Bridging the Systemic and Semantic Spheres

A Pa%ern Language for Systemic Interpreta7on & Transforma7on Bridging the Systemic & the Seman2c Spheres

Helene Finidori -‐ CC-‐BY-‐NC-‐SA

Experience

Systemic Phenomena

Natural Phenomena

Reality

Narra7ve

Categoriza7on

Percep7on

Memories

Understanding

Life

Rela7onships

The Systemic Sphere: Pa%erns of System Behavior

Life & Experience

Systemic Behaviors

Observed PaEerns

Possibility PaEerns

Observe – Probe -‐ Abstract

Imagine – Probe – Play

Apply – Monitor

PaEern Languages Domain Related

The Seman7c Sphere: Percep7on, Categoriza7on & Narra7ve

Orient: Decode -‐Encode Design

A Systemic Interpreta7on Language Bridging the Systemic & the Seman2c Spheres Observe -‐ Orient -‐ Design -‐ Apply (OODA)

Various degrees in the abstrac@on spectrum

Danube University (Peter, Sylvia) -‐ Field research -‐ Community dynamiza7on, dissemina7on in list Consor7um Members / competences Descrip7on Edit Possible ac2vi2es of Danube university: -‐ Empirical research/field research: Applica2on phase-‐explora2on of problema2ques and documenta2on: Collec2ng scien2fically valid feedback from prac22oners as a basis for further development of the plaPorm Methodology: 'Design Based Research'-‐approach (user centered), including 'Mixed Methods' with qualita2ve (Interviews/focus groups) and quan2ta2ve (ques2onnaires9 elements Adop2on and test phase Using 'Design Based Research' to examine user experience in prac2ce -‐ Dissemina2on/dynamiza2on (Purplesoc) Pending Hide completed items. Delete… 33% ✓ Introduc2on skype ✓ Descrip2on of role ✓ Partners sought out? Ac7vity Sylvia Grossgasteiger Possible ac2vi2es of Danube university: -‐ Empirical research/field research: Applica2on phase-‐explora2on of problema2ques and documenta2on: Collec2ng scien2fically valid feedback from prac22oners as a basis for further development of the plaPorm Methodology: 'Design Based Research'-‐approach (user centered), including 'Mixed Methods' with qualita2ve (Interviews/focus groups) and quan2ta2ve (ques2onnaires9 elements Adop2on and test phase Using 'Design Based Research' to examine user experience in prac2ce -‐ Dissemina2on/dynamiza2on (Purplesoc) today at 7:54 am -‐ edited today at 7:54 am -‐ Reply -‐ Delete Sylvia Grossgasteiger CV/Background Univ.-‐Prof. Dr. habil. Peter Baumgartner PETER BAUMGARTNER was born 1953 in Vienna, Austria. He studied sociology at the University of Vienna, where he obtained his doctoral degree in 1980. Ager working for a couple of years as a freelance scien2st and consultant for the Austrian Government and different universi2es he went as an assistant professor to the University of Klagenfurt. 1992 he wrote his habilita2on thesis on “Background Knowledge – Groundwork for a Cri2que of Computa2onal Reason” and published it (in German). Ager several research leaves (1983: Universidad Autónoma de Mexico, 1989: Ins2tute of Cogni2ve Studies at University of California in Berkeley, 1994: GMD, now Fraunhofer-‐Gesellschag St. Augus2n in Germany) and different posi2ons as university professor (Muenster/Germany, Innsbruck/Austria, FernUniversitaet in Hagen). Peter Baumgartner is now full professor for Technology enhanced learning and Mul2media at Danube University Krems, the first European university specialised in Con2nuing Educa2on. He is the head of the Department of Interac2ve Media and Educa2onal Technology. Since 1992 Peter Baumgartner has focused his research work on learning theory, eLearning scenarios and blended learning arrangements, distance educa2on, didac2cs and teacher training, strategies for the organisa2onal implementa2on of eLearning and evalua2on methodology. During this 2me he has published 12 books and over 190 ar2cles. Many of these ar2cles are available for download on his webpage at hEp://www.peter.baumgartner.name/. Peter Baumgartner was the scien2fic director of a pres2gious award for university teachers, which is endowed every year with 100.000 Euro (Medidaprix hEp://www.medidaprix.org/). He is board member of the Society for Media in the Sciences (GMW, hEp://www.gmw-‐online.de/), of the Styria Research Council for “Research, Innova2on and Technology for the Future” of the regional government of Styria and of several other advisory councils and commiEees concerned with eLearning. Together with Andrea Back, Gabi Reinmann and Rolf Schulmeister he edited the scien2fic journal “Zeitschrig für E-‐Learning” 2ll the end of 2012 (ZEL, hEp://www.e-‐learning-‐zeitschrig.org/). The journal will be con2nued as an interdisciplinary open access journal iTel (1st Edi2on Summer 2014, hEp://www.itel-‐journal.org). In 2011 Peter Baumgartner published his major-‐book “Taxonomie von Unterrichts-‐methoden -‐ Ein Plädoyer für didak2sche Vielfalt”, which could be translated as “Taxonomy of Teaching Methods – A Plea for Educa2onal Diversity”. It contains a proposal for an educa2onal taxonomy based on 12 dimensions and presents, based on this theore2cal premise, a collec2on of (blended) learning scenarios as well. His latest book “Schaufenster des Lernens -‐ Eine Sammlung von Mustern zur Arbeit mit E-‐PorPolios”, translated in “Showcase of Learning – A Collec2on of PaEerns to work with E-‐PorPolios” has been published in 2012.

A Systemic Interpreta2on Language Bridging the Systemic & the Seman2c Spheres

Abstrac7on Spectrum – Levels & Domains

Systemic (all field) Pa%ern Language

Systemic Pa%erns

Domain Field Pa%ern Language

Domain Pa%ern Language

Domain Language -‐ Best Prac7ce

Systemic Pa%erns Observa2on & Interpreta2on

OODA

Systemic Sphere Seman2c Sphere

Abstrac2on Spectrum

Systemic Interpreta2on Grammar: the seman2c connector between domains and language levels

Specific Abstract Systemic

Interpreta2on Grammar

Systemic Interpreta7on Grammar

(Elementary Components)

Dynamics (Movement)

u 

Sta7cs (Space -‐ Structure)

u 

Heuris7cs (Inflexions – Limits – Angles -‐ Switches)

Combined

Probed Domain Related Contexts

Enriching

Brought into & probed in

Decomposed

Refining

PaEernPedia Repository & Indexing

PaEern Explora2on

Methodologies

Brought into

Other Data Indexing / search


Cross-‐fer7lizing Domains with Pa%erns & Pa%ern Languages

Enriching

Systemic PaEern Language

Scou2ng Systems, cogni2on, language related theories

Discussion

Categoriza2on

PaEernPedia Repository

Field Evalua2on


Domain PL Research


Pa%ern Explora7on Methodology



Dynamics (Movement)

u 


u 

Heuris7cs (Inflexions – Limits – Angles – Switches)

Systemic PaEerns Generic

Domain Related Contexts


An open network of generic elementary components / primi2ves of systemic paEerns and sets of heuris2cs to choose from and to probe in various domain related contexts, with various points of entry and angles of approach.

PaEerns & PaEern Languages are tools that give direc2on, open up possibili2es, reveal adjacent possibles between domains and approaches; channeling a drive for par2cipa2on and solu2on and finding common responses and red threads; leaving space for interpreta2on and further ac2on, levng co-‐created solu2ons emerge.

The hermeneu2c approach enables focus on observa2on and on the rela2onships between categories and components, with an emphasis on various modes of percep2on; naviga2on in the crea2ve environment; play with the elements forming structure, space and movement and finding the perspec2ves, limits and boundaries through heuris2cs.

Apprecia2on of mul2ple path and co-‐created solu2ons while ensuring systemic coherence and systema2cally organizing knowledge in a repository.

Enhancement skills (re)genera2ve of living structure, in a kind of ‘OODA Loop’ empowered by systemic interpreta2on… [Observe – Orient – Design – Act] on-‐going cycle


The systemic Grammar



Dynamics (Movement)

u 


u 

Heuris7cs (Inflexions – Limits – Angles – Switches)

Systemic PaEerns Generic

Domain Related Contexts


Genera2ve processes -‐ Nature of movement – Direc2on – Rhythm – Effect of 2me & scale etc…

Func2on -‐ Rela2onships – Proximity – Mutuality – Boundary -‐ Posi2on – feedback etc…

Logics of Change -‐ Cogni2ve Processes (Jung) – Learning Styles – Process Narra2ves (Roy) – Inference (What/what/how, Aristotelian ethics) – Pharmakon/window of viability (S2egler, Lietaer) – One level up/down – etc… -‐ Switches (DNA)

Systemic operators -‐ Variables – Principles for combina2on – etc…


Systemic Grammar – Genera7ve Syntax

Social Object

A social object is a living system akin to a ‘center’ as defined by Christopher Alexander. •  An aEractor of aEen2on (care), engagement (focus) and energy (resources) •  following it’s own ac2on logic (driver) •  which has its own agency •  towards a shared vision and outcome (purpose)

Social Objects – Genera7ve Processes – Genera7ve Outcomes Each Social Object is associated with a Process genera2ve of an Outcome. The outcome is the ‘difference’, the net ‘added value’ generated via the output of an ac2vity, which may become a Social Object itself, the seed for something new, crea2ng architectures of genera2ve systems that can be networked in constella2ons or nested at various levels and scales. An applica2on of the principle of recursion. Analogies with Gene Science and other sciences

Genes, for example, combine to create, in a complex cascade of 2ming and intensity, the diversity of species on this planet, and the reproduc2on of life. What can we lean from gene science and other sciences for the structuring of a systemic language that can help design and combine genera2ve systems in a way that increases collec2ve awareness and collec2ve intelligence at the service of society, sustainability and social innova2on?


Systemic Grammar

The purpose of this language is to determine how genera2ve and recursive an ac2vity is at various 2me and spa2al scales, and design change and social innova2on architectures that op2mize the genera2ve poten2al of human ac2vity –what I have described in my paper as the commons archetype: the factors of opportunity and renewal of the system that insure its on-‐going thrivability and (re)genera2on. Christopher Alexander called this the Quality with no name, then Wholeness. Tom Atlee calls it Goodness. Many defini2on of the “vector” that makes the world a beEer place, of which we must uncover the systemic characteris2cs.

Working collabora2vely on exploring and understanding systemic effects is what creates the bridge between the systemic and seman2c spheres which will help increase collec2ve awareness and collec2ve intelligence, and point the vectors in a converging direc2on in mutual recogni2on, rather than seeking ‘alignment’ and sameness.

What are the dynamics we observe or intuit around us? How do they affect our experience and structures? How are they themselves affected by 2me, scale, spa2al and structural factors.


Systemic Grammar

The inquiry includes elements that pertain to the system itself (the systemic sphere), and elements of our understanding and the interpreta2on we make of it (the seman2c sphere –term borrowed to Pierre Levy). The hermeneu2cal approach makes the link, with heuris2cs such as:

Systemic Inquiry: Inflec7on points & Limits

Events or factors that change the characteris2cs of the dynamics or its an2cipated effect. That which form Bernard S2egler’s calls the Pharmakon – and Bernard Lietaer, the Window of viability. -‐  Natural unfolding / paEern. Thresholds of natural accumula2on etc… -‐  Spa2al/structural factors. -‐  Effects of 2me and scale -‐  Feedbacks: amplifica2on -‐ reduc2on -‐  What else?


Systemic Grammar -‐ Heuris7cs

Seman7c Inquiry: Cogni7ve Processes

These elements are related to how people perceive and process informa2on independently of the values they have. Jung’s Cogni7ve Processes or Mental Func7ons Four mental func2ons and two avtude types that differen2ate cogni2ve processing preferences of individuals, and the dynamics by which they operate. •  Func2ons of percep2on (how we focus our aEen2on and gather informa2on):

-  sensing -  Intui2ng

•  Func2ons of judgment (how we organize our experiences and make decisions) -  Thinking -  Feeling

Each of these func2ons plays out predominantly for each of us either in the •  ‘introverted’ inner world of our thoughts, feeling, memories and imagina2on •  ‘extraverted’ outer world of ac2ons, people, tools and organiza2on. Learning styles Focus on the preferred ‘sensing’ func2on •  Visual by seeing •  Auditory by saying hearing •  Kinestethic by doing experiencing


Systemic Grammar -‐ Heuris7cs

Seman7c Inquiry: Angles, perspec7ves, vantage points.

These elements are related to how people understand and categorize informa2on, and make decisions, that may influence the ‘paradigm’ they go ager, which influences the design of systems as suggested by Donnella Meadows. Logics of Change Perspec2ve of where change can best come from, also the logic of engagement and ac2on. •  Symbio2c •  Agen2c •  Poli2c-‐Ethic •  Technic-‐Strategic •  Rela2onal-‐Emo2onal •  Systemic •  Cosmologic Modes of inference Preferences in triads such as: •  Abduc2ve -‐ Deduc2ve – Induc2ve reasoning •  Object – Process – Outcome •  What – How – Why (or what for) •  Subject – Medium – Object •  Virtue – Deontology – Consequen2alism ethics