Blog | Imperative Systemic Transformations | European Education and Learning

Blog | Imperative Systemic Transformations | European Education and Learning

In response to the lively discussion generated by the European Society for the Systemic Innovation through its growing Community, I am delighted to (also) contribute to the discussion on the eLearning Europa Platform! In debating the theme of Systemic Innovation and systems breaking out of status quo, we (will have to) explicitly acknowledge the either pleasant or unpleasant (imperative) transformations taking place in Europe. However, we must also try to obtain a better understanding about what drives transformative change in Europe. We must gain more and better insight. The next question is such an attempt. I personally welcome everybody to have an opinion on this and contribute to the discussion (read-up suggestion).

What can be said about the transition of education systems, about systems breaking-out and achieving a higher dynamic equilibrium? Well, what we can say is that the performance of education systems is delimited by the operational specs or boundaries of operation, which under normal circumstances cannot be surpassed. Under the inert constraints of legislation, geography, infrastructure, demographics, social, cultural, and others constraints, education systems will reside within a certain operating bandwidth and will maintain a certain performance status-quo: they are stuck within paradigm.

Making changes to the mix of labour, capital and knowledge resources does enable the education system to make gradual performance improvements, though will still be stuck with its operations within boundary and within paradigm. Despite the good will of climbing the performance ladder, systems approximate a ceiling, which prevents them from significantly improving performance any further. Each time, more effort and energy is needed to gain even smaller improvements. So how then to break the barrier (voluntarily or not),  and how to obtain a systemic change?

Radically changing system performance, requires an active control over the dynamic configuration of multiple simultaneous and complementary innovations. It requires the pro-active management of a change network, that directs drivers of complementary innovations systematically to envisioned goals. It assumes empowering all associated stakeholders like educational, parental, business and financial communities, by giving them active ownership of the change process. Creating successful dynamic change however, is of high risk and will be a heavy load for legacy education systems, as of the ruling power of traditional forces. It is apparent that change like this can only be forged with the fluidity of all parties involved. A holistic, interactive and reinforcing process is needed.

It implies moulding coalitions of change and anticipating on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threat of individual parties and the coalition at large. A situated and proper balance must be found for implementing systemic change, allowing a safe shift to higher levels. We distinguish three states for systems:

1) a zero state,

2) an upward state,

3) a downward state.

Elaboration:

In each state, operations remain within boundary specs, unless (again) a paradigm or systemic change is immanent. Upward systemic change radically changes the performance of a system when it migrates from the zero state towards the upward state. Whenever a system is negatively affected by change though, and important complementary system variables resonate to amplify this effect, systemic downfall occurs, leaving the system to spin down and bringing it into a state of decay.

Finally:

To pro-actively control paradigm shift in a positive sense, evidently, one wishes as little as possible of any uncontrollable processes and variables to remain, or when they do remain, to have some knowledge on how their effects on the change project, may be dimmed.

Feel free to respond to this Blog and/or simply follow the eLearning Europa Community for discussion and updates! Debate can also be followed up through papers and 2012 Conference.

Community: Systemic Innovation of Education: Pervasive Action, Forging Debate, Molding Coalitions (53 Members) | Visits: 2021 | Request membership | Facilitators: European Society for the Systemic Innovation of Education