Social Learning Systems and Communities of Practice
Social Learning Systems and Communities of Practice

Author: Chris Blackmore

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2010-06-01

Total Pages: 231

ISBN-13: 1849961336

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Social Learning Systems and Communities of Practice is a collection of classical and contemporary writing associated with learning and systemic change in contexts ranging from cities, to rural development to education to nursing to water management to public policy. It is likely to be of interest to anyone trying to understand how to think systemically and to act and interact effectively in situations experienced as complex, messy and changing. While mainly concerned with professional praxis, where theory and practice inform each other, there is much here that can apply at a personal level. This book offers conceptual tools and suggestions for new ways of being and acting in the world in relation to each other, that arise from both old and new understandings of communities, learning and systems. Starting with twentieth century insights into social learning, learning systems and appreciative systems from Donald Schön and Sir Geoffrey Vickers, the book goes on to consider the contemporary traditions of critical social learning systems and communities of practice, pioneered by Richard Bawden and Etienne Wenger and their colleagues. A synthesis of the ideas raised, written by the editor, concludes this reader. The theory and practice of social learning systems and communities of practice appear to have much to offer in influencing and managing systemic change for a better world.

Redesigning Education
Redesigning Education

Author: Innovation Unit For Gelp

Publisher: Booktrope Editions

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781620151327

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As we hurtle through the second decade of the 21st century, the pressure for radical change to mainstream education is becoming ever more urgent, and images for what that future might look like are emerging and coalescing. But there is a problem. There is no version of this complex, exciting new world of learning that can arrive fully operational and ready to open for business on Monday morning. Redesigning Education captures the journeys of cities and countries around the world as they travel from the education systems they have to the education systems they want and need-and highlights the tools and processes they are using along the way. The Global Education Leaders' Program, or GELP, is a partnership of teams of education system leaders and world-class organizations collaborating to transform education. Its members include some of the highest performing countries in the world and those where providing education for all is an extraordinary challenge. As a community, these teams have developed, refined and shared a compelling and-critically-actionable vision for the future of education: Education 3.0. Redesigning Education is about what it takes to transform education systems when the context in which they've flourished fundamentally alters. While a fully operational 21st century education system does not yet exist, GELP teams are identifying a clear set of models and practices that together form a "roadmap" to the future, backed up by the practical lessons drawn from their experiences. More than simply a compelling case for change, Redesigning Education offers real insights grown from stories of system transformation around the globe.

World Development Report 2018
World Development Report 2018

Author: World Bank Group

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2017-10-16

Total Pages: 482

ISBN-13: 1464810982

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Every year, the World Bank’s World Development Report (WDR) features a topic of central importance to global development. The 2018 WDR—LEARNING to Realize Education’s Promise—is the first ever devoted entirely to education. And the time is right: education has long been critical to human welfare, but it is even more so in a time of rapid economic and social change. The best way to equip children and youth for the future is to make their learning the center of all efforts to promote education. The 2018 WDR explores four main themes: First, education’s promise: education is a powerful instrument for eradicating poverty and promoting shared prosperity, but fulfilling its potential requires better policies—both within and outside the education system. Second, the need to shine a light on learning: despite gains in access to education, recent learning assessments reveal that many young people around the world, especially those who are poor or marginalized, are leaving school unequipped with even the foundational skills they need for life. At the same time, internationally comparable learning assessments show that skills in many middle-income countries lag far behind what those countries aspire to. And too often these shortcomings are hidden—so as a first step to tackling this learning crisis, it is essential to shine a light on it by assessing student learning better. Third, how to make schools work for all learners: research on areas such as brain science, pedagogical innovations, and school management has identified interventions that promote learning by ensuring that learners are prepared, teachers are both skilled and motivated, and other inputs support the teacher-learner relationship. Fourth, how to make systems work for learning: achieving learning throughout an education system requires more than just scaling up effective interventions. Countries must also overcome technical and political barriers by deploying salient metrics for mobilizing actors and tracking progress, building coalitions for learning, and taking an adaptive approach to reform.

Discovering the Brain
Discovering the Brain

Author: National Academy of Sciences

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1992-01-01

Total Pages: 195

ISBN-13: 0309045290

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The brain ... There is no other part of the human anatomy that is so intriguing. How does it develop and function and why does it sometimes, tragically, degenerate? The answers are complex. In Discovering the Brain, science writer Sandra Ackerman cuts through the complexity to bring this vital topic to the public. The 1990s were declared the "Decade of the Brain" by former President Bush, and the neuroscience community responded with a host of new investigations and conferences. Discovering the Brain is based on the Institute of Medicine conference, Decade of the Brain: Frontiers in Neuroscience and Brain Research. Discovering the Brain is a "field guide" to the brainâ€"an easy-to-read discussion of the brain's physical structure and where functions such as language and music appreciation lie. Ackerman examines: How electrical and chemical signals are conveyed in the brain. The mechanisms by which we see, hear, think, and pay attentionâ€"and how a "gut feeling" actually originates in the brain. Learning and memory retention, including parallels to computer memory and what they might tell us about our own mental capacity. Development of the brain throughout the life span, with a look at the aging brain. Ackerman provides an enlightening chapter on the connection between the brain's physical condition and various mental disorders and notes what progress can realistically be made toward the prevention and treatment of stroke and other ailments. Finally, she explores the potential for major advances during the "Decade of the Brain," with a look at medical imaging techniquesâ€"what various technologies can and cannot tell usâ€"and how the public and private sectors can contribute to continued advances in neuroscience. This highly readable volume will provide the public and policymakersâ€"and many scientists as wellâ€"with a helpful guide to understanding the many discoveries that are sure to be announced throughout the "Decade of the Brain."

Learning Schools, Learning Systems
Learning Schools, Learning Systems

Author: Paul Clarke

Publisher: A&C Black

Published: 2000-09-01

Total Pages: 178

ISBN-13: 1847143296

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This text, using case studies, argues that the sensitivity of prevailing approaches to school improvements are causing reforms to fail to achieve their objectives. It proposes alternative methods of introducing change.

E-Learning Systems, Environments and Approaches
E-Learning Systems, Environments and Approaches

Author: Pedro Isaías

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-03-12

Total Pages: 334

ISBN-13: 3319058258

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The volume consists of twenty-five chapters selected from among peer-reviewed papers presented at the CELDA (Cognition and Exploratory Learning in the Digital Age) 2013 Conference held in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, in October 2013 and also from world class scholars in e-learning systems, environments and approaches. The following sub-topics are included: Exploratory Learning Technologies (Part I), e-Learning social web design (Part II), Learner communities through e-Learning implementations (Part III), Collaborative and student-centered e-Learning design (Part IV). E-Learning has been, since its initial stages, a synonym for flexibility. While this dynamic nature has mainly been associated with time and space it is safe to argue that currently it embraces other aspects such as the learners’ profile, the scope of subjects that can be taught electronically and the technology it employs. New technologies also widen the range of activities and skills developed in e-Learning. Electronic learning environments have evolved past the exclusive delivery of knowledge. Technology has endowed e-Learning with the possibility of remotely fomenting problem solving skills, critical thinking and team work, by investing in information exchange, collaboration, personalisation and community building.