@Allison Littlejohn – Thanks again for your comment and helping me to move my own thinking along.

I do indeed wonder how many students are able to self-regulate, or borrowing from the language of adult education, to self-manage or otherwise self-direct one’s own learning. Of course, this supposes that learners know enough or have had enough experiences that they can even begin to formulate what self-directing one’s learning means. It is difficult to self-direct unless there are already enough knowledge and experiences to organize and help frame the areas where more learning should or can be explored. Of course, these are all informal, as formal learning would almost always need more structure (for approval, funding, selling to stakeholders, etc.). Perhaps only in informal areas, or in creative fields or leadership development, may this be somewhat embraced.

You know, Allison, another issue came up when I just reviewed your examples of collective learning http://littlebylittlejohn.com/change11-position-paper/collective-learning-examples/ — what is the value for the individual in these situations, mainly business ones, if the individual is not recognized and given credit for the ideas?

I need to flesh this one out a little . . .