The College of Self-Organised Learning was formed in 2003 when Dr Andrew Taylor, a graduate of the Centre for the Study of Human Learning met Nick Crowder, a successful serial social entrepreneur and Founder/Executive Director of One Life International, whilst developing a social enterprise focussed on wood recycling. Nick and Andrew saw a key role for Self-Organised Learning in supporting the socially excluded get back on their feet and in enabling them to make a positive contribution to society.
The key people in the college are:
Professor Laurie Thomas
Non-Executive Director, CSOL
Professor Laurie Thomas created the Centre for the Study of Human Learning as a self-financing research and post-graduate teaching institute in 1967. From a science and engineering background and served his national service as a captain in the R.E.M.E. Then after a brief career in Production Management and as Statistical Research Manager at the Acton Society Trust, he went on to study “Subjective Judgement and the Control of Quality” and was awarded his PhD in Psychology (London University).
He taught Management Development and Production Engineering at Brunel University and later as Reader established with Marie Jahoda the first undergraduate sandwich course in psychology. He procured major research grants (S.S.R.C, D.E.S, Nuffield, M.o.D, Ministry of Prod & Employment) and consultancy contracts to study Human Learning in the natural habitats of work, business, education, sport and the social service. Whilst on sabbatical leave in the USA he worked at the Menninger Foundation and with C.Rogers, G.Murphy and G.Kelly. He is the originator of the first man-machine Repertory Grid elicitation and analysis computer program (Demon, Pegasus and Focus) and is the author of the Integrated Software Suite for Grid Elicitation and Analysis, adding Perceive and Evaluate, Change Grid, Exchange and Converse, and Sociogrid. He has patented several learning aids and published over 100 papers and 5 books.
Together with Sheila Harri-Augstein he has carried out a 7 year action research study with The Royal Mail Post Office introducing a system of Self-Organised-Learning for Management Effectiveness and developing a feedback for learning technology for managing Self-Organised Change. With Sheila he also developed a learning conversation shell for Ship Command and Control and for Air Intercept Control for the Royal Navy.
Professor Sheila Harri-Augstein
Non-Executive Director, CSOL
Dr. Sheila Harri-Augstein graduated with first class honours and an M.Sc by research in Biology (University of Wales) and having qualified as a science teacher went on to Head a Science Department in a Grammar School.
She carried out an action research study with her sixth form and with undergraduates on Strategies and Tactics of Learning Intellectually Complex Matter and was awarded her PhD in Psychology, Brunel University, supervised by Laurie Thomas. As Senior Research Fellow at Brunel she led several research projects including developing Reading to Learn and Learning to Learn Software Packages for Schools and Colleges. As senior Lecturer at Loughborough she was responsible for Educational Psychology for the B.Ed Degree and at the same time produced Course Units on Learning for the Open University. She has also acted as Tutor Monitor and Examiner for the Open University and for the Oxford and Cambridge A Level Exam Boards. As Joint Head of Human Learning at Brunel Sheila has responsibilities for postgraduate supervision leading to Doctorate awards in Human Learning and with Laurie continues to develop a theory of Self-Organised-Learning and a technology of Learning Conversations for the advancement of learning skills and processes. She is Associate Fellow of the BPS, a Chartered Psychologist, Fellow of the RSA and Scientific Fellow of The London Zoological Society. She is a qualified master of Ikebana (Sogetsu School, Japan). As Visiting Professor Sheila has run seminars and advised on research projects in Mexico (UAM), Australia (Armidale) and Madras and run workshops on S-O-L in France, Switzerland, Wales, Ireland and South East Asia. Together with Laurie she is a member of the Concerted Action Expert Group advising on Advanced Learning Technology (ALT) for the EU DELTA Programme.
She has co-authored with Laurie Thomas:-
- The Art and Science of Getting a Degree (1978) Brunel University Publications;
- Reading to Learn (1982) Methuen; ‘Self-Organised Learning’ (1985) Routledge;
- Learning Conversations (1991) Routledge and with Ian Webb
- Learning to Change (1995) McGraw Hill.
She has also presented TV and Radio programmes on Learning-to-Learn and on the Zen Art of Ikebana.
Dr Andrew Taylor
Programme and Learning Director/Joint Founder, CSOL
Andrew spent 34 years as a manager in the Post Office, his main experience being in personnel and operational line management. It was whilst responsible for mail services in Reading in 1983 that he first became involved with Self-Organised Learning when the Centre for the Study of Human Learning (CSHL) commenced a 7-year action research study with the Royal Mail. He continued to use Self-Organised Learning as Manager of a major Parcelforce Worldwide Sort Centre. As a result of this involvement, in 1997 he was awarded a PhD in Human Learning for his thesis “Experimenting with Self-Organised Learning for Organisational Growth: a Person-Centred Approach”.
Nick Crowder. BA (Hons.)
Development Director/Joint Founder, CSOL
Nick’s record bears testimony to his pioneering, entrepreneurial DNA. He first pioneered sustainable community projects, charities and social enterprises supporting the social marginalised since 1992, building on his commercial background. With over twenty-five years of experience in pioneering and delivering learning-centred, cognitive, emotional, and behavioural development programs, courses, leadership development, and Supervision. His work has been in the commercial and charitable sectors, in the UK and overseas in-country, including the conflict/post-conflict zones of Liberia and Burundi.
Today Nick’s primary focus is his founding of the The Trellis Practice. Working with individuals, couples, and small teams, as a Psychotherapist, Therapeutic Coach and Clinical Supervisor, across the UK, and Internationally, Nick utilises Self-Organised Learning as an agile modality in helping clients learn to learn.
Over these years he has seen a consistent theme present with the majority of his clients; the echo of each person, couple, or small team, desiring to know themselves more acutely. With self-awareness and intentionality both facilitated by SOL, knowing ourselves is powerful. Knowing ourselves gives us an insight into why we tend to respond and behave in certain ways in specific circumstances. Knowing ourselves is also a solid step towards better understanding other people and with more clear-mindedness.