The Potential of The Potential of Reflection in Studying Reflection in Studying Complexity ‘In Action’Complexity ‘In Action’

Renata PhelpsSouthern Cross University

Australia

rphelps@scu.edu.au

Renata is fromRenata is from

Southern Cross Southern Cross UniversityUniversity

NSW, AustraliaNSW, Australia

What might complexity-based What might complexity-based teaching and learning look like?teaching and learning look like?

What assessment techniques might What assessment techniques might be consistent with complexity?be consistent with complexity?

How might we conduct educational How might we conduct educational research consistent with research consistent with complexity?complexity?

Consider the following….

ReflectionReflection

……. Reflective Journals. Reflective Journals

This paper considers the potential of

and more specifically….

in addressing these issues…..

Reflection can be a Reflection can be a productive method for productive method for

both studying and both studying and ‘working with’ complexity ‘working with’ complexity

in social contexts. in social contexts.

The paper proposes that….

Reflection…. Reflection…. promotes change (and learning)

provides scope for gathering research data

is congruent with action research.

It is proposed that…..

Action Research…. Action Research….

… … as ‘Real Life’ as ‘Real Life’ Modeling (?)Modeling (?)

and Complexity…. and Complexity….

The connections between….

are also explored in an earlier paper

Phelps, R. & Hase, S. 2002, 'Complexity and action research: Exploring the theoretical and methodological connections', Educational Action Research, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 503-519.

SomeSome of the ideas proposed of the ideas proposed in this paper….in this paper….

The Potential of Reflection in Studying Complexity ‘In Action’

Reflection is inherently non-Reflection is inherently non-linear… ….linear… …. It enables intermingled documentation of ideas It enables intermingled documentation of ideas

and experiences from the past, present and and experiences from the past, present and ‘imagined’ futures‘imagined’ futures

It need not represent a logical, sequential It need not represent a logical, sequential argument argument

It can emerge from experience and complex It can emerge from experience and complex thought processesthought processes

There is no notion of ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ There is no notion of ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ It is a form of personal narrativeIt is a form of personal narrative It provides potential to present one’s own It provides potential to present one’s own

adaptation to environment, one’s own internal adaptation to environment, one’s own internal modes and schemas and the emergent nature of modes and schemas and the emergent nature of action and knowledgeaction and knowledge

Reflective journals allow for Reflective journals allow for documentation of emergence documentation of emergence and bifurcationand bifurcation

Journals provide an opportunity to capture Journals provide an opportunity to capture moments ofmoments of ‘ ‘bifurcationbifurcation’ ’ in action. in action.

Such reflective insights are often described Such reflective insights are often described as ‘ah-ha’ experiences as ‘ah-ha’ experiences

Data on these types of experiences is very Data on these types of experiences is very difficult, if not impossible, to collect through difficult, if not impossible, to collect through other research techniquesother research techniques

Reflective journals embrace Reflective journals embrace participants’ involvement in participants’ involvement in interpretation of datainterpretation of data

Students document what impacts Students document what impacts most significantly on them as learnersmost significantly on them as learners

Allow recording of agent interactions Allow recording of agent interactions and the meanings which individuals and the meanings which individuals personally construct from these personally construct from these interactions. interactions.

… …These may or may not be the These may or may not be the stimuli that educators might expect to stimuli that educators might expect to

have greatest impact! have greatest impact!

Journals assist to build up an Journals assist to build up an holistic picture of the interplay holistic picture of the interplay between an individual’s history between an individual’s history and their current and emergent and their current and emergent ‘state’….‘state’….

…….thus providing insight into .thus providing insight into ‘sensitivity to initial conditions’.‘sensitivity to initial conditions’.

Reflective journals can reduce the Reflective journals can reduce the impact of external control while impact of external control while also providing opportunities to also providing opportunities to promote and document system promote and document system instability and disequilibrium. instability and disequilibrium.

Reflective prompts can serve as ‘noise’, introducing new concepts to ‘see what happens’.

Reflective prompts can be designed to challenge participants’ schemas, thus prompting disequilibrium.

Reflective journals Reflective journals acknowledge acknowledge and embrace students’ non-and embrace students’ non-institutionally-based learning institutionally-based learning

Students draw from interactions with, Students draw from interactions with, observations of, and support from a observations of, and support from a wide range of authentic sources wide range of authentic sources

Allows learners to document their Allows learners to document their changing context and identity. changing context and identity.

Learning does not take place as a Learning does not take place as a result of ‘teaching’ but rather through result of ‘teaching’ but rather through a an interplay of experiences, a an interplay of experiences, relationships and ideas being worked relationships and ideas being worked and reworked through reflectionand reworked through reflection

My Research Context

Competency and Competency and capability in computer capability in computer

educationeducation

Phelps, R., Hase, S., & Ellis, A. (2004). Competency, capability, complexity and computers: Exploring a new model for conceptualising end-user computer education. British Journal of Educational Technology.

The teaching approaches developed through this research are documented in a separate paper….

This paper on reflection This paper on reflection draws on a single case draws on a single case

study from Renata’s ICT study from Renata’s ICT professional development professional development

work with practicing work with practicing teachers.teachers.

Wendy…. A primary teacher from a small rural school in Northern NSW, Australia

Metacognitive Metacognitive FoundationFoundation

Non-linear and Non-linear and Emergent LearningEmergent Learning

Learners set own Learners set own (flexible) goals and (flexible) goals and direct own learning direct own learning processprocess

Participants keep a reflective learning Participants keep a reflective learning journal to document their achievementsjournal to document their achievements

Educational Information Technology for the Educational Information Technology for the School PractitionerSchool Practitioner

Wendy’s Story illustrates…Wendy’s Story illustrates… The importance of ‘history’ and exploring attitudes, The importance of ‘history’ and exploring attitudes,

values and beliefs… values and beliefs…

……Wendy’s ‘initial conditions’Wendy’s ‘initial conditions’ Responsiveness to Wendy’s professional and Responsiveness to Wendy’s professional and

personal ICT needs personal ICT needs

… … the approach promotes emergent learningthe approach promotes emergent learning

How the course embraces authentic learning and How the course embraces authentic learning and support networks … de-institutionalising learningsupport networks … de-institutionalising learning

Learning is promoted as ongoing, non-linear and not Learning is promoted as ongoing, non-linear and not ‘caused’ by, (or reliant) on, teaching‘caused’ by, (or reliant) on, teaching

Wendy’s ‘ah-ha’ experiences!Wendy’s ‘ah-ha’ experiences!

Read more about Wendy’s ‘story’ in

the paper

There are, of course, issues with There are, of course, issues with using reflection in teaching and using reflection in teaching and research… research…

Self-reported nature of the data… Self-reported nature of the data… … … but is this really an issue? but is this really an issue?

Students’ preparedness to be open and not Students’ preparedness to be open and not write what they think you want them to write what they think you want them to writewrite

Students’ willingness to engage in ‘deep’ Students’ willingness to engage in ‘deep’ reflectionreflection

Some concluding Some concluding words…words…

Facilitators ‘play a key role in enabling learners to reflect critically on their experience’ (McGill and Weil, 1989, p.248)

Good reflective learning still requires good teaching, particularly in terms of providing stimulus or ‘noise’ and to promote disequalibrium so that learners might ‘learn’.

There is a need for both instruction and inspiration to develop skills of reflective journaling (Campbell-Evans & Maloney, 1998).

Please e-mail me for a copy of this Please e-mail me for a copy of this paper or other earlier papers paper or other earlier papers

mentioned in this presentationmentioned in this presentation

Renata Phelpsrphelps@scu.edu.au