Week Three

Part 1: Write a reflection about your experience in the class discussion

Chaos theory and the sciences of complexity: Foundations for transforming education article was the first topic of our class discussion. This discussion was very informative and useful to understand the complexity of educational systems. The other topic for the discussion was to share our experiences about reading the novel, Pattern Recognition by William Gibson.

The discussion was divided into two parts; one was small group discussion, and the other was to give a summation of what each group discussed about the article and the novel. The Reigeluth’s article was about chaos theory and educational transformation. Chaos theory was helpful to understand about highly complex systems. I have learned about different features of chaos theory and sciences of complexity. Every complex system has some chaotic behavior and beneath it lies certain patterns that can help one to understand and influence the behavior of the system. Some of the chaos theory and the sciences of complexity include co-evolution, disequilibrium, positive feedback, perturbance, transformation, fractals, strange attractors, self-organization, and dynamic complexity.

A healthy system must co-evolve with its environment. There are three major paradigms of educational systems that co-evolved with their environments. “During the agrarian age, the one-room school house was the predominant paradigm of education, with its focus on tutoring and apprenticeship. During the industrial age, the factory model of schools became the predominant paradigm of education, with its focus on standardization and teacher-centered learning. Now, society is undergoing a dramatic change during this information age, and it is putting great pressure on our educational systems to co-evolve in major ways” (Toffler, 1980, cited in Reigeluth, 2008).

An educational system is impacted by its community’s societal conditions such as drugs, violence, teen pregnancy etc. Disequilibrium and positive feedback are two important conditions for co-evolution. Negative feedback indicates deficiencies in attaining a system’s goals and helps adjusting the system to overcome those deficiencies. In contrast, positive feedback helps a system to co-evolve with its environment. Life-long learning is a new educational need as our society has evolved into the information age. Disequilibrium creates a state of systems’ transformation.

Fractals are considered as “core ideas” and values or beliefs of an educational system that guide or characterize the design of the system. Fractals are similar to what Dawkins called “memes,” which are ideas or cultural beliefs that are “the social counterpoints to genes in the physical organism” and have the power to organize a system in a specific way (Caine & Caine, 1997, p. 33).

Peter Senge (1990) revealed the nature of dynamic complexity in his “11 laws of the fifth discipline” that are followed:

• The harder you push, the harder the system pushes back.
• The easy way out usually leads back in.
• The cure can be worse than the disease.
• Faster is slower.
• Cause and effect are not closely related in time and space.
• Small changes can produce big results—but the areas of highest leverage
• are often the least obvious.

Although I read first three chapters of pattern recognition I could not synthesized anything related to system thinking. I had no clue of what the characters are and how the characters are related to system. In-class discussion was very useful. I enjoyed the small group discussions where each member of the group had a change to voice their opinion and experience. I have learned a lot from the class discussion about pattern recognition novel. This discussion on pattern recognition novel was particularly interesting to me and it was specifically helpful for me to understand the concepts which was not cleared to me when I read it alone. I did not understand lots of cultural background related to the story and also it was hard for me to understand the concepts of the novel as an ESL student. Class discussion helped me to understand and analyze different characters in depth. I see Cayce as a picky, judgmental, and complex minded.

I would like to know more about the complex systems and very curious about different characters in pattern recognition novel. The most important thing to learn from this novel is to find out how these characters are aligned with systems as parts of a complex system. I am not quite clear about my own investigation of my own learning. I do know I am a self-learner and as well as social learner. I am self-motivated in learning anything but I enjoy working in a team. I know how to utilize resources effectively and efficiently. I would do it the same way I have been doing it both individually and socially. I am a supporter of social constructivism. I believe knowledge is constructed by learners in engaging themselves in social interaction and negotiation. Asking question myself and think to reflect is a process that is effective for me to learn. Also, I believe discussions and debates in both small and large groups are effective processes to construct knowledge.

References:

Caine, R. N., & Caine, G. (1997). Education on the edge of possibility. Alexandria, Va.: ASCD.

Reigeluth, C.M. (2008). Chaos theory and the sciences of complexity: Foundations for transforming education. In B. Despres (Ed.), Systems Thinkers in Action: A Field Guide for Effective Change Leadership in Education. New York: Rowman & Littlefield.

Senge, P. M. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization (1st ed.). New York: Doubleday.

Toffler, A. (1980). The Third Wave. New York: Bantam Books.

 

Part 2: Describe the primary educational systems you are involved in currently and your role in these systems.

The primary educational system I am involved in currently is a higher education system. The name of the system is UNT Health Science Center which is a meso system of University of North Texas (UNT) macro system. UNT macro system serves the north Texas area that includes UNT-Denton, UNT-Dallas, and the UNT Health Science Center in Ft. Worth. My role in the UNT health Science Center is instructional technology specialist. I have been working there since February 2010. I am a staff which is considered as a micro system. Classroom, teacher, students, etc. are examples of micro systems. As an instructional technology specialist I serve as primary learning management system (LMS) administrator of the UNTHSC, and provide campus-wide support for Canvas LMS use. My job responsibilities include collaborating and coordinating with both UNT and UNTHSC information technology shared services to provide support for LMS users at UNTHSC campus. I have earned valuable skills about how to work with multiple complex systems. I have the privilege to understand how complex it is when dealing with multiple systems. Typically I work with many different micro systems. I have to understand each micro system’s goals and functions and be able to make decision to offer best solutions. My daily job is to deal with people of many different educational, professional, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. It is so amazing to observe different dynamics in personality based on different professions. I feel each profession works like mold to shape the personality in a unique way. I coordinate with registrar’s office to manage student enrollment in Canvas LMS. I collaborate and coordinate with department chairs, program directors, and individual faculty to support their blended and online teaching needs. Also, I provide first line of support for UNTHSC faculty and course coordinators in the design, development, and delivery of blended and online courses through Canvas LMS. UNTHSC is a graduate-level meso system that offers professional degree specialized in health sciences curriculum.

The system that I am involved as a student is a micro system. I am a student in the department of Learning Technologies at the University of North Texas –Denton which is a meso system. Also, I am a micro system within my department. I am a Ph.D. student in distributed program which is very important to me. Without this distributed program I might not have been able to pursue my higher education. I always enjoy the positive impact of the distributed program. Technology and digital communication systems made it possible to positively impact our life. I have learned about teamwork, team building, and collaboration. I do not have much impact on the system at this point other than evaluating course and instructor for their work as instructor.

I am also involved in another system indirectly as a parent. The name of the system is Madinah Academy which is a meso system of Arlington ISD macro system. My son and daughter are considered as micro systems in that education system. As a parent I do play a small role in participating its socioeconomic environment. I hope to get more involve in transformation of the system in future.