Reflective vicarious learning (RVL) as an enhancement for action learning

Purpose: A fundamental assumption within action learning is that learning only occurs through participation, reflection and action. Revans maintains that individuals will fail to understand the “how” of an experience until they have experienced it for themselves, i.e. “learned by doing”. The purpose of this paper is to postulate that Revans’ second phase of action learning, the reflection phase can, in situations where participation is not possible, be enhanced through reflective vicarious learning (RVL) or learning from the behaviour of others. Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopts a desk research approach review of the literature. Findings: The authors maintain that Revans’ concept of “learning by doing” in the context of the goldfish bowl exercise can enhance an individual’s insight through RVL or learning from the behaviour of others. Research limitations/implications: The paper is limited in some respects as it focusses on the viewpoint of the author coupled with the literature. Future research could explore participant voices to add an extra dimension to the work. Practical implications: In terms of utility for others, this paper is useful for developing an understanding of the differing learning opportunities that RVL and action learning combined can offer. As such, it has meaning for action learning facilitators, set members, academics and educational consultants. Originality/value: This papers originality is that it seeks to enhance Revans’ proposition by illustrating how RVL in the second phase of action learning can enhance an individual’s learning in situations where participation is not possible.