Re-Thinking Education and Learning with C. Alexander's Latest Theory

I submitted a new paper to the EducationalPatterns workshop, which will be held in Austria this November.Here is an abstract of the paper.

"Making Learning Lively: An Analogical Consideration Inspired by Christopher Alexander’s Theory of Wholeness and Centers" (Takashi Iba, EducationalPatterns Workshop, 2012)

In this paper, I would like to consider how to make learning lively by developing an analogy between architecture and education, inspired by Christopher Alexander’s theory of wholeness and centers, which is proposed in his book, The Nature of Order. The analogy developed in this paper is that a whole that is composed of learning is viewed as a whole in the Alexander’s definition; and that learning that is lively is viewed as a center. In this paper, the following properties that make learning lively is discussed based on the following fifteen fundamental properties proposed by C. Alexander in his book, The Nature of Order: Levels of Scale, Strong Centers, Boundaries, Alternating Repetition, Positive Space, Good Shape, Local Symmetries, Deep Interlock and Ambiguity, Contrast, Gradients, Roughness, Echoes, The Void, Simplicity and Inner Calm, and Not-Separateness. Furthermore, I show the relation between these properties and the patterns of the Learning Patterns, which is a pattern language for creative learning.

This is one of the figure in the paper.  My illustration summarizing the fifteen fundamental properties proposed by Christopher Alexander in his book, The Nature of Order, Book One.

The following is another figure in my paper. It shows my view of learning with the concepts, whole and centers, proposed by C. Alexander.

Reference (in the paper)

• Alexander, C. (1985) The Production of Houses, Oxford University Press.
• Alexander, C. (2002a) The Nature of Order, BOOK ONE: The Phenomenon of Life, The Center for Environmental Structure.
• Alexander, C. (2002b) The Nature of Order, BOOK TWO: The Process of Creating Life, The Center for Environmental Structure.
• Learning Patterns Project (2009) Learning Patterns: A Pattern Language for Creative Learning, in Japanese, Faculty of Policy Management & Faculty of Environment and Information Science, Keio University.
• Iba, T., Miyake, T., Naruse, M., and Yotsumoto, N. (2009), “Learning Patterns: A Pattern Language for Active Learners,” in 16th International Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (PLoP2009).
• Iba, T. and Miyake, T. (2010) “Learning Patterns: A Pattern Language for Creative Learning II,” in 1st Asian Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (AsianPLoP2010).
• Iba, T., “Learning Patterns III: A Pattern Language for Creative Learning,” in 18th international Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (PLoP2011), 2011.
• Learning Patterns Project (2011) Learning Patterns: A Pattern Language for Creative Learning, in The Third International Conference on Collaborative Innovation Networks (COINs2011), 2011

Experience Mining and Dialogues Workshop @ COINs2011

Last week, my students and I attended to the Third International Conference on Collaborative Innovation Networks (COINs2011) held in Basel, Switzerland.

We held a two-hour workshop entitled "Experience Mining and Dialogues with a Pattern Language for Creative Learning." In that workshop, participants talk about their experience of learning each other with using the Learning Patterns. The Learning Patterns is a pattern language for creative learning, namely the collection of practical knowledge of problem-finding and problem-solving in learning.

The goals of this workshop were as follows: first, understanding what a pattern language is like, especially the Learning Patterns, a pattern language for creative learning. Second, reflecting on, talking about, and (re-) designing your own learning. Third, becoming future facilitators of this type of workshop in their own community.

We had more than twenty participants from diverse fields and different countries. While it was our first time to hold a workshop in such an international setting, we enjoyed the facilitation thanks to the eager participants. Not only participants, but also the place of workshop was so nice, because the place of the workshop was the terrace of the Old University offering a wonderful view of the Rhine.

I'm really happy since participants said they enjoyed the workshop and it was eye-opening for them. Furthermore, we learned several hints from their feedback. I greatly appreciate their joining and I would like to thank my team members.

The Place of Workshop on the Rhine

Introduction Session

Demonstration of Dialogue

Dialogue Session

 Reflection Session

Workshop Organizing Team

The video of our presentation is available at the Livestream coninsconference page. Also, the following is the presentation slides posted into the SlideShare.

Experience Mining and Dialogues with a Pattern Language for Creative Learning