20Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other
According to George Herbert Mead, as children progress beyond the game stage, they develop a more comprehensive understanding of societal rules and norms. This cognitive and social development enables them to internalize the expectations of the broader community, refining their ability to regulate behavior.Consistent participation in organized activities is crucial in helping children recognize that their actions are not isolated but contribute to a more significant, interconnected group effort.