Broadening
The concept of broadening refers to the range of experiences, skills and perspectives that a particular person or population may possess. Broadening is most often applied to education, where it is seen as a way of increasing the diversity and quality of learning by expanding the educational possibilities. In business, broadening is used to create a more comprehensive approach to management and strategy by incorporating new methods and perspectives.
Broadening can be both intentional and unintentional. Intentional broadening can be seen in the form of proactive educational practices and strategies which aim to include different perspectives and information sources. Intentional broadening can also encompass more broad organizational strategies, including teambased approaches, which utilize a wide range of expertise and experience in decision-making. Unintentional broadening on the other hand, is a result of a person, group, or organization expanding their range of knowledge and skills simply due to their increased exposure and contact with a variety of people and experiences.
Broadening is a powerful way to increase the depth of knowledge, understanding and skill in any area. Individuals, groups and organizations which have broadened their knowledge, experiences or offerings tend to be more successful in their respective fields. Broadening has been identified as key to success for businesses, educational institutions, and organizations, as having a wide range of experience and skill, can open up new possibilities.
Broadening Coefficient
The broadening coefficient (BC) is a measure of the degree to which a population or individual has broadened their knowledge, experiences, or offerings. In its simplest definition, the BC is the ratio of a persons current level of knowledge or experience to their initial level. The BC is commonly used to measure the effectiveness of educational and organizational practices in promoting broadening, as well as in assessing a persons individual growth and development.
The BC is calculated by dividing the amount of knowledge or experiences which are present at the current time by the amount of knowledge or experience which were present at the start of the learning or experience gathering period. The higher the BC, the higher the level of broadening which has occurred. The BC can also be used to measure the growth rate of knowledge and experience acquisition.
The BC can provide useful insights into how well a particular strategy or practice is promoting broadening. Learning and development programs which aim to broaden the skills, knowledge and experiences of the participants should be monitored for their BC to measure their effectiveness. Additionally, the BC can be used to determine the rate at which an individual is acquiring new knowledge and skills, and can provide insights into particular areas of progress which need to be focused on.
