The hero does not just return to the ordinary world changed, they also bring something with them that has the potential to change this world. This final part of the journey does not just consider the unit that has been just finished, but looks at the larger context – and is really most appropriate when a larger/longer learning journey is considered as ‘the unit’. It is really about the life beyond the learning, of applying it in ‘the real world’ outside of academia.

Stage xii) RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR

Diagnostic questions for stage xii):

• This stage might not be appropriate to consider for every unit, but rather for the end of longer learning journeys, such as the end of a degree.
• How is the change/transfer from the special world (i.e. the educational context) to the ordinary world (i.e. the world outside of academia, or academia as a work place, rather than a place for further study) managed? Do students leave with a certificate/portfolio that is easily recognised? Have they been trained to explain their achievements to people outside of the ‘special’ world?
• Are the newly mastered abilities enough to join the ordinary world with a new purpose? If not, do the current learning outcomes need to be re-thought?