Lecture 3:
Learning Theory and Critical
Incidence (1)
1.
2.
3.
What is Critical Incident Analysis?
What is the Purpose of Critical Incident
Analysis?
How to Choose a Critical Incident Analysis?
1. What is Critical Incident Analysis?
Refers to event(s) that have made a profound
impact upon you. This event(s) are important to be
remembered since they have cultivated changes
in you.
Critical incidents can be significant events and
commonplace everyday incidents.
However these events can become critical through analysis and interpretation of them in
their wider context.
'People often ask what a critical incident is and how to
recognise one. The answer is, of course, that critical
incidents are not 'things' which exist independently of an
observer and are awaiting discovery like gold nuggets or
desert islands, but like all data, critical incidents are
produced by the way we look at a situation: a critical
incident is an interpretation of the significance of an event'.
(Tripp, 1998, p.8).
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1. What is Critical Incident Analysis? (x)
Thus,
everything that happens is a
potential critical incident, made critical
through analysis.
Critical incidents are, therefore, not
just dramatic or traumatic events which
are experienced but are incidents that
are created.
2. What is the Purpose of Critical Incident Analysis?
1. Critical Incident Analysis can be a major part of the
experiential learning cycle, using reflection for
personal and professional development.
a.
b.
c.
The critical analysis of incidents allows us to explore the
meanings of incidents in depth, to question our beliefs,
values, judgements and to challenge our 'theories-in-use' in
relation to our 'espoused theories'i (Argyris and Schon, 1974).
All experience is subjective, people construct their own
experiences. Incidents are not 'seen' as purely objective
situations but are based upon our perceptions of social reality
(Berger and Luckman, 1966, Jarvis, 1987) and therefore need
to be interpreted within their wider social contexts from
which they occur.
Critical analysis of events can lead to the confirmation,
modification or transformation of our assumption, beliefs and
values (Mezirow, 1991).
2. What is the Purpose of Critical Incident
Analysis? (x)
When we try to explain how we would act in certain
circumstances based upon our assumptions, beliefs
and values we would explain our 'espoused theory' of
action for that circumstance. However, we do not
always act in the ways we say we would and our
actual actions in any circumstances are based upon
our 'theories-in-use'. By observing how people act in
any circumstance will indicate their 'theories-in-use'
as opposed to their 'espoused theories' e.g. some
people espouse not to be racist or sexist however
even cursory observation of their language and
actions indicates that they are, even if this is at a
sub-conscious level.
2. What is the Purpose of Critical Incident Analysis? (1)
2. Effective professionals develop the ability to
systematically 'reflect-in-action' as well as
'reflect-on-action' (Schon, 1983, 1991) and
tend to use personal knowledge acquired
through practice as well as their specialist
knowledge as the basis for making judgments.
3.
Critically reflecting on incidents is a fundamental part of this process.
Committing incidents to paper makes for
deeper reflection and allows us greater
understanding of our assumptions, beliefs,
values and any contractions between our
'espoused theories' and 'theories-in-use',
leading to improved judgment and personal
and professional development.
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2. What is the Purpose of Critical Incident Analysis? (X)
As we have tried to explain the workplace is rapidly
changing and diverse as is the labour market.
Graduate opportunities within the labour market have
seen radical and dynamic changes over the past
twenty years. Organisational structures have been
responsive to these developments and have also
undergone significant change. Employers now
consider that 'soft skills' are as important as
academic qualifications and expect graduates
to possess these employability skills. Employers
want
flexible,
intelligent,
multi-skilled
adaptable employees who are responsive to
and able to deal with rapid and uncertain
change. Graduates will be entering 'learning
organisations' arid in turn will need to practice
Senge's (1990) five disciplines of personal mastery,
sharing mental models, shared vision, team learning
Soft Skills and Critical Incident
Analysis (X)
To
encourage introspective skills concerning
one's thoughts, and emotions.
Critical Incident Analysis allows reflection for
personal development and can lead to
confirmation
or
modification
of
one's
assumptions, values or beliefs.
Furthermore,
such skills are important to
individuals since it enhances development of soft
skills. Soft skills are seen as a prerequisite to
employability.
Systems Thinking:
Seeing things in broader picture, its
interconnections and affects.
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Soft Skills and Critical Incident
Analysis (X1)
Sharing Mental Models:
Reframing one's outlook and picture to life.
Deeply ingrained assumptions,
generalisations and picture that influence as
to how one understands the world and how
we take action is questioned.
Summary (X)
Critical incidence analysis is a source of personal
learning and development.
Learning is discovered through experiences and not
in a formal classroom setting. So, much so that
critical incidence is seen as being able to point-out
specific learning from specific events in contrast to
one's overall life experiences.
This organic form of knowledge is assumed to be
indirectly transferable to the working environment
and professional development.
Critical incidence analysis aids the individual's
adaptability to the changing world especially in
transferring subjective life experiences in school to
work place.
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3. How to Choose a Critical Incident Analysis?
The
basic rule is that any incident is an
experience that have the opportunity for
learning.
If an incident/event can be recalled in some
detail it must have had some meaning to be
remembered, even if this is not immediately
obvious, and, therefore, has the potential to
be analysed critically.
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