Learning and Evaluation/Archive/Learning pattern introduction

Learning Patterns: The what, the why and the how

Prepared for Grantmaking retreat, March 26th, 2014. Some notes available at this etherpad.

Problem

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You want to help volunteers within the Wikimedia movement capture important lessons they learn, in a way that other can easily access and benefit from those lessons.

Solution

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Document important advice, heuristics, and solutions to recurring problems in learning patterns.

The Wikimedia learning pattern library (LPL) is intended to serve as a collaboratively-created resource to help community members pursue mission-aligned activities.

What is a learning pattern?

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Learning patterns are Design Patterns.

“Each pattern describes a problem that occurs over and over again in our environment, and then describes the core of the solution to that problem.” ~ Christopher Alexander, A Pattern Language

Basic format of a pattern

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Problem
a common pitfall, recurring scenario, or useful goal
Solution
steps, guidelines, considerations, examples, use cases for addressing the problem
See also
related patterns, relevant external resources (on and off-wiki), references/evidence cited in the "problem" and "solution" sections of the pattern

How to create a learning pattern

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  • Mine existing reportage: browse "Lessons learned" from PEG reports, as well as IEG reports.
  • Reflect on your own experience pursuing mission-aligned activities
  • Organize pattern hackathons where people brainstorm and create patterns

How to use learning patterns

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What's next for learning patterns?

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  • Surface the LPL within the IdeaLab, suggest relevant patterns to idea-creators
  • Make "paper patterns" for Wikimania 2014; hand them out during GLEE events, include in conference materials, display them on a board at the grantmaking booth
  • Develop better methods for searching, sorting, and endorsing patterns
  • Suggest patterns to IdeaLab idea creators
  • Build pattern-creation into reporting: prompt grantees to create & contribute to patterns in the LPL as an alternative reporting requirement

See also

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Event planning & execution
Project planning
  • Expert involvement: when and how to involve people with special expertise into your projects
  • Feedback cycle: when and how to elicit stakeholder input on your project
Surveys
Reporting
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References

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