The Learning Pit, developed by James Nottingham, is a model intended to remain freely accessible for use by educators and students. However, to ensure the integrity of the concept, the following guidelines apply:
- Attribution: All representations of the Learning Pit must be clearly credited to James Nottingham (e.g., “From the Learning Pit by James Nottingham”).
- Permitted Use: While classroom displays are encouraged, any other inclusion of the model in external materials or publications requires prior written permission from the author.
Legal Protection: Please note that “The Learning Pit” is a registered trademark protected by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO).
Trademark
The Learning Pit is a registered trademark of the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). This designation allows James Nottingham to keep the model open-source for educators while providing the necessary legal oversight to prevent its misuse.
Patent & Trademark, Reg. No. 6,381,157
The trademark covers all of these uses:
Class 16: Books, educational materials, lesson plans, manuals, brochures, presentation slides and reports.
Class 41: Educational consulting services.
Classrooms
Educators are encouraged to use the Learning Pit for instructional purposes and do not need formal written permission to do so. However, to ensure the model is represented accurately and respectfully, please adhere to the following guidelines:
Requirements
When featuring the model in classroom displays or printed educational materials for students, you must include a reference to James Nottingham.
Recommendations
To make best use of the Learning Pit, we highly recommend the following:
- Develop a Deep Understanding: Before implementing or sharing the model, we strongly recommend familiarising yourself with its underlying philosophy. There are guides to download for free from here.
- Respect the Framework’s Depth: Illustrations of the Learning Pit often mask its significant conceptual depth, so please read about the model rather than simply copy the illustration. Indeed, there are more than a few blogs that propose missing elements of the Learning Pit that are actually core components of James Nottingham’s original work that have been overlooked by the author.
- Make Use of Official Graphics: Download our resources here and encourage your students to mix, match and adapt the graphics to reflect their own journeys through the Pit.
- Refer to the Footnote: As advised by the footnote on the Teacher Resource page, you should ensure the right-hand-side of the Learning Pit is higher than the left.
SHARE YOUR PITS!
We’d love to see photographs of your displays and the Learning Pits created by your students. Please send them to us at: membership@pd-od.com so that we can share them on this site
Referencing
When referencing the Learning Pit in your work, please use the following citations as they apply to your context:
- For the earliest printed reference (First Article): Nottingham, J.A. (2007). Exploring the Learning Pit. Teaching Thinking and Creativity, 8:2(23), 64–68. Birmingham, UK: Imaginative Minds.
- For the initial book appearance (Earliest Book): Nottingham, J.A. (2010). Challenging Learning (1st ed.). Alnwick, Northumberland, UK: JN Publishing.
For the definitive guide (Seminal Work): Nottingham, J.A. (2017). The Learning Challenge: How to Guide Your Students Through the Learning Pit. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Presentations & Commercial Use
Commercial use of the Learning Pit is strictly prohibited without prior written authorisation from James Nottingham. This restriction applies to any context where payment is received, including:
- Educational Services & Consultancy: Providing paid advice, coaching, or school improvement services.
- Professional Development: Creating or delivering paid staff training and professional learning materials.
- Publications: Including the model in books, journals, or digital media intended for sale.
- Other Paid Engagements: Any service or consultancy for which you receive financial compensation.
