Our commitment to human inquiry has been in evolution since the early days of Oasis. The experiences and practice, established from the early eighties within Oasis, contributed to our embracing of inquiry approaches to research and forms a firm foundation of our 'live research' provision.
Experience and Practice
Peer Learning Principles
Self & Peer Assessment process from 1980s in all Oasis programmes
Experiential Approach to Learning
Long experience of Helping & Counselling Education from a self-directed learning perspective
Involvement with IDHP (Institute for the Development of Human Potential) and New Paradigm Influences (Rowan & Reason)
Association with John Heron over more than twenty years. John Heron, formerly Assistant Director of the British Post Graduate Medical Federation and Director of the Human Potential Research Project at the University of Surrey; latterly in San Cipriano, Tuscany and now at the South Pacific Centre for Human Inquiry in New Zealand.
Milestone Inquiry Events
1996
Visit by John Heron to Oasis to introduce the methodology of Co-operative
Inquiry (CI) at a two day event.
1997-8
Foundation Programme in Transpersonal Learning Community: A peer learning
approach to Transpersonal Exploration for one year. The programme led to the foundation of the Transpersonal Learning Community, a peer based community model of exploring transpersonal experiences that meets for 20 days per year and has c continued formats inception in 1998. Currently it has 15 members.
1999 May
Cooperative Inquiry into Integrated Practice & Holistic Learning: An 18 month
modular programme that was inaugurated with a week long residential in Volterra (Tuscany) with John Heron as initiating facilitator into the themes of the inquiry. The inquiry then continued on a modular basis and there are full reports of the work undertaken ad some personal records of individual group members.
2000
Initial discussions with Joan Walton from the Blaker Foundation (of the Scientific
& Medical Network) about the possibilities of developing a conjoint CI into Transformative Living.
2001 January
CI into Transformative Living: Transforming the World through Transforming
the Self began meeting in Wales. The group settled to a dozen members and met regularly for over two years. The group members then decided to continue to meet informally to review there Transpersonal progress. Still continues as of June 04. Some reports available on aspects of the work.
2001 May
Cooperative Inquiry into Peer Learninginaugurated by Oasis and invited
associates to explore aspects of Peer Learning via CI Methods. The Inquiry was incomplete. Reports are available of the stages of the inquiry and there are some individual notes.
2002 March
CI into Primal Theatre with John Heron in New Zealand. A group of eight
people from Oasis joined in a CI at the Centre for Human Inquiry with individuals from New Zealand for a five day intensive CI.
2002 April
CI into Difference a six month UK based small group inquiry to explore
aspects of difference.
2002 July
Co-Creation workshop held by John Heron on behalf of Oasis.
2003 Jan
First Diploma in Transpersonal Development offered by Oasis: a peer learning
community based programme with an optional second year as cooperative inquiry. A new cohort began in 2005, we are now recruiting for 2007.
2004 April
CI into The Space Between with the Centre for Human Inquiry In New
Zealand. Intensive 5 day programme.
2005 January
First one year UK Leadership Inquiry I (UKLI) as a contribution to the UN
Inquiry looking at leadership in organisations amongst a group of CEOs, Senior Managers and experienced organisational consultants.
2006 June
Second one year UK Leadership Inquiry II linked to a series of global human
inquiries building on the combined learning of the GRLI and the UKLI.
Observations on the context of Inquiry in the UK
Co-operative Inquiry (CI) has a strong alignment with the kind of values and methodology that Oasis has developed over the length of its life. Participative Research and methods like Grounded Theory are familiar in the work of the organisation.
CI is a more radical methodology than the above. With its requirement for high levels of participation and willingness to experience substantial personal development through the demanding process of CI it has enormous potential as a development tool in areas of exploration relating to the 'Human Condition'.
It is also suited to any topic about which there is no settled view and which draws participants who are interested in deepening their own appreciation of the topic in question. New paradigms of leadership are an obvious example and there are many others that would fall within the interest of Oasis.
Although there are reports of CIs being undertaken in Universities by groups of students (with tutor support or involvement - Manchester is an example), it is not likely to be a main stream form of research and inquiry because of its radical experiential nature.
The Centre for Action Research & Professional Practice (CARPP Bath University) promotes collaborative and inquiry based methods of research that lead to the award of higher degrees and there has been a strong interest in many Social Sciences & Humanities departments in recent years to support alternative methods of research. Bristol is another centre noted for collaborative methods.
In relation to the total provision of mainstream HE this kind of research is minimal and though encouraging it is on the fringes of the academic world.
Action Research as a means of gaining academic recognition, it can be argued, represents a programmatic marriage between the theoretical interests of the participant and the need for institutions to find ways to attract Higher Education post graduate students who are not interested in taught programmes. Action Research provides a way of awarding qualifications for individuals who are largely self-directed and have interest in making a difference in their world and not simply contributing to the avalanche of academic knowledge.
