From Learning Ecologies to a Social Ecosystem Model for Learning and Skills
Abstract
:1. Introduction—Key Concepts and Distinctions
1.1. Socio Ecological Systems (SESs)—Two Variants
1.2. Variant 2—From the Natural to the Human and Social Worlds
1.3. The Ecological Metaphorical Device—Some Implications of Conceptual Extension
1.4. Issues of Terminology—Ecologies and Ecosystems
2. Learning Ecologies as Metaphor
2.1. Common Principles of Learning Ecologies Thinking and Practice
- Principle 1. Critical reflections on existing education arrangements
- Principle 2. Learning ecologies are situated
- Principle 3. A learning ecology as a holistic unit and an integrated conceptualization of learning
- Principle 4. Self-regulatory learning
- Principle 5. A network of multiple learning contexts across different scalars
- Principle 6. Interdependence and collaboration
- Principle 7. The dynamic relationship between people, technology and data
- Principle 8. Learning ecologies move through differing timescales
2.2. Some Critical Reflections
- Strengths
- Limitations
- Paradoxes
3. From Learning Ecologies to a Social Ecosystem Model
3.1. The Evolution of Social Ecological Thinking
- Stage 1. A dynamic model of the natural world.
- Stage 2. A nature-based metaphor for understanding complex human activity.
- Stage 3. A conceptual social ecological model with a political economy dimension that influences learning and knowledge production systems (the current focus).
- Stage 4. A societal and global vision of transitioning to a post-Anthropocene society.
3.2. An Expanded Social Ecosystem Model
- Part 1. A multi-scalar adapted social ecosystem
- ‘Microsystem’—comprises the learner’s immediate family environment and their immediate learning relationships, and thus stays close to the original Bronfenbrenner formulation.
- ‘Mesosystem’—the original concept of the mesosystem as comprising two or more micro systems has been given a more organisational emphasis in the adapted model, focusing on learning and skills institutions and their complex organisational and spatial relationships.
- ‘Exosystem’—the original definition focused on settings operating beyond the meso- and microsystems that, nevertheless, influence the development of the child. In the adapted version, the exosystem is conceived through a political economy lens to be concerned with ‘middle range’ factors and forces—the influence of the characteristics of the locality, regional economy and distributed technologies that link the learner and their organisational settings to the wider economy and society.
- ‘Macrosystem’—in the adapted model, Bronfenbrenner’s original cultural system in which the child is immersed, is viewed more broadly as the totality of socio-economic, political and ideological relationships directly affecting learning and skills development.
- ‘Chronosystem’—the original focus on the life transitioning of the child is also given a more systemic focus in the adapted model, referring not only to the patterning of learning and transitions over the life course, but importantly the evolution of the SEM and its socio-political ecosystem framework. The chronological evolution of the totality of relations is understood here as ‘social ecosystem time’.
- Part 2. Dimensions of a political economy framework
3.3. Dynamics of the Political Economy Framework
4. The SEM in Action—Inclusive Place-Based VET in the English Context
5. Future Steps—Transitioning through a ‘Political Economy–Ecology’ Perspective
6. Conclusions—Progressing through Stages of Social Ecosystem Thinking
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Spours, K. From Learning Ecologies to a Social Ecosystem Model for Learning and Skills. Systems 2024, 12, 324. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12090324
Spours K. From Learning Ecologies to a Social Ecosystem Model for Learning and Skills. Systems. 2024; 12(9):324. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12090324
Chicago/Turabian StyleSpours, Ken. 2024. "From Learning Ecologies to a Social Ecosystem Model for Learning and Skills" Systems 12, no. 9: 324. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12090324