Presentation held at the 10th annual conference of the GERA-Commission Organizational Education "Organization and Networks" on 23.02.2017 in Hildesheim, Germany https://www.uni-hildesheim.de/organet/

1. 1
Obsolescent Institution
or
Networked Breeding-Ground
for Global Enhancement, Change, and Innovation?
UNIVERSITIES IN THE PRESENT AGE:
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany

2. 2
Goal of this presentation
 To discuss Potentials of Digitalization and Globalization to turn a
traditional ego-system “Local and elitist university” into an innovative eco-
system “Global Open Learning Environment”
 To emphasize that such a transformation
• Leads to a changed Learning Culture
• Requires very complex processes of Learning and Un-Learning
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany

3. 3
1. WHAT turns universities into global learning environments which
operate as Networked Breeding-Ground for Global Enhancement?
• Globalization and Digitalization
• A new Learning Culture with changed roles and participants
2. HOW can different Theories help to describe learning-processes in and
for such learning environments ?
 How do they define learning?
 WHICH Methods and Tools could enable such Learning-Processes?
 (HOW) CAN they be adapted and/or translated in Virtual Learning Settings?
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany

4. 4Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
1. WHAT turns universities into global learning
environments which operate as Networked Breeding-
Ground for Global Enhancement?
• Globalization and Digitalization
• A new Learning Culture with changed roles and participants

5. 5
GLOBALIZATION AND DIGITALIZATION:
1. WHAT turns universities into global learning environments which operate as Networked Breeding-Ground
for Global Enhancement? * Globalization and Digitalization *
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
 Offer technology and tools to connect global learning-communities …
 … which enlarge and change „Learning-Environments“
• Location
• Composition of Learning-Scenarios
• Forms of Learning
• Tools and Methods
 Leads to a „New Learning-Culture“ with changed Roles
 Connects highly heterogenious learners and (learning) Cultures

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LEARNING-CULTURE(S)
1. WHAT turns universities into global learning environments which operate as Networked Breeding-Ground
for Global Enhancement? *Learning Cultures*
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
“We lack a universally applicable theory
for classifying cultural differences, and
specially in technology mediated learning
environments it is really challenging to
define culture; BUT it opens up for us a
huge possibility to define culture in
relation to our own context”.

7. 7
LEARNING-CULTURE(S)
1. WHAT turns universities into global learning environments which operate as Networked Breeding-Ground
for Global Enhancement? * Learning Cultures *
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
Ehlers (2013):
Understanding Learning-
Cultures as a holistic concept
for Higher Ecuation
Bonham (n.d.)
the lack of common culture
can create problems in the
more interactive forms of
distance education
Hofstede (2010):
Six Dimensions of national
culture as collective
programming of the mind

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*resource: https://www.uni-marburg.de/aktuelles/unijournal/13/Workshops
1. WHAT turns universities into global learning environments which operate as Networked Breeding-Ground
for Global Enhancement? * changed roles and participants *
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
“It is necessary to rethink the foundational principles that can guide
policy and practice for the future of learning in a changing world.”
(UNESCO, 2009)
• Universities as “Ivory Towers”
• Teacher/Lecturer as “Sage on the Stage”*
• students as an assumed relatively homogeneous group of learners
(foreknowledge, learning experiences)
• Learning-Environment: Lecture Hall
• Learning-Process: Transferring and assimilating (expert) knowledge

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THE CHANGING ROLE OF UNIVERSITYS
“the age of Universities (late 11th c. – early 21st c.) in the West [is]
getting to a close” (
Pinto-Coelho & Carvalho 2013)
“universities as the birthplace and
nurturer for ideas and practices that can
change the world.”
(Scharmer 2000)
1. WHAT turns universities into global learning environments which operate as Networked Breeding-Ground
for Global Enhancement? * changed roles and participants *
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany

10. 10
“An industry is ready to be disrupted when one of three things
happen: it outgrows its business model; its offer is no longer
appealing to its customer base; or technology has pushed it out of
relevance. All three of those things are happening in higher
education right now.
[…]
As higher ed tries to innovate, it will have to look at how people
who acquired their expertise outside of the academic system
might provide value inside of it.”
(Lorenzo, 2016)
Resource: https://www.fastcodesign.com/3066293/designing-women/why-higher-education-needs-design-thinking-right-now)
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
1. WHAT turns universities into global learning environments which operate as Networked Breeding-Ground
for Global Enhancement? * changed roles and participants *

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Resource/Copyright pictures: Ivory Tower: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sundance-preview-ivory-tower-poster-669615
Thinking Girl: https://www.mawista.com/blog/studium-trends-duales-studium-im-ausland/
People at work: https://www.ausbildung.de/berufe/duales-studium-geoinformatik/
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
1. WHAT turns universities into global learning environments which operate as Networked Breeding-Ground
for Global Enhancement? * changed roles and participants *

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1. WHAT turns universities into global learning environments which operate as Networked Breeding-Ground
for Global Enhancement? * Breeding Ground University *
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany

13. 13Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
2.
HOW can LEARNING-PROCESSES in and for
such learning environments be described
From the angle of 3 different theoretical approaches:
• Gregory Bateson’s Learning Theory
• Connectivism
• Theory U

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GREGORY BATESON‘S
THEORY OF LEARNING
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
2. HOW can LEARNING-PROCESSES in and for such learning environments be described? * Bateson *

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GREGORY BATESON‘S
THEORY OF
LEARNING
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
2. HOW can LEARNING-PROCESSES in and for such learning environments be described? * Bateson *
• Learning II means remaining in an “economy of
thought processes”
• Learning III throws these unexamined premises
open to question and change.
“Learning III is rare even in human beings …
… it will be difficult for scientists, who are only human, to imagine or
describe this process”

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CONNECTIVISM:
LEARNING NETWORKS
&
LEARNING IN NETWORKS
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
2. HOW can LEARNING-PROCESSES in and for such learning environments be described? *Connectivism *

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CONNECTIVISM:
LEARNING NETWORKS
&
LEARNING IN
NETWORKS
“Exponentially developing knowledge and
complexification of society requires nonlinear
models of learning (process) and knowing
(state).
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
2. HOW can LEARNING-PROCESSES in and for such learning environments be described? *Connectivism *
Learning in connectivism terms is a network
phenomenon, influenced, aided, and enhanced by
socialisation, technology, diversity, strength of ties,
and context of occurrence. (Tschofen 2013)
Networked (social, technological)
approaches scale in line with changes, but
require a redesign of how we teach, learn
(and see learning), and come to know.”
(Siemens, 2007)

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THEORY U : „Collectively Creating the Future“
Resource: https://www.presencing.com/principles; https://www.presencing.com/theoryu
© Copyright 2015 The Presencing Institute - Otto Scharmer. All rights reserved
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
2. HOW can LEARNING-PROCESSES in and for such learning environments be described? * Theory U *
Learning is
„a transformational shift […] a
profound change in the structure,
atmosphere, and texture of the social
field“
(Scharmer, 2009)

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THEORY U : „Collectively Creating the Future“
Resource: https://www.presencing.com/principles; https://www.presencing.com/theoryu
The quality of the results that we create in any kind of social system is
a function of the quality of awareness, attention, or consciousness that
the participants in the system operate from
• as a framework;
• as a method for leading profound
change;
• as a way of being”
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
2. HOW can LEARNING-PROCESSES in and for such learning environments be described? * Theory U *

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 Input
(Expert Knowledge: static)
 Output
(competence, performance: measurable criteria)
 Throughput
(interaction, interrelations, communication: process)
and Meta-Dimension of competences and communication.
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
2. HOW can LEARNING-PROCESSES in and for such learning environments be described?
THEORY U; CONNECTIVISM; BATESON‘S LEARNING
THEORY
COMMON QUESTIONS,
DIFFERENT ANSWERS

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A HOLISTIC DEFINITION OF LEARNING
.. as raising consciousness and cooperatively reframing of contexts which
shape and imprint own an other‘s thinking (Bateson 1972)
and ,
“… illuminating the ‘blind spots’ that are […] the source of deeper attention
and reflection” (Scharmer, 2001)
References:
Bateson, G. (1972). Steps to an ecology of mind;: Collected essays in anthropology, psychiatry, evolution, and epistemology.
San Francisco: Chandler Pub. Co.
Scharmer, O. (2001). Illuminating the blind spot. Online:
http://www.ottoscharmer.com/sites/default/files/2002_Illuminating_the_Blind_Spot.pdf
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
2. HOW can LEARNING-PROCESSES in and for such learning environments be described?

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Resource: https://www.presencing.com/principles; https://www.presencing.com/theoryu
© Copyright 2015 The Presencing Institute - Otto Scharmer. All rights reserved
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
2. HOW can LEARNING-PROCESSES in and for such learning environments be described?
• Social Grammar: Depicting learning-processes from diffrent angles
(Scharmer 2009, The Grammar of the Social Field)
• Diffrent Causes for Using technology enhanced learning
(Scharmer 2009, Aristoteles framework of four diffrent types of causation)
THEORY U; CONNECTIVISM; BATESON‘S LEARNING
THEORY
COMMON QUESTIONS,
DIFFERENT ANSWERS

23. 23Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
• WHICH Methods and Tools could enable such Learning-Processes?
• (HOW) CAN they be adapted and/or translated in Virtual Learning Settings?
2. HOW can LEARNING-PROCESSES in and for such learning environments be described? Tools and
Methods

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References: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5drxPQEcQc&feature=youtu.be; 1.16
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
2. HOW can LEARNING-PROCESSES in and for such learning environments be described? Tools and
Methods
• WHICH Methods and Tools could enable such Learning-Processes?

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References:
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
2. HOW can LEARNING-PROCESSES in and for such learning environments be described? Tools and
Methods
• WHICH Methods and Tools could enable such Learning-Processes?
Design-Thinking
SCRUM
Agile Project-
Management
E-Portfolio Web-Logs Peer-
Feedback

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References: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5drxPQEcQc&feature=youtu.be, 1:35
Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
2. HOW can LEARNING-PROCESSES in and for such learning environments be described? Tools and
Methods
• (HOW) CAN they be adapted and/or translated in Virtual Learning Settings?

27. 27Sabine Siemsen M.A. Philipps-University Marburg, Germany