I haven't mentioned action learning, so I'm not sure why you bring it up specifically, Greg. A quick review of action learning puts it in a similar category as what my colleague Jane Hart calls "group directed learning" or "intra-organisational learning" and I would consider it part of the interdependent learning continuum:

http://jarche.com/2010/03/interdependent-learning/

I can see how AL would be a useful alternative to certain types of workplace training: