Hierarchy in systems thinking is holonic thinking.#
I am in the process of revising a paper looking at the importance of centering the learner (versus the educator) in our educational technology frameworks, and utilized the radical neuroconstructivist framework put forward by Tokuhama-Espinosa & Borja, C. (2023). In it, the authors discuss how this framework centers on holonic thinking: the idea that everything is a holon, and holons are, at once, both made up of a multitude of smaller holons and members of a multitude of larger holons. For the authors, this is applied to the educational holon by examining the relationship between learning expectations, learner minds, and the physical parts of the brain that are connected to and built upon for learning activities. I have thought about this deconstructive process over the semester so far.
It was helpful to go through the whole process with the diagram for Discovery Education. Instead of focusing on the platform as a whole, we chose a specific portion of the publisher offerings to analyze (a more specific holon of the larger DE holon). It was interesting to see how frequently the phrase “research based” was used without actually providing any direct (or even indirect) references to the actual research, and then considering which tools within the XR product may have more research support (techbooks) than others. I also really enjoyed mapping out the concepts on Lucid. The process was similar to other methods I’ve used to analyze and compare products, but the layout made it a lot easier to use, and I think you could easily compare multiple products quickly with that particular method.
I did not go further on my own, but that’s because we used a tool I am interested in for the activity. I do plan on taking the analysis model that was demonstrated to compare some tools that I am considering.
“Human activity systems can be expressed only as perceptions of people who attribute meaning to what they perceive” (Khisty, 1995).#
This quote speaks to the radical neuroconstructivist framework I mentioned at the opening. That framework comes from the perspective that our understanding of the world is always mediated through our brain. Our brains are shaped by the experiences of the world we have, and so no two people have the same experience so no two people have the same experience even when sharing a common moment. Our perceptions and understandings are filtered through the schema we develop over time. I live in a multitude of dimensions at the same time, and try to bring all those perspectives to each role that I play while simultaneously honoring the fact that none of them are truly separate.
I took the time to visualize the relationship between the contexts I live in. I have yet to figure out how to make a visual representation of things that are both a part of me and that I am a small part of. I have made a 2 dimensional representation, but it lacks the nuance of how the systems truly interact, and does not at all represent the fact that, while I am part of those systems, I also embody those systems and carry them inside me at all times.
At my job, I am a librarian for grades 2-4, the director of educational technology for early childhood through 6th grade, and the IT liaison for the lower school division. I am a member of the elementary CAST (content area specialist teachers) team, I am a member of the lower school, middle school, and technology departments. I have taken part in learning groups, hiring teams, and multiple committees. As a graduate student, I am a member of classes, I am a member of the Graduate Student Senate. I am a member of professional organizations that relate in different ways to being a student and being a professional at once.
Finally, a graphic that shows critical responsibilities/activities and how they overlap.
References
Khisty, C. J. (1995). Soft-Systems Methodology as Learning and Management Tool. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, 121(3), 91–107. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9488(1995)121:3(91)
Tokuhama-Espinosa, T., & Borja, C. (2023). Radical neuroconstructivism: A framework to combine the how and what of teaching and learning? Frontiers in Education, 8, 1215510. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1215510