Taking apart or Putting together?

1. Taking apart or Putting together? Systemic teaching-learning in Education for Sustainable Environments (EfSE) Prof Hugo van Rooyen (University of Johannesburg)

2. Conceptualising ‘the environment’ as a system-of-systems

3. The ‘environment’ as a multi-dimensional system-of-systems Teachers should enable learners to comprehend the environment as: • a highly dynamic macro system-of-systems • consisting of the different interrelated, interdependent, interacting and interpenetrating dimensions as sub-systems in own right • where the importance of each dimension or component of a system or sub-system is tied to its relationship to the whole

4. Effective EfSE entails… Learning experiences … • emphasizing and utilising the multidimensional and systemic nature of the environment • built on the premise that the environment is characterized by complexity • moulded into a systems-based teaching-learning strategy • aimed at functioning on higher cognitive levels

5. What is ‘systems thinking’? • dynamic thinking • closed-loop-thinking • generic thinking • structural thinking • operational thinking • open-ended learning • scientific thinking (Richmond, 1993)

6. As well as: • thinking in models • interrelated thinking • dynamic thinking • steering systems(Ossimitz, 1996)

7. Learners’ mental activity in traditional thinking Employing reductionism & boxed thinking (analysis & categorisation, linear & mechanistic approaches) Questions of substance What is the nature / characteristics of this? How does it work? Getting answers Tendency towards lower cognitive levels (Bloom) Learners’ mental activity in systems thinking Employing ecologism, holism & systemic thinking (comprehensiveness, looking at contexts and relationships) Questions of relation How does this relate to… / contribute to… / interact with…? What might this lead to…? Developing / revising arguments & explanations Tendency towards higher cognitive levels (Bloom) From traditional thinking tosystems thinking in EfSE

9. Conceptualising ‘the environment’

11. A teaching-learning strategy for EfSE

12. Implications of heuristic, issue-based & systemic teaching strategy • Exploration of real-life issues and integration of the underlying (individual and collective) complexities thereof • Learning working towards learners’ holistic, systemic, integrative perception, conception and practice regarding the issue • NOT learners learning about problem-solving; RATHER: learners being involved in problem-solving [ ‘Hands-on / Minds-on’ ] • Learning is open-ended • Learning on Bloom’s higher cognitive levels [ ‘Analysing’, ‘Evaluation’, ‘Creating’ ]

13. Learners’ thinking changes… • from parts to wholes… • from objects to relationships… • from objective knowledge to contextual knowledge… • from quantity to quality… • from structure to process… • from contents to pattern…

14. How do we need to think; what do we need to know; what do we have to do? EfSE needs to establish in learners a shift towards… • perception which is more expanded and inclusive • understanding & insight which is more holistic / connective / interpenetrative • behaviour & practice which is more integrative (Stirling, 2007)

15. Taking apart … or Putting together …??? Effective heuristic, issue-based & systemic teaching-learning requires… ‘Content’ (from Real-life issues and/or Scenarios) Learning content = ‘content-in-context’ Heuristic Analysis [ ‘taking apart’ ] forms the foundation for Systemic learning [ ‘putting together’ ] within the particular context ANSWER: FUNCTIONAL SYMBIOSIS between ‘TAKING APART’ and ‘PUTTING TOGETHER’

16. I thank you! Prof Hugo van Rooyen (University of Johannesburg) hugovr@uj ac.za