AssertionAssertion

The variety embraced by prevailing The variety embraced by prevailing positivist paradigmspositivist paradigms of learningof learning is is

insufficient to match the variety of the insufficient to match the variety of the situations to which they are appliedsituations to which they are applied..

Complexity = High VarietyComplexity = High Variety

natural

natural

socialsocial

political

politicaleconomiceconomiccultural

cultural

technologicaltechnological

inter-personalinter-personal

natural

natural

socialsocial

economiceconomiccultural

cultural

technologicaltechnological

political

political

inter-personalinter-personal

•Economic viability

•Practical achievability

•Technical possibility

•Social desirability

•Political plausibility

Prevailing paradigmsPrevailing paradigmsessentially privilege essentially privilege objectiveobjective

dimensions of:dimensions of:

•Technical possibility

•Economic viability

•Practical achievability

•Social desirability

•Political plausibility

•Aesthetic acceptability

•Ethical defensibility

•Cultural feasibility

•Spiritual compatibility

•Ecological responsibility

and

and

and

and

and

Systemic paradigmsSystemic paradigms

embrace embrace contextualcontextual

dimensions of:dimensions of:

““Paradigms are….entire constellations of Paradigms are….entire constellations of

beliefs, values,beliefs, values, techniquestechniques and so on, and so on,

shared by a given community”shared by a given community”

Thomas KuhnThomas Kuhn

Paradigms can be characterised by:Paradigms can be characterised by:

•beliefs about the nature of nature beliefs about the nature of nature ontologiesontologies

•beliefs about the nature of knowing beliefs about the nature of knowing epistemologiesepistemologies

•beliefs about the nature of human nature beliefs about the nature of human nature axiologiesaxiologies

•beliefs about the nature of human inquiry beliefs about the nature of human inquiry methodologiesmethodologies

Finding outFinding out

Taking actionTaking action

Experiential Learning

Finding outFinding out

Taking actionTaking action

Thinking Sensing

Designing Acting

Being ToldBeing Told

Telling it BackTelling it Back

Propositional Learning

Showing it BackShowing it Back

Being ShownBeing Shown

Practical learning

Finding outFinding out

Taking actionTaking action

Theory PracticeTheory Practice

PraxisPraxis

weltanschauung

PraxisPraxis

PhronesisPhronesis

Theory PracticeTheory Practice

Propositional Propositional PracticalPractical learninglearning learninglearning

ExperientialExperientiallearninglearning

to KNOW systems theory to DO systems practice

to BE systemic

Experiential/Inspirational learningExperiential/Inspirational learningto MAKE systemic judgements

HOLISMHOLISM

REDUCTIONISMREDUCTIONISM

CONTEXTUALISMCONTEXTUALISM OBJECTIVISMOBJECTIVISM

H EH E

E TE T

HOLISMHOLISM

REDUCTIONISMREDUCTIONISM

OBJECTIVISMOBJECTIVISM

ACTUALISEDACTUALISED MAXIMUMMAXIMUM

OPTIMALOPTIMALINCLUSIVEINCLUSIVE

CONTEXTUALISMCONTEXTUALISM

WELL-BEINGWELL-BEING PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE

SELFSELF YIELDYIELD

Inspirational Learning

Finding outFinding out

Taking actionTaking action

Finding outFinding out

Taking actionTaking action

Accepting Applying

Focussing Disengaging

inspirational inquiry experiential inquiryinspirational inquiry experiential inquiry

emotions

dispositions

Critical researching/learning Critical researching/learning systemsystem