The Application of the Viable The Application of the Viable System Model to the Design of System Model to the Design of

Personal Learning EnvironmentsPersonal Learning Environments

Prof. Oleg LiberProf. Oleg LiberInstitute for Educational CyberneticsInstitute for Educational Cybernetics

University of BoltonUniversity of Bolton

The Crisis in SchoolsThe Crisis in SchoolsSchools fail most childrenSchools fail most childrenMany children hate schoolMany children hate schoolIn the last academic year In the last academic year 696,328 pupils (23 per cent) 696,328 pupils (23 per cent) truanted or were absent truanted or were absent without permission, on average without permission, on average for 15 half days for 15 half days

“20th Century’s biggest failed experiment”Lord Young of Dartington

The Crisis in HEThe Crisis in HE

Certification over learningCertification over learningVocational dominanceVocational dominance

Student as consumer, worker, Student as consumer, worker, product…?product…?

Strategic learning vs deep learningStrategic learning vs deep learning

What is learning?What is learning?

““Learning” means different things to different people.Learning” means different things to different people. Learning as a quantitative increase in knowledge. Learning is Learning as a quantitative increase in knowledge. Learning is

acquiring information or “knowing a lot” acquiring information or “knowing a lot” Learning as memorising. Learning is storing information that can be Learning as memorising. Learning is storing information that can be

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

and used as necessaryand used as necessary.. Learning as making sense or abstracting meaning. Learning involves Learning as making sense or abstracting meaning. Learning involves

relating parts of the subject matter to each other and to the real relating parts of the subject matter to each other and to the real world.world.

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

Changes in HE: Political Changes in HE: Political concernsconcerns

Knowledge economyKnowledge economy GlobalisationGlobalisation Widening Participation: from 6% to 40+% in 40 yearsWidening Participation: from 6% to 40+% in 40 years

HE and employabilityHE and employability Universities as businessesUniversities as businesses

Student feesStudent fees Student as consumer, worker, product…?Student as consumer, worker, product…? VocationalismVocationalism Demands of RAEDemands of RAE Research vs business facingResearch vs business facing

Dearing to LeitchDearing to Leitch

Pedagogic concernsPedagogic concerns

Widening participation means:Widening participation means: Larger cohortsLarger cohorts Working studentsWorking students Demand for increasing varietyDemand for increasing variety New curricular demandsNew curricular demands

Curricular and organisational responseCurricular and organisational response New forms of accessNew forms of access New coursesNew courses

What’s the problem?What’s the problem?

Curriculum?Curriculum? RelevanceRelevance

Teaching quality/pedagogy?Teaching quality/pedagogy? Boring lessons/lectures?Boring lessons/lectures? Content vs high level skillsContent vs high level skills Lack of engaging activitiesLack of engaging activities

Respect?Respect? In authority or an authority?In authority or an authority?

The structure of education?The structure of education? Sausage machineSausage machine

How can technology help?How can technology help?

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

The Viable System ModelThe Viable System Model

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

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

Diagnosis and Design.Diagnosis and Design. Structural or interpretive modesStructural or interpretive modes

VSM overview VSM application

Environment

System

Mgt

Ve >> Vs >> Vm

Viable System Model (VSM)

Env. System Mgt

Ve >> VS >> Vm

Viable System Model (VSM)

State

The State

Education

State

Dept

Programme

State

Institution

Dept.

State

HE

Institution

State

Education

HE

Recursion in the Education System

Env. System Mgt

Environ-

Organization

Mgt.

4: INTELLIGENCE

3: OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT

5: IDENTITY

4: INTELLIGENCE

3: OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT

5: IDENTITY

MA

A

MB

B

Rules & Resource

bargain

2: coordination3*: monitoring

3: OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT

Three

Four

Five

3. Control

5. Policy

4. Strategy

The Full Viable System Model

Env. Learners Teaching

Ve >> Vl >> Vt

The Simple VSM

How the Education System How the Education System attenuates variety: knowledgeattenuates variety: knowledge

Implied stability of knowledgeImplied stability of knowledge Knowledge divided into Knowledge divided into

academic subjectsacademic subjects Institutions into subject based Institutions into subject based

departmentsdepartments Subjects into coursesSubjects into courses Courses have linear curriculaCourses have linear curricula Curricula into lessonsCurricula into lessons

How the Education System How the Education System attenuates complexity: peopleattenuates complexity: people

People have to study People have to study subjectssubjects

People follow coursesPeople follow courses People are grouped by People are grouped by

‘ability’‘ability’ People attend lessonsPeople attend lessons People learn contentPeople learn content People are tested on People are tested on

content before they can content before they can move to the next coursemove to the next course

Systemic implicationsSystemic implications

What?What? Syllabuses require Syllabuses require

transmissiontransmission Courses require timetablesCourses require timetables People are partitioned by People are partitioned by

lessonslessons Why? Why?

It simplifies mattersIt simplifies matters It works (so far)It works (so far) It is the way it has always It is the way it has always

beenbeen

Pedagogic limitationsPedagogic limitations People have unique People have unique

histories, aptitudes and histories, aptitudes and desiresdesires

People have different People have different learning approacheslearning approaches

People have different time People have different time availabilityavailability

Designed for transmission of Designed for transmission of pre-defined contentpre-defined content

Difficult to organiseDifficult to organise Individualised learningIndividualised learning Small group learningSmall group learning Problem based learningProblem based learning

The costs of traditional The costs of traditional educationeducation

Difficult to develop Difficult to develop process skillsprocess skills

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

Overspecialisation Overspecialisation No space for No space for

polymathspolymaths

TechnologyTechnology

Technology of traditional educationTechnology of traditional education Lecture theatres, timetabling systems, blackboards, books…Lecture theatres, timetabling systems, blackboards, books…

Modern communication technologyModern communication technologyForums, blogs, wikis, synchronous chat, Forums, blogs, wikis, synchronous chat, aggregation, computer aggregation, computer

scheduling…scheduling…

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

Gordon Pask (1982) Microman. London, CenturyGordon Pask (1982) Microman. London, Century

KE Learners Teaching

Ve >> Vl >> Vt

Old Education

New EducationThe VSM and EducationThe VSM and Education

First exploration 1996-9First exploration 1996-9

VSM to model teachingVSM to model teaching Identify key amplification/attenuationIdentify key amplification/attenuation Propose technological interventionsPropose technological interventions JISC fundingJISC funding

Learners

Simplified VSMSimplified VSM

Learning negotiation

Teacher

monitoring

co-ordination

Self-organization

adaptation

Knowledge Domain

Knowledge sub-domain

Env.

Students on a courseStudents on a course

Delivery

Development

Steering

Negotiation Co-ordinationMonitoring

Self-organisation

Proposed criteriaProposed criteria How are the ‘rules of the course’ expressed and made evident to How are the ‘rules of the course’ expressed and made evident to

the student?the student? How can a module be structured sequentially and / or hierarchically How can a module be structured sequentially and / or hierarchically

over time? What facilities are there to organise learners in a variety over time? What facilities are there to organise learners in a variety of ways in the module (whole group, small groups, individuals)?of ways in the module (whole group, small groups, individuals)?

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

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

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

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

Technology change, 2000-2005Technology change, 2000-2005

Universal VLE adoptionUniversal VLE adoption Market leaders emergeMarket leaders emerge

Dangers of monopolyDangers of monopoly No support for self-No support for self-

organisationorganisation Modelled on classroomModelled on classroom

Technology change, 2005-Technology change, 2005-

Web of text to web of Web of text to web of software servicessoftware services

Web 2.0, social softwareWeb 2.0, social softwareBlogs, wikis, aggregation, Blogs, wikis, aggregation, sharing, socialsharing, social

Access to informationAccess to information

University technology University technology ghetto?ghetto?Lecturers explore personal Lecturers explore personal technologiestechnologies

Second exploration 2005Second exploration 2005

The VSM and Personal LearningThe VSM and Personal Learning Start with the whole person as a viable Start with the whole person as a viable

systemsystem Identify where new technological Identify where new technological

interventions can help amplifyinterventions can help amplify Join up fragmentsJoin up fragments

Multiple learning contextsMultiple learning contexts

Course 1 Course 2 Course 3

Our Student

Joining up the fragmentsJoining up the fragments

Env.

Student on many coursesStudent on many courses

Self-delivery

Self- Development

Self-steering

Negotiation

Co-ordination

Monitoring

Self-organisation

Env.

Delivery

Development

Steering

Self managementSelf management

Negotiating Learning: Negotiating Learning: Commitments to different activitiesCommitments to different activities

Coordinating courses:Coordinating courses: Managing time, scheduling, resources, materials, colleagues, Managing time, scheduling, resources, materials, colleagues,

reading, activities, making overall sensereading, activities, making overall sense Monitoring:Monitoring:

Am I making progress on each course as I expected? - reflectionAm I making progress on each course as I expected? - reflection Self-organised collaborationSelf-organised collaboration

Finding synergy between courses activitiesFinding synergy between courses activities Development:Development:

New courses? New materials? New colleagues? Where next? New courses? New materials? New colleagues? Where next? PDPPDP

University

VLE

University

VLE

Provider

VLE

Social networksWebKnowledge

Pers

onal

tec

hnol

ogy

University

Serv-ices

University

Serv-ices

University

Serv-ices

Social networksWebKnowledge

Pers

onal

tec

hnol

ogy

Serv-ices

Personal technology

Bolton University andLearnDirect are providers of formal education: the othershere are social software

OutcomesOutcomesPLE reportPLE report

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

Special edition of Interactive Special edition of Interactive Learning Environments journalLearning Environments journalMany conference presentationsMany conference presentationsInfluence national Influence national personalisation agendapersonalisation agenda

DIUS, DCSF, HEFCE, JISCDIUS, DCSF, HEFCE, JISC

Influence technology Influence technology developmentdevelopment

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

Challenge for institutionsChallenge for institutions What is their purpose given What is their purpose given

modern information modern information environment?environment?

Re-think education – all Re-think education – all recursionsrecursions

Make lifelong learning realMake lifelong learning real Promote and facilitate self-Promote and facilitate self-

organised learningorganised learning Institutional inversion Institutional inversion

(Illich)(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 educationalvision 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