Learning Pathways Grid

The Learning Pathways Grid (LPG) is a visual template (see Figure 1) for a particular kind of conversation analysis. LPG analysis helps professionals discover links from cognition to action, to the effects of action and makes those links explicit; it then supports a pragmatic redesign of action. LPG analysis is a powerful action research tool. It allows professionals to develop reflective practice skills in a rigorous, structured and collaborative way. While ‘reflective practice’ may appear mysterious and unattainable, the LPG allows practitioners at any level to identify ways in which their espoused beliefs and actual actions conflict or are in sync, a key reflective practice skill.

Figure 1 The Learning Pathways Grid

An LPG analysis is a stepwise process of reflection which guides inquiry into past conversational behaviour that has yielded undesirable results. It is done in a group. At each step in the LPG mapping and redesign, respectful inquiry and suggestions from group members can help an individual see past her or his inevitable biases and blind spots and empower the individual to adopt a new, more effective approach to a challenging situation. At the root of LPG analysis is the frame, a term applied loosely to encompass related concepts such as assumptions, cognitive schemas and mental models. The simple LPG conceptual model is that frames lead to behaviours, which in turn have consequences, as depicted by the left-to-right sequences in Figure 1. Frames both inform and limit actions; however, the individual has the power to imagine and adopt different frames that will lead him or her to more effective behaviours. LPG analysis supports this reframing. The LPG emerged from the interrelated traditions of Action Science, organizational learning, action inquiry and family systems therapy. It was developed initially by Diana McLain Smith and colleagues in the early 1990s for use in organizational development consulting. This entry explains the LPG and describes its application.