Here be dragons.

1570 Theatrum Orbis Terrarum Map Monsters

“Let’s Go This Way”

The early days of exploration at sea were days of countless unknowns and superstition. In many cases, early seafarers had no clue where they were going, and what to expect when they arrived, if they arrived anywhere at all. An explorer and crew would simply point towards the horizon and say “let’s go this way.” Despite their bravery, there would have no doubt been considerable fear. After all, who is to know what is actually “out there”

This perfect storm (pardon the pun) of fear was born out most clearly in the mapmaking of the time. Mapmakers would often place sea monsters and dragons in unknown places on maps, combined with the phrase “here be dragons.” It’s obviously hard to say now how many seafarers truly believed that monsters were waiting for them, I am sure some did. That though is the truly exceptional aspect of this little history lesson. Despite venturing into the complete unknown, and possibly believing danger lies in wait, they traveled onwards regardless. They trusted that as a team with their Capitan, and crewmates, they would be able to overcome what waited for them in the spaces the dragons were.

Learning at the Edge of Knowing

I’ve been completely taken by this idea that all learning happens in the space where certainty doesn’t exist. We learn at the edge of knowing. We also engage others in their learning process at their edge of knowing. We’re truly learning together. When we think of learning in these terms it begins to open up countless opportunities. The reality is your edge of knowing and someone else’s edge of knowing might be in different places. You also might have knowledge others in your community do not. This is then how social learning works. We engage each other in a collaborative space, learning together at the edge of knowing.

I recently spoke to Dr. Andrew Tagg from Australia on the Participate Podcast. He helps run a community of practice for physicians called Don’t Forget the Bubbles. In our conversation, he spoke about the urgent learning that has had to occur during the COVID19 pandemic. Truly, Andrew and his community have been venturing out into the blank spaces of the COVID19 map and filling in the lines with the knowledge we need to come through this pandemic together. An incredible example of learning at the edge of knowing in order to make a difference.

“Participants engage each other at the leading edge of their knowing how to make a difference, whether that knowing is descriptive or embodied. They participate from the place there their knowing tapers off. We say that they engage their uncertaintly in the social learning space.”

— Wenger-Trayner, E., & Wenger-Trayner, B. (2020). Learning to Make a Difference: Value Creation in Social Learning Spaces. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

This is the power of community, communities of practice, and social learning spaces. When like-minded people gather to learn, coming from wherever they are, with their knowledge in tow, they bring not just their personal edge of knowing, but what they’ve learned to get to that edge. In that collaborative space, they can tackle new problems as a team, and choose to make a difference.

In whatever you’re learning, there are going to be unknowns. Blank edges of the map yet to be filled. In collaborative spaces, with many participants, there could possibly be many unknowns. Sitting in the space of uncertainly is where the dragons lie. Don’t be afraid. Like the seafarers of the past, venture out into those unknowns. Bring a crew. Learn together and clear those dragons off the map.