Reg Revans

Reginald William Revans (* 1907 in Portsmouth, United Kingdom, † 2003 in Shropshire, UK ) was a British physicist who is known in educational field. He developed the Action Learning, a method of experiential learning ( experiential learning) in groups.

Life

First Revans studied nuclear physics at the University of Cambridge.

During this time he regularly attended seminars where different researchers came together to talk about their work and the problems encountered. The problems went far beyond this most textbooks out; usually there were no experts who had to offer ready-made answers. Thus, the researchers divided practically their ignorance, and came so often to solutions of their problems. This experience played a large role in the development of action learning.

After his time at Cambridge, he was appointed Deputy Head of Office of Education for the County of Essex ( 1935-1945 ). He then became Superintendent of Schools in the recently nationalized coal industry ( 1945-1950 ). He should be looking for ways to increase production. To this end, Revan made ​​use of the method that had already proven to be effective in Cambridge. He encouraged the mine superintendent, to meet in small groups to share their experiences and write a manual how to run a coal mine. Productivity then rose by over 30%.

After this success, he became the first professor of industrial management at the University of Manchester ( 1955-1965 ). During this time he worked closely with the National Health Service. He then went to Belgium, where he was in collaboration with five universities to improve the rank of Belgium in the European League for Economic Cooperation. Again, he turned to the method he developed of cooperation. Belgium's industrial productivity rate then rose above that of the U.S., Germany and Japan. For this he was rewarded by the King of Belgium with the highest distinction in the country.

Since the 1980s, Revan worked with organizations from the private and public sectors in the UK and around the world, trying with his method to promote with and learning from each other.

In 1995, he supported the creation of the " Revans Centre for Action Learning and Research" at the University of Salford and donated his private archive on the subject. He spent his last years with his daughter in Shropshire, where he died in January 2003.