Tier-II Knowledge Creation

Integral Learning Models, Practices and Methodologies

The fundamental model in Integral Theory is the AQAL framework - “All Quadrants, All Levels”. It is a map that splits up human development into 4 parts that emerge together. This is useful for thinking about how our learning pathways are addressing our full, holistic selves:

Within the theory there are 5 basic elements: quadrants, levels, lines, states, and types. These are all important considerations when designing education systems or individual pathways:

4 Quadrants of the AQAL Framework

4 General Levels of Development Altitude in Each Quadrant

4 Lines of Development

4 States of Awareness

4 General Typology Approaches to Learners

Approaches

- Addressing the many aspects of being human- Including multiple holonic orders- Allowing for multiple ways of knowing- Giving full attention to both internal/external

realities- Seeing knowledge in terms of the coordination of

perspectives

Insights about knowledge

- Complexity- Meta-perspectives- Knowledge as personal- Multi-methodology- Indeterminism- Negotiation, ethics, and power

Also each quadrant is associated with a form of awareness. Building and balancing these forms is a fundamental aim of integral education:

There are specific methods and techniques we can use to go about building this awareness, beginning with the 4 commitments:

Each of which are associated with 3 distinct Ways of Knowing, making 12 in all:

A powerful learning method is called Integrative Methodological Pluralism. It is based on looking at something from a plurality of perspectives, specifically from the 8 Primordial Perspectives. These exist as “inside” and “outside” perspectives in each of the 4 quadrants.

For each of these 8 perspectives there is an existing and developed methodology that can be applied. These make for some interesting edges for the integral student (see Annotated Resources).

Another useful practice is called Polarity Mapping. This is a tool to address the paradoxical nature of the conceptual universe - becoming integral involves seeing that opposites are often two sides of the coin and that the task is finding a balance. We can map these elements to help us build awareness and balance.

Polarity Mapping