We Learn Better Together

What a discussion-driven conference taught me about how we learn

Last weekend I got the chance to attend an innovative conference in Greenville, SC called Grok.

Grok is a conference for people working in design and technology. Its mission is to encourage creative teams and individuals to think differently. (I also think “grok” is the sound a toad makes in the dead of night, but that’s beside the point.)

As a first-timer, I was really impressed with the depth of discussion we had at this conference. Most other conferences I’ve attended were formatted the same:

• Sit and listen to keynote speakers for a few hours,
• break for lunch, and
• then come back to sit and listen for a few more hours.

I don’t know about you, but for me this combination is a recipe for lethargy. It also means I’m only learning from a couple of people even though I’m in a room filled to the brim with brilliant minds.

Grok, on the other hand, is designed to cultivate open discussion among all attendees.

Instead of one person talking to hundreds of people for hours, Grok switches things up. Each day two keynote speakers share. The rest of the time is devoted to micro-presentations called “10/20’s.” These short talks help attendees stay engaged and learn more.

In 10/20s, everyone is asked to talk for 10 or 20 minutes about almost anything. Grok says you can “ask questions, propose ideas, share your work, tell a story, the time is yours.”

How these 10/20’s work:

• There’s one facilitator. This adds a little structure which actually frees the group up to participate more.
• Everyone faces each other in a u-shaped classroom which makes the setting more personal.
• Anyone can join in with an idea. It doesn’t even necessarily have to be prepared ahead of time. This means we have the chance to hear fresh, new voices.
• No matter how interesting the conversation, every person is cut off at the 10 or 20 minute limit. This encourages ongoing conversation after the session, during lunch or over coffee.

I think this format tells us something essential about how we learn best. We learn more when we’re in open conversations with people. In these settings, no one needs to be “the expert.” Instead, everyone adopts an attitude that says, “Here’s what I’ve learned so far. What do you think?”

Grok attendees learn more because . . .

1. The Grok staff and keynote speakers set the expectation and tone for the event that everyone should be humble and teachable.
2. Attendees conversed as an essential part of the conference. It’s seriously hard to learn if you don’t get to interact, hear new voices, or experience new settings.
3. Everyone was encouraged to continue conversations after each session. In other words, learning multiplied exponentially each day.

These three points apply to any learning environment, whether it’s a conference or a classroom or an online course. We can learn a lot more when we give more people a voice and choose discussions over information sharing alone.