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Gaining a footing in the landscape of learning ecologies begins with an appreciation that we are ecological beings and that we live out our lives in an ecological world: a world that is continually forming and reforming. This “world in formation” affects everything – ideas, people, jobs, social structures and practices, culture, material and virtual infrastructures, places, institutions and organisations and technologies. Our local worlds in formation constitute an important context in our everyday lives.
We inhabit and help co-create an ecological world All organisms inhabit an ecosystem - the complex set of interactions among the residents, resources and habitats of an area for the purpose of living (1). Every organism within an ecosystem develops a unique ecology for living/surviving and reproducing. This also applies to humans but we differ from other organisms in the extent to which we collaborate to adapt existing ecosystems and make our own ecosystems and develop our own ecologies not simply to sustain and reproduce ourselves, but to make our lives more interesting, meaningful and fulfilling.Underlying our unique characteristics as an organism capable of destroying, modifying and creating ecosytems is our need, desire and ability to learn and develop ourselves and our world through our learning. Ecologies of practice: Learning and doing are inseparable. "We are always learning what we are already doing, that makes us apprentices in our own learning" (Jean Lave). Given this deep ecological relationship between doing and learning, it makes sense to talk of an ecology of practice through which learning, performance and creativity emerge. |
Resources for facilitators of human interaction, adaptation, growth and evolution
This website was created to support my contribution to the first meeting of the Harvard Learning Innovations Laboratory (LILA) inquiry into learning ecologies (October 2019). It hosts my presentation, a background narrative, a guide to mapping an ecology of practice and other resources. It also includes information about my two books on learning ecologies. If you would like help with adapting and implementing these ideas I am available for workshops and seminars connected to these ecological ideas. Norman Jackson [email protected]
A Narrative of Ideas
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Natural ecosystems. An ecosystem is simply a community of organisms interacting with each and with their environment in order to live. The environment provides the essential conditions for life but the organisims have to access the things in their environment that they need to sustain their life. Natural ecosystems are complex adaptive systems (2). They have many parts and many connections between the parts and are adaptive because their feedback structure enables them to change in ways that sustain the ecosystem. Biological systems have a hierarchy of organizational levels that extend from molecules and cells to individual organisms, populations and whole ecosystems. Any ecosystem is characterized by ‘flows’ of nutrients and energy, of materials, and of information. Such flows provide the interconnections between parts and transform the community from a random collection of species into an integrated whole, an ecosystem in which biotic and abiotic parts are interrelated. In this way, macroscopic system level properties emerge from interactions among individual components.
Human ecosystems (ecosocial systems). These concepts can be applied to human organisations. An organisation is a specialised ecosocial system. It is complex because it contains people performing a variety of roles and functions, it has many parts and many interactions between the people and the parts and its cutomers or clients. It is adaptive because information flowing from activity and interactions at all levels of the system enables it to plan, respond, develop and accomplish the things the people and entities in it set out to achieve.
Natural ecosystems. An ecosystem is simply a community of organisms interacting with each and with their environment in order to live. The environment provides the essential conditions for life but the organisims have to access the things in their environment that they need to sustain their life. Natural ecosystems are complex adaptive systems (2). They have many parts and many connections between the parts and are adaptive because their feedback structure enables them to change in ways that sustain the ecosystem. Biological systems have a hierarchy of organizational levels that extend from molecules and cells to individual organisms, populations and whole ecosystems. Any ecosystem is characterized by ‘flows’ of nutrients and energy, of materials, and of information. Such flows provide the interconnections between parts and transform the community from a random collection of species into an integrated whole, an ecosystem in which biotic and abiotic parts are interrelated. In this way, macroscopic system level properties emerge from interactions among individual components.
Human ecosystems (ecosocial systems). These concepts can be applied to human organisations. An organisation is a specialised ecosocial system. It is complex because it contains people performing a variety of roles and functions, it has many parts and many interactions between the people and the parts and its cutomers or clients. It is adaptive because information flowing from activity and interactions at all levels of the system enables it to plan, respond, develop and accomplish the things the people and entities in it set out to achieve.
In human ecosystems, people live in complex 'man-made' environments—physical, social, and virtual—and within cultural, historical, and emerging social contexts in which people are constantly consuming, recycling, and producing information and other resources as they think, act and learn to accomplish the things that matter to themselves and to the social groups they belong and the organizations they inhabit. Like any other ecosystem, eco-social systems are complex, dynamic, self-organising entities whose patterns of behaviours are emergent but the most significant difference between human and non-human biological systems is the way in which we create our own environment in order to perform, learn and create meaning. Here are some examples of people working in different types of specialised ecosocial systems.
Situated learning
When we engage in our work we are continuously thinking about what we are doing and trying to find the best ways of dealing with the situations in order to perform well. Situated thinking (cognition) takes place in the same context in which it is applied. If our work is anything other than an automated routine we are learning through this process continually fine-tuning our practice or inventing entirely new practices. The name we give this process is ‘situated learning’ (3,4, 5). This type of learning that is context, situational, place and often socially-based is the learning that emerges from our ecologies of practice for learning and performance
When we engage in our work we are continuously thinking about what we are doing and trying to find the best ways of dealing with the situations in order to perform well. Situated thinking (cognition) takes place in the same context in which it is applied. If our work is anything other than an automated routine we are learning through this process continually fine-tuning our practice or inventing entirely new practices. The name we give this process is ‘situated learning’ (3,4, 5). This type of learning that is context, situational, place and often socially-based is the learning that emerges from our ecologies of practice for learning and performance
Enactivism and affordance
Ecological theories of learning and practice are founded on the enactive theory of cognition (enactivism) which emphasises the idea that the experienced world is portrayed and determined by mutual interactions between the physiology of the organism, its sensorimotor circuit and the environment (6) The structural coupling of brain-body-world lies at the core of their concept of embodied cognition and situated learning- enactment involves not only neural processing but also things an organism does in the situations it encounters of creates. Enactivism argues that the environment is one which an organism selectively creates, through its perceptions and capacities to interact with the world (7)
" A properly ecological approach.. is one that would take, as its point of departure, the whole-organism-in-its-environment. In other words, 'organism plus environment' should denote, not a compound of two things, but one indivisible totality." (8)
In their interactions with the world a person’s cognition creates meaning, transforming perceptual information into meaning: they enact a world."(9) the process of meaning- or sense-making is best understood as referring to the affective significance the environment has for an individual, best understood in relational terms as arising in the individual’s coupling with relevant affordances (perceived opportunities for acting) in its environment (10 p155). The individual has a perspective on its environment relative to which it encounters affordances as presenting an opportunity or threat to the sustaining of its micro-identities: identities that it seeks to maintain and sustain through its learning and other practices.
Ecological theories of learning and practice are founded on the enactive theory of cognition (enactivism) which emphasises the idea that the experienced world is portrayed and determined by mutual interactions between the physiology of the organism, its sensorimotor circuit and the environment (6) The structural coupling of brain-body-world lies at the core of their concept of embodied cognition and situated learning- enactment involves not only neural processing but also things an organism does in the situations it encounters of creates. Enactivism argues that the environment is one which an organism selectively creates, through its perceptions and capacities to interact with the world (7)
" A properly ecological approach.. is one that would take, as its point of departure, the whole-organism-in-its-environment. In other words, 'organism plus environment' should denote, not a compound of two things, but one indivisible totality." (8)
In their interactions with the world a person’s cognition creates meaning, transforming perceptual information into meaning: they enact a world."(9) the process of meaning- or sense-making is best understood as referring to the affective significance the environment has for an individual, best understood in relational terms as arising in the individual’s coupling with relevant affordances (perceived opportunities for acting) in its environment (10 p155). The individual has a perspective on its environment relative to which it encounters affordances as presenting an opportunity or threat to the sustaining of its micro-identities: identities that it seeks to maintain and sustain through its learning and other practices.
Self-awareness is key to understanding that we are all implicated and involved in an ecological world
Seeing ourselves as social organisms inhabiting a number of ecosocial systems across our everyday lives, encourages us to think about our relationships and interactions with the world in an ecological way.
Underlying our unique characteristics as organisms conscious of our place and role in the world and the effects we have on the world, is our ability to think ecologically, to think with ecological awareness in a manner captured so brilliantly in Tom Chalkley's cartoon below
Seeing ourselves as social organisms inhabiting a number of ecosocial systems across our everyday lives, encourages us to think about our relationships and interactions with the world in an ecological way.
Underlying our unique characteristics as organisms conscious of our place and role in the world and the effects we have on the world, is our ability to think ecologically, to think with ecological awareness in a manner captured so brilliantly in Tom Chalkley's cartoon below
An ecology of practice enables the maker(s) to think and act in an ecological (connected, relational and integrated) way, to perceive (observe, sense and comprehend particular information flows), to imagine (conceptualize and modify what has been observed in order to create possible meanings and new interpretations), to reason (analyse and critically evaluate observations and make judgements), to reflect on what has been experienced to make better sense of it and learn from the experience.
'We do not learn from experience we learn from reflecting on it' John Dewey
The idea of ‘skilled intentionality’ whereby a knowledgeable and skilful practitioner situated in a landscape of affordances, selects and responds in a purposeful, integrated and meaning finding way to a field of relevant affordances (11), is consistent with the model of an ecology for learning and practice
'We do not learn from experience we learn from reflecting on it' John Dewey
The idea of ‘skilled intentionality’ whereby a knowledgeable and skilful practitioner situated in a landscape of affordances, selects and responds in a purposeful, integrated and meaning finding way to a field of relevant affordances (11), is consistent with the model of an ecology for learning and practice
Figure 2 provides a graphical representation of a framework that is being developed to explain the ecological /interdependent nature of practice, learning and performance (12,13).
Figure 2 Heuristic for understanding an ecology of practice for performance and learning (12,13). It can be used by indviduals to map and reflect on how they perform, learn and create value in their specific work environments.
Figure 2 Heuristic for understanding an ecology of practice for performance and learning (12,13). It can be used by indviduals to map and reflect on how they perform, learn and create value in their specific work environments.
FURTHER READING
| learning_ecologies_narrative.pdf |
| affordances_and_learning_ecologies.pdf |
Sources
1 Tansley, A.G (1935). "The use and abuse of vegetational terms and concepts". Ecology. 16 (3): 284–307.
2 Levin, S.A. (1998) Ecosystems and the Biosphere as Complex Adaptive Systems. Ecosystems 1: 431–436 Available at: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.83.6318&rep=rep1&type=pdf
3 Lave, J. (1988) Cognition in Practice: Mind, Mathematics and Culture in Everyday Life Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
4 Brown, J.S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989) Situated cognition and the culture of learning Educational Researcher, Vol. 18, No. 1. (Jan. - Feb., 1989), pp. 32-42
5 Lave, J. & Wenger, E. (1991) Situated Learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press.
6 Varela, F., Thompson, E. and E. Rosch, 1991, The Embodied Mind: Cognitive Science and Human Experience, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
7 Rowlands, M. (2010). "Chapter 3: The mind embedded: The mind enacted". The new science of the mind: From extended mind to embodied phenomenology. MIT Press. pp. 70 ff. ISBN 978-0262014557.
8 Ingold, T. (2000) Hunting and gathering as ways of perceiving the environment. The Perception of the Environment. Essays on livelihood, dwelling and skill. New York and London: Routledge, 2000.
9 Di Paolo, E.A., Rhohde, M., De Jaegher, H. (2014). "Horizons for the enactive mind: Values, social interaction, and play". In John Stewart; Oliver Gapenne; Ezequiel A Di Paolo (eds.). Enaction: Toward a New Paradigm for Cognitive Science. MIT Press. pp. 33 ff. ISBN 978-0262526012.
10 Kiverstein, J.D. and Rietveld E (2018) Reconceiving representation-hungry cognition: an ecological-enactive proposal Adaptive Behavior 2018, Vol. 26(4) 147–163 Available at https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1059712318772778
11 Rietveld, E., Denys, D. and Van Westen, M. (2018) Ecological-Enactive Cognition as engaging with a field of relevant affordances: The Skilled Intentionality Framework (SIF), in A. Newen, L. De Bruin, and S. Gallagher (ed) The Oxford Handbook of 4E Cognition available at https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198735410.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780198735410-e-3
12 Jackson, N.J.(2016 & 2019) Exploring Learning Ecologies Chalkmountain : LULU
13 Jackson, N.J. (2019) Ecologies for Learning and Practice in Higher Education Ecosystems, in R.Barnett and N.J.Jackson (Eds) Ecologies for Learning and Practice: Emerging Ideas, Sightings, and Possibilities, London: Routledge
1 Tansley, A.G (1935). "The use and abuse of vegetational terms and concepts". Ecology. 16 (3): 284–307.
2 Levin, S.A. (1998) Ecosystems and the Biosphere as Complex Adaptive Systems. Ecosystems 1: 431–436 Available at: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.83.6318&rep=rep1&type=pdf
3 Lave, J. (1988) Cognition in Practice: Mind, Mathematics and Culture in Everyday Life Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
4 Brown, J.S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989) Situated cognition and the culture of learning Educational Researcher, Vol. 18, No. 1. (Jan. - Feb., 1989), pp. 32-42
5 Lave, J. & Wenger, E. (1991) Situated Learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press.
6 Varela, F., Thompson, E. and E. Rosch, 1991, The Embodied Mind: Cognitive Science and Human Experience, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
7 Rowlands, M. (2010). "Chapter 3: The mind embedded: The mind enacted". The new science of the mind: From extended mind to embodied phenomenology. MIT Press. pp. 70 ff. ISBN 978-0262014557.
8 Ingold, T. (2000) Hunting and gathering as ways of perceiving the environment. The Perception of the Environment. Essays on livelihood, dwelling and skill. New York and London: Routledge, 2000.
9 Di Paolo, E.A., Rhohde, M., De Jaegher, H. (2014). "Horizons for the enactive mind: Values, social interaction, and play". In John Stewart; Oliver Gapenne; Ezequiel A Di Paolo (eds.). Enaction: Toward a New Paradigm for Cognitive Science. MIT Press. pp. 33 ff. ISBN 978-0262526012.
10 Kiverstein, J.D. and Rietveld E (2018) Reconceiving representation-hungry cognition: an ecological-enactive proposal Adaptive Behavior 2018, Vol. 26(4) 147–163 Available at https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1059712318772778
11 Rietveld, E., Denys, D. and Van Westen, M. (2018) Ecological-Enactive Cognition as engaging with a field of relevant affordances: The Skilled Intentionality Framework (SIF), in A. Newen, L. De Bruin, and S. Gallagher (ed) The Oxford Handbook of 4E Cognition available at https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198735410.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780198735410-e-3
12 Jackson, N.J.(2016 & 2019) Exploring Learning Ecologies Chalkmountain : LULU
13 Jackson, N.J. (2019) Ecologies for Learning and Practice in Higher Education Ecosystems, in R.Barnett and N.J.Jackson (Eds) Ecologies for Learning and Practice: Emerging Ideas, Sightings, and Possibilities, London: Routledge