complexity

Enactivist workplace learning

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I’ve just read Lundgren et al (2018) Conceptualizing reflection in experience-based workplace learning . The authors refer to an enactivist perspective on workplace learning whereby learning is generated in “mutual interaction of the learner and environment or context with each changing, possibly in divergent ways, through their interconnections” (p.314). So learning is an effect of interactions … Read more

Patterns, approaches and systems to support teachers in designing for technology-enhanced collaborative learning

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These are a few notes and reflections on a research seminar hosted by the Research Centre in Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh with Prof Yannis Dimitriadis from the University of Valladolid, Spain. This seminar discussed approaches to design for collaborative learning using digital technologies – either in a blended classroom or wholly online. His  research … Read more

Professional learning, informal learning and ‘wicked’ problems [2]

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Following up on my previous post on learning and wicked problems here, the following diagram summarises a learning process in non-routines knowledge work. Again, this comes from Peter Sloep’s Chapter on Networked Professional Learning in Littlejohn, A. and Margaryan, A. (2014) Technology Enhanced Professional Learning: Processes, Practices and Tools. London: Routledge. What I like about the … Read more

Design Thinking and the Learning & Development function

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There is a wide-spread sense that learning and development functions have not responded at all well to changes in organisations, the work place and the wider environment. As Charles Jennings has identified here, these changes include: the development of the web; organisations increasingly operating on network principles as well as the recognition of the importance … Read more

A New Agenda for Organisational Effectiveness?

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Earlier this week, I went to a CIPD Knowledge into Practice Seminar and launch of the CIPD book, People & Organisational Development: a new agenda for organisational effectiveness. The authors argued that the dominant business paradigm of shareholder value is nolonger fit for purpose – we,the public, expect more from companies as “good” citizens. In … Read more

Managing Complexity: Train Your Brain -link

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svprojectmanagement have this article on complexity thinking in projects. The article reflects some of the key questions I come back to about projects and organisations in general, especially the question on a “school of fishes swimming together without a manager. Why don’t they need overhead?”. See managing complexity by nurturing emergence – interesting stuff that … Read more

Complex projects – exploring and learning

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Back on to the theme of exploration in project management, I came across an article from Ralph Stacey on strategy as order emerging from chaos – I think its a fairly old article from 1993 or so – which included an eight ‘step’ framework for managing in organisations drawing on complexity science. While the framework … Read more

A Learning-based view of Project Management

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In an increasingly complex and changeable/ chaotic environment I find that in many instances traditional control based project management approaches don’t work or don’t add value. Take Prince 2, for example, the clue is in the title – PRojects IN Controlled Environments. Project and organisational boundaries are increasingly permeable and managers need to manage between … Read more