In the following video Reg Revans, the grandfather of Action Learning, talks about Action Learning:

Initially trained as an astrophysicist, Reg Revans later became the director of education at the National Coal Board from 1945 to 1950 in England. This was the period during which he developed much of the work on Action Learning.* 

In the 1930's, during hie stint at the Cavendish Laboratory, where five Nobel Laureauts were working, he saw the humulity of these highly accomplished scientists who were frank about their puzzlments and willing to listen, instead of pontificating to others. Futhermore, Albert Einstein once said to him:" If you think you understand a problem, make sure you are not deceiving yourself."^* Reg Revans said in the video, "...that in a changing world, it's extremely important that people should be the masters of the art of posting questions." I believe this "reflective inquiry," or critical reflectiom, is ever more important for individuals, teams, and organizations to master for long-term sustainability in a  dynamic and complex world.

*Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reg_Revans