Codevelopment Action Learning during the pandemic – findings from two online co-learning and co-creation events

This article discusses the international events known as Proxima, organized by a group of colleagues, whose slogan is ‘Drawing Closer to Go Further’. Two half-day sessions, held in April and May 2020, consisted of 20 simultaneous Codevelopment Group (CDG) online sessions. Held during the global lockdown, these online events generated creative, collaborative and transformative spaces for participants throughout the French-speaking world. A total of 148 people from nine countries, including 15 experienced facilitators took part in this unique experience. After giving an overview of the Action Learning-based CDG method, this article presents the survey results on participant goals, takeaways and the intent to apply/transfer, and shows that 96% of participants responded positively to questions about these aspects. Qualitative content analyses also shows what was achieved, learned and could be transferred, such as a better understanding of the CDG method and its online applications. Overall, this experience further reinforces the fact that CDGs can effectively stimulate meaningful learning, creativity and collaborative action. Finally, in the past, Action Learning and CDG sessions have tended to be held in-person. However, these events showed that virtual sessions can be effective and generate impact when physical presence is not possible.