How Knowledge Workers Rapidly Learn: Leveraging Situated Contexts, Cognitive Scaffolds, and Networked Learning.

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 3:45 pm - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Teaching and Learning in Career & Technical Education and Workplace Learning

Abstract

This study explores how knowledge workers achieve rapid learning in high-pressure environments. Drawing on interviews with 15 management consultants, we identify three mechanisms that enable accelerated learning: (1) situatedness—learning embedded in real work contexts; (2) scaffolding—structured supports such as feedback and expert guidance; and (3) connectedness—access to networks and knowledge infrastructures. Using a hybrid analysis approach, we combined human-led thematic coding with sentence-level AI-assisted analysis. This dual method revealed how consultants rapidly acquire expertise through project immersion, cognitive apprenticeship, and network navigation. Findings suggest that rapid learning is socially embedded, scaffolded, and network-supported, offering practical implications for organizations aiming to develop adaptable expertise under tight time constraints.

Authors

• Max Lu, Harvard University

• Tessa Forshaw, Harvard University