Jeff's at it again over at Midcourse corrections, putting out yet another great post. This one is his top 10 myths about adult learning at conferences. Commenters have added a few more; it's starting to remind me of something I wrote ages ago: My top 10 reasons for bolting.
The funny thing is that a lot of the myths he's busting aren't really myths -- I mean, does anyone actually think that learning can only occur while people are seated? Common sense says otherwise. I think that's just a crowd-control thing we got pounded into us from kindergarten on and just don't bother to change because, well, it's practical to jam 2,000 people into a ballroom and have them sit quietly while someone yaps at them. It's a lot harder, and likely a lot more expensive and labor-intensive, to create a learning environment that works for all the different types of learners represented among those 2k folks. So we don't do it.
Ditto for several other of the "myths" he points to. I guess my follow-on question would be: What are 10 ways to combat the status quo and create better learning environments at our meetings? Keeping in mind, of course, that some of the most ardent fans of the status quo are likely your organization's leadership and your attendees.