The Application of the Viable System Model to the Design of Personal Learning Environments Prof. Oleg Liber Institute for Educational Cybernetics University of Bolton

The Crisis in Schools Schools fail most children Many children hate school In the last academic year 696,328 pupils (23 per cent) truanted or were absent without permission, on average for 15 half days “ 20 th Century’s biggest failed experiment” Lord Young of Dartington

Schools fail most children

Many children hate school

In the last academic year 696,328 pupils (23 per cent) truanted or were absent without permission, on average for 15 half days

“ 20 th Century’s biggest failed experiment”

Lord Young of Dartington

The Crisis in HE Certification over learning Vocational dominance Student as consumer, worker, product…? Strategic learning vs deep learning

Certification over learning

Vocational dominance

Student as consumer, worker, product…?

Strategic learning vs deep learning

What is learning? “ Learning” means different things to different people. Learning as a quantitative increase in knowledge. Learning is acquiring information or “knowing a lot” Learning as memorising. Learning is storing information that can be reproduced. Learning as acquiring facts, skills and methods that can be retained and used as necessary . Learning as making sense or abstracting meaning. Learning involves relating parts of the subject matter to each other and to the real world. Learning as interpreting and understanding reality in a different way. Learning involves comprehending the world by re-interpreting knowledge. (Saljo 1979)

“ Learning” means different things to different people.

Learning as a quantitative increase in knowledge. Learning is acquiring information or “knowing a lot”

Learning as memorising. Learning is storing information that can be reproduced.

Learning as acquiring facts, skills and methods that can be retained and used as necessary .

Learning as making sense or abstracting meaning. Learning involves relating parts of the subject matter to each other and to the real world.

Learning as interpreting and understanding reality in a different way. Learning involves comprehending the world by re-interpreting knowledge. (Saljo 1979)

Changes in HE: Political concerns Knowledge economy Globalisation Widening Participation: from 6% to 40+% in 40 years HE and employability Universities as businesses Student fees Student as consumer, worker, product…? Vocationalism Demands of RAE Research vs business facing Dearing to Leitch

Knowledge economy

Globalisation

Widening Participation: from 6% to 40+% in 40 years

HE and employability

Universities as businesses

Student fees

Student as consumer, worker, product…?

Vocationalism

Demands of RAE

Research vs business facing

Dearing to Leitch

Pedagogic concerns Widening participation means: Larger cohorts Working students Demand for increasing variety New curricular demands Curricular and organisational response New forms of access New courses

Widening participation means:

Larger cohorts

Working students

Demand for increasing variety

New curricular demands

Curricular and organisational response

New forms of access

New courses

What’s the problem? Curriculum? Relevance Teaching quality/pedagogy? Boring lessons/lectures? Content vs high level skills Lack of engaging activities Respect? In authority or an authority? The structure of education? Sausage machine How can technology help?

Curriculum?

Relevance

Teaching quality/pedagogy?

Boring lessons/lectures?

Content vs high level skills

Lack of engaging activities

Respect?

In authority or an authority?

The structure of education?

Sausage machine

How can technology help?

Villemard postcard from 1910 depicting education in the year 2000; Bibliothèque National de France

The Viable System Model The Viable Systems Model , or VSM is a model of the organisational structure of any viable or autonomous system. A viable system is any system organised in such a way as to meet the demands of surviving in the changing environment Diagnosis and Design. Structural or interpretive modes VSM overview VSM application

The Viable Systems Model , or VSM is a model of the organisational structure of any viable or autonomous system.

A viable system is any system organised in such a way as to meet the demands of surviving in the changing environment

Diagnosis and Design.

Structural or interpretive modes

V e >> V s >> V m Viable System Model (VSM) Environment System Mgt

Env. System Mgt V e >> V S >> V m Viable System Model (VSM)

Recursion in the Education System State The State Education State Dept Programme State Institution Dept. State HE Institution State Education HE

Env. System Mgt

Environ- ment Organization Mgt.

Environ- ment Organization 4: INTELLIGENCE 3: OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT 5: IDENTITY

Environ- ment Organization 4: INTELLIGENCE 3: OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT 5: IDENTITY

Environ- ment MA A MB B Rules & Resource bargain 2: coordination 3*: monitoring 4: INTELLIGENCE 3: OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT 5: IDENTITY

Three Four Five 3. Control 5. Policy 4. Strategy The Full Viable System Model

Env. Learners Teaching V e >> V l >> V t The Simple VSM

How the Education System attenuates variety: knowledge Implied stability of knowledge Knowledge divided into academic subjects Institutions into subject based departments Subjects into courses Courses have linear curricula Curricula into lessons

Implied stability of knowledge

Knowledge divided into academic subjects

Institutions into subject based departments

Subjects into courses

Courses have linear curricula

Curricula into lessons

How the Education System attenuates complexity: people People have to study subjects People follow courses People are grouped by ‘ability’ People attend lessons People learn content People are tested on content before they can move to the next course

People have to study subjects

People follow courses

People are grouped by ‘ability’

People attend lessons

People learn content

People are tested on content before they can move to the next course

Systemic implications What? Syllabuses require transmission Courses require timetables People are partitioned by lessons Why? It simplifies matters It works (so far) It is the way it has always been

What?

Syllabuses require transmission

Courses require timetables

People are partitioned by lessons

Why?

It simplifies matters

It works (so far)

It is the way it has always been

Pedagogic limitations People have unique histories, aptitudes and desires People have different learning approaches People have different time availability Designed for transmission of pre-defined content Difficult to organise Individualised learning Small group learning Problem based learning

People have unique histories, aptitudes and desires

People have different learning approaches

People have different time availability

Designed for transmission of pre-defined content

Difficult to organise

Individualised learning

Small group learning

Problem based learning

The costs of traditional education Difficult to develop process skills Team skills, problem solving skills, creative skills, conversational and social skills Overspecialisation No space for polymaths

Difficult to develop process skills

Team skills, problem solving skills, creative skills, conversational and social skills

Overspecialisation

No space for polymaths

Technology Technology of traditional education Lecture theatres, timetabling systems, blackboards, books… Modern communication technology Forums, blogs, wikis, synchronous chat, aggregation, computer scheduling… “… timetables and fixed classroom periods make it difficult to implement effective learning strategies… Human understanding cannot be be conveniently squeezed into fixed time intervals.” (p166) Gordon Pask (1982) Microman. London, Century

Technology of traditional education

Lecture theatres, timetabling systems, blackboards, books…

Modern communication technology

Forums, blogs, wikis, synchronous chat, aggregation, computer scheduling…

“… timetables and fixed classroom periods make it difficult to implement effective learning strategies… Human understanding cannot be be conveniently squeezed into fixed time intervals.” (p166)

Gordon Pask (1982) Microman. London, Century

KE Learners Teaching V e >> V l >> V t Old Education New Education The VSM and Education

First exploration 1996-9 VSM to model teaching Identify key amplification/attenuation Propose technological interventions JISC funding

VSM to model teaching

Identify key amplification/attenuation

Propose technological interventions

JISC funding

Simplified VSM Learners Knowledge sub-domain Learning negotiation Teacher monitoring co-ordination Self-organization adaptation Knowledge Domain

Students on a course Delivery Development Steering Negotiation Co-ordination Monitoring Self-organisation Env.

Proposed criteria How are the ‘rules of the course’ expressed and made evident to the student? How can a module be structured sequentially and / or hierarchically over time? What facilities are there to organise learners in a variety of ways in the module (whole group, small groups, individuals)? What facilities are there to monitor how well learning is progressing on the module? What can learners do on their own, outside of the purview of the teacher? To what extent is it possible for the teacher to adapt the module structure once teaching is underway? Britain & Liber (1999) A Framework for pedagogical evaluation of Virtual Learning Environments. JISC Report http://www.jisc.ac.uk/uploaded_documents/VLE%20Full%20Report%2006.doc

How are the ‘rules of the course’ expressed and made evident to the student?

How can a module be structured sequentially and / or hierarchically over time? What facilities are there to organise learners in a variety of ways in the module (whole group, small groups, individuals)?

What facilities are there to monitor how well learning is progressing on the module?

What can learners do on their own, outside of the purview of the teacher?

To what extent is it possible for the teacher to adapt the module structure once teaching is underway?

Britain & Liber (1999) A Framework for pedagogical evaluation of Virtual Learning Environments. JISC Report http://www.jisc.ac.uk/uploaded_documents/VLE%20Full%20Report%2006.doc

Technology change, 2000-2005 Universal VLE adoption Market leaders emerge Dangers of monopoly No support for self-organisation Modelled on classroom

Universal VLE adoption

Market leaders emerge

Dangers of monopoly

No support for self-organisation

Modelled on classroom

Technology change, 2005- Web of text to web of software services Web 2.0, social software Blogs, wikis, aggregation, sharing, social Access to information University technology ghetto? Lecturers explore personal technologies

Web of text to web of software services

Web 2.0, social software

Blogs, wikis, aggregation, sharing, social

Access to information

University technology ghetto?

Lecturers explore personal technologies

Second exploration 2005 The VSM and Personal Learning Start with the whole person as a viable system Identify where new technological interventions can help amplify Join up fragments

The VSM and Personal Learning

Start with the whole person as a viable system

Identify where new technological interventions can help amplify

Join up fragments

Multiple learning contexts Course 1 Course 2 Course 3 Our Student

Joining up the fragments

Student on many courses Self-delivery Self- Development Self-steering Negotiation Co-ordination Monitoring Self-organisation Env.

Self management Negotiating Learning: Commitments to different activities Coordinating courses: Managing time, scheduling, resources, materials, colleagues, reading, activities, making overall sense Monitoring: Am I making progress on each course as I expected? - reflection Self-organised collaboration Finding synergy between courses activities Development: New courses? New materials? New colleagues? Where next? PDP Env. Delivery Development Steering

Negotiating Learning:

Commitments to different activities

Coordinating courses:

Managing time, scheduling, resources, materials, colleagues, reading, activities, making overall sense

Monitoring:

Am I making progress on each course as I expected? - reflection

Self-organised collaboration

Finding synergy between courses activities

Development:

New courses? New materials? New colleagues? Where next? PDP

University VLE University VLE Provider VLE Personal technology Social networks Web Knowledge

University Serv-ices University Serv-ices University Serv-ices Social networks Web Knowledge Personal technology Serv-ices Personal technology

Bolton University and LearnDirect are providers of formal education: the others here are social software

Outcomes PLE report http://wiki.cetis.ac.uk/Ple Special edition of Interactive Learning Environments journal Many conference presentations Influence national personalisation agenda DIUS, DCSF, HEFCE, JISC Influence technology development E.g. TENCompetence project (EU, 10m )

PLE report

http://wiki.cetis.ac.uk/Ple

Special edition of Interactive Learning Environments journal

Many conference presentations

Influence national personalisation agenda

DIUS, DCSF, HEFCE, JISC

Influence technology development

E.g. TENCompetence project (EU, 10m )

Challenge for institutions What is their purpose given modern information environment? Re-think education – all recursions Make lifelong learning real Promote and facilitate self-organised learning Institutional inversion (Illich)

What is their purpose given modern information environment?

Re-think education – all recursions

Make lifelong learning real

Promote and facilitate self-organised learning

Institutional inversion (Illich)

“ We are plagued by misconceptions about learning that stem from thinking that schooling is synonymous with education” (p162) Gordon Pask (1982) Microman. London, Century The daunting challenge of achieving a sustainable society in the coming decades demands a wholesale and urgent reorientation of educational vision and practice. Sterling, S. (2004). Whole systems thinking as a basis for paradigm change in education: Explorations in the context of sustainability. Ph.D. thesis, University of Bath. Retrieved February 28, 2005 from http://www.bath.ac.uk/cree/sterling.htm .

Three Four Five 3. Delivery 5. Policy 4. Adaptation The Full Viable System Model 2. coordination 1. Learners Teaching 3*. monitoring Learning negotiation