Systemic Transformation and Innovation

This paper explores the essential role of paradigm shifts in scientific progress, emphasizing how such shifts are a natural and necessary response to the stagnation that arises from closed systems. Drawing from the ICCF (Information-Causal Compression Field) framework, the study argues that the structure of academic and scientific institutions inherently fosters a closed system, which leads to intellectual inertia and an eventual collapse of innovation. Paradigm shifts, therefore, are not merely theoretical advances but are vital to the revitalization of knowledge and progress, akin to opening a window to the outside world. This paper examines the dynamics of such shifts, including the roles of external disruptors and internal reformers, and proposes that the process of innovation is, fundamentally, an act of entropy exchange—allowing fresh, lower-entropy ideas to permeate systems that have become increasingly insulated from progress. The necessity of these shifts is framed as both a scientific and moral imperative, especially when confronting institutional barriers that prevent the flourishing of transformative theories.

This article introduces the Moleka Grid, a diagnostic framework designed to facilitate systemic transformation by integrating symptomatic, paradigmatic, and ontological analyses. Building upon existing models such as the Iceberg Model and the Three Horizons Framework, the Moleka Grid addresses the need for deeper diagnostic tools that consider underlying worldviews and assumptions. Through case studies in urban governance and climate policy, the framework's applicability is demonstrated. The article concludes with a discussion on the framework's implications for practice and future research directions.

Wprowadzana od początku 2025 r. w życie ustawa o ochronie ludności i obronie cywilnej z 5 grudnia 2024 r. wedle deklaracji jej twórców stanowi długo oczekiwany i ważny element kształtowania polityki publicznej władz RP w zakresie budowania bezpieczeństwa i odporności Polaków; zwłaszcza w odniesieniu do skupiających ich lokalnych społeczności. Zasadniczym celem niniejszego tekstu jest próba odpowiedzi na pytanie na ile, w swoich zapisach, bierze ona pod uwagę potencjalną rolę integracji społecznej jako drogi i wspomagającego narzędzia do realizacji wymienionych celów.
The Polish Act on Civil Protection and Civil Defense of December 5, 2024, which will come into force at the beginning of 2025, is, according to its authors, a long-awaited and important element of the Polish government's public policy on building security and resilience for Poles, especially in relation to their local communities. The main purpose of this text is to attempt to answer the question of the extent to which the Act takes into account the potential role of social integration as a means and supporting tool for achieving these objectives.

The purpose of this bachelors thesis is to study the phenomenon of gaslighting as a form of pathological lying with a particular focus on its occurrence in narratives of the media. As part of the work, a survey in the form of a questionnaire was conducted, assessing public awareness of gaslighting. The results of the survey highlight the need to to expand the scope of education in the field of recognizing and preventing gaslighting, especially in the context of its occurrence in media and political narratives.

La pandemia di Covid-19 ha avuto un forte impatto sull’insegnamento, evidenziando le sfide legate al passaggio alla didattica a distanza e online e in particolare mettendo in luce le difficoltà di affrontare attraverso le pratiche digitali il coinvolgimento degli studenti e le loro esigenze relazionali ed emotive. Il presente contributo propone un’analisi del DigCompEdu (Redecker, 2017), il quadro europeo per la competenza digitale degli insegnanti, attraverso una comparazione con altri modelli operativi per ipotizzarne alcune possibili integrazioni, alla luce delle più rilevanti teorie e delle evidenze relative al periodo trascorso. La proposta di integrazione include dimensioni legate alle abilità comunicative e socio-relazionali, oltre che ad aspetti legati al benessere digitale e alla consapevolezza delle politiche locali e globali per uno sguardo critico alle pratiche d’insegnamento con le tecnologie educative in uso nei diversi contesti.

Our current sustainability crisis reveals a deeper systemic behavioral pattern, discussed in this paper as the polarization effect that gave rise to our mechanistic worldviews. This effect is in part driven by our attempts to control our natural world to suit our economic needs via technological advancements that have decreased our reciprocity with our natural systems. This also resulted in a loss of coherence in our human-made systems and an increase in entropy. We have attempted to negate this by forming and imposing agreement and regulatory mechanisms, yet a far more fundamental change is required. We humbly suggest that it is time to acknowledge that many of our conventional human-made systems are based on a systemic design error. We explore an ancient Australian Aboriginal teaching called Kanyini, to better understand the nature of this design error. We offer this understanding to heal the system dynamics of our worldviews.

Il processo di valutazione dell'insegnamento e tradizionalmente compito esclusivo degli insegnanti; l'introduzione di metodi innovativi consentono di superare la valutazione sommativa dando spazio alla partecipazione democratica degli studenti, all'uso di nuovi processi, come l'autovalutazione e la valutazione condivisa, facendo riferimento ad una valutazione formativa. Scopo del presente lavoro e di avviare una riflessione sul ruolo della valutazione nella formazione universitaria e, in particolare, nella formazione iniziale degli insegnanti di Educazione Fisica.

Background The idea of 'systems' has been discussed in almost all disciplines since its origin in the 17th century including physics, biology and chemistry, and was eventually used for explanations in ecology, engineering, economics, anthropology, geography, sociology, cybernetics and so on. It has emerged as a meta-discipline and as a metalanguage (Checkland & Scholes, 1999). Using the idea of systems, Checkland (1981 to date) provides the seminal work on 'systems-thinking'. 'Systems-thinking' is about consciously organised thinking processes (Arnold & Wade, 2015; Checkland, 1981). Systems-thinking is a world view which allows appreciation of holistic systems, having interconnections between the elements of which systems-thinking is made of, called system-components. This includes human and non-human elements of the system, encompassing physical, natural, social, economic, cultural and cognitive attributes, established in the form of the wider, linked processes between the users (human) and technologies or structures (non-human) of the system (Clegg, 2000). These system-components contribute to properties such as drivers, outcomes and feedbacks, and can be applied to problems of multiple disciplines (Cerar, 2012; Forrester, 1994; Voinov & Farley, 2007). As a core concept, systemsthinking is an idea of the 'adaptive whole'. As a whole, a system has its own emergent properties, layered structure and processes of communication and control (Arnold & Wade, 2015; Checkland, 1981). Systems-thinking involves several principles, which on their own are looked upon as disciplines of systems-thinking. Anderson and Johnson (1997) provide the basic principles of systems-thinking: 1 The 'Big Picture' principle demands widening one's perspective to find a more effective solution (e.g. in stressful times, one tends to focus on the immediate, most pressing problem and this perceives only the effects of changes elsewhere in the system). Therefore, one should step back to look at the bigger picture and investigate the source of the problem, which would more likely identify a more effective solution. 2 The 'Long Term, Short Term' principle suggests that the best approach to strike a balance about any decision is to consider short-term (e.g., a week, a quarter, a year) and long-term

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) on student academic performance. The participants in the study are eight middle schools from an urban Southern California school district where the implementation of SWPBIS was mandated. Using archival data collected by the school district and information from the California Department of Education Website, multiple baseline trends were conducted. The findings revealed that when schools implemented SWPBIS, the student outcome data was positively impacted and this positive impact continues as schools continue to fully implement all components of SWPBIS. In schools where SWPBIS was implemented fully and the staff sustained the program at the school site, the growth in academic achievement was strongly associated with the implementation of SWPBIS with fidelity. Discussion centers on recommendations for educational leaders for implementing SWPBIS.

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) on student academic performance. The participants in the study are eight middle schools from an urban Southern California school district where the implementation of SWPBIS was mandated. Using archival data collected by the school district and information from the California Department of Education Website, multiple baseline trends were conducted. The findings revealed that when schools implemented SWPBIS, the student outcome data was positively impacted and this positive impact continues as schools continue to fully implement all components of SWPBIS. In schools where SWPBIS was implemented fully and the staff sustained the program at the school site, the growth in academic achievement was strongly associated with the implementation of SWPBIS with fidelity. Discussion centers on recommendations for educational leaders for implementing SWPBIS.

This article presents Culturally Responsive Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (CRPBIS), the first framework to operationalize cultural responsiveness in the context of positive behavioral interventions and supports in the United States (Bal 2011). To develop the CRPBIS framework, I first conducted a systematic review of literature. Then, I developed the CRPBIS framework based on the literature review and interdisciplinary literature from cultural psychology, organization studies, learning sciences, critical geography, cultural studies, as well as education research. Finally, to test and refine the framework in practice, a multisite, mixed-methods formative intervention study was conducted in the state of

This article presents Culturally Responsive Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (CRPBIS), the first framework to operationalize cultural responsiveness in the context of positive behavioral interventions and supports in the United States (Bal 2011). To develop the CRPBIS framework, I first conducted a systematic review of literature. Then, I developed the CRPBIS framework based on the literature review and interdisciplinary literature from cultural psychology, organization studies, learning sciences, critical geography, cultural studies, as well as education research. Finally, to test and refine the framework in practice, a multisite, mixed-methods formative intervention study was conducted in the state of

La pandemia di Covid-19 ha avuto un forte impatto sull'insegnamento, evidenziando le sfide legate al passaggio alla didattica a distanza e online e in particolare mettendo in luce le difficoltà di affrontare attraverso le pratiche digitali il coinvolgimento degli studenti e le loro esigenze relazionali ed emotive. Il presente contributo propone un'analisi del DigCompEdu (Redecker, 2017), il quadro europeo per la competenza digitale degli insegnanti, attraverso una comparazione con altri modelli operativi per ipotizzarne alcune possibili integrazioni, alla luce delle più rilevanti teorie e delle evidenze relative al periodo trascorso. La proposta di integrazione include dimensioni legate alle abilità comunicative e socio-relazionali, oltre che ad aspetti legati al benessere digitale e alla consapevolezza delle politiche locali e globali per uno sguardo critico alle pratiche d'insegnamento con le tecnologie educative in uso nei diversi contesti.

The first law of thermodynamics tells that the total amount of energy and matter in our Universe remains constant. This is also called the law of constants and implies that our Universe is a closed system with regard to matter and energy. The second law of thermodynamics was traditionally explained in terms of increasing entropy over time. This law, from an infodynamics perspective, can be regarded as increasing complexity of informational content over time. This opens an evolutionary view how, from an infodynamics perspective, our Universe evolved from initial simplicity through increasing complexity over time. Increasing complexity over time in a closed-loop system generates unique transformational dynamics. This paper explores how to apply this understanding for systemic transformational change within conventional systems that have evolved from a mechanistic worldview. Examples of praxis are provided to highlight this midwifing process to ease our collective birthing pains into new ways of being.

The first law of thermodynamics tells that the total amount of energy and matter in our Universe remains constant. This is also called the law of constants and implies that our Universe is a closed system with regard to matter and energy. The second law of thermodynamics was traditionally explained in terms of increasing entropy over time. This law, from an infodynamics perspective, can be regarded as increasing complexity of informational content over time. This opens an evolutionary view how, from an infodynamics perspective, our Universe evolved from initial simplicity through increasing complexity over time. Increasing complexity over time in a closed-loop system generates unique transformational dynamics. This paper explores how to apply this understanding for systemic transformational change within conventional systems that have evolved from a mechanistic worldview. Examples of praxis are provided to highlight this midwifing process to ease our collective birthing pains into new ways of being.

It is the end of the school year. Final grades will be due soon, testing is completed, students are frantically turning in missing work and finishing final projects. Educators around the United States are in the same mindset that accountants are around April 15: Busy, busy, busy! Recognizing this mindset and the need for immediate, concrete strategies, I reached out to the field, asking for experts to boil important concepts down to the nitty-gritty. What do busy educators really need to know to improve their practice? With the theme of "3 things you really need to know about…", experts from a variety of areas gave us the SparksNotes version of the CliffsNotes version of a variety of important topics. Clearly, to go deep, we recommend reading additional sources and research, but the authors of these articles have done an amazing job of narrowing down the most important components for us to ponder and practice.

La pandemia di Covid-19 ha avuto un forte impatto sull’insegnamento, evidenziando le sfide legate al passaggio alla didattica a distanza e online e in particolare mettendo in luce le difficoltà di affrontare attraverso le pratiche digitali il coinvolgimento degli studenti e le loro esigenze relazionali ed emotive. Il presente contributo propone un’analisi del DigCompEdu (Redecker, 2017), il quadro europeo per la competenza digitale degli insegnanti, attraverso una comparazione con altri modelli operativi per ipotizzarne alcune possibili integrazioni, alla luce delle più rilevanti teorie e delle evidenze relative al periodo trascorso. La proposta di integrazione include dimensioni legate alle abilità comunicative e socio-relazionali, oltre che ad aspetti legati al benessere digitale e alla consapevolezza delle politiche locali e globali per uno sguardo critico alle pratiche d’insegnamento con le tecnologie educative in uso nei diversi contesti.

In this paper, we consider how learning networks build capacity for system transformation. We define learning networks as inter-organizational voluntary collaboratives that nurture professional expertise and describe their potential to catalyse systemic change by disrupting old habits, fostering new relationships, and providing freedom to experiment. We conducted a parallel study of four learning networks, which vary in age since founding from 2 to 25 years, applying three exploratory questions across our cases. We conclude by considering how learning networks can foster transformative capacity within socialecological systems when they are designed and facilitated with a soft touch so that network members in different sites have the freedom to define their place and purpose within their system, as well as their role in bringing about a desired transformation. We suggest that system transformation is not just the sum of similar efforts at different sites and scales or a least common denominator between them but is emergent from interaction between the partially shared understandings of actors within and between sites, and across network scales. A well-designed network is a learning system that encompasses these multiple perspectives, and good netweaving mediates different ways of system knowing without collapsing them into one perspective.

La pandemia di Covid-19 ha avuto un forte impatto sull’insegnamento, evidenziando le sfide legate al passaggio alla didattica a distanza e online e in particolare mettendo in luce le difficoltà di affrontare attraverso le pratiche digitali il coinvolgimento degli studenti e le loro esigenze relazionali ed emotive. Il presente contributo propone un’analisi del DigCompEdu (Redecker, 2017), il quadro europeo per la competenza digitale degli insegnanti, attraverso una comparazione con altri modelli operativi per ipotizzarne alcune possibili integrazioni, alla luce delle più rilevanti teorie e delle evidenze relative al periodo trascorso. La proposta di integrazione include dimensioni legate alle abilità comunicative e socio-relazionali, oltre che ad aspetti legati al benessere digitale e alla consapevolezza delle politiche locali e globali per uno sguardo critico alle pratiche d’insegnamento con le tecnologie educative in uso nei diversi contesti.

Chaos theory and the sciences of complexity are branches of systems theory that were developed to help understand highly complex systems. This chapter begins with a summary of some key features of these theories that are particularly relevant to understanding educational systems: coevolution, disequilibrium, positive feedback, perturbation, transformation, fractals, strange attractors, self-organization, and dynamic complexity. Then it explores two major ways that these theories can inform systemic transformation (paradigm change) in K-12 education in the United States and other parts of the world. One way is to help people understand their present systems of education, how each islikely to respond to changes that people try to make, and the effects of those changes, to determine when a system is ready for transformation and identify the system dynamics that are likely to influence both the attempted changes and the effects of those changes. The other way is to help people understand and improve the transformation process, which is itself a complex system that educational systems can use to transform themselves. Strange attractors and leverage points are two particularly powerful tools for influencing the success of the transformation process.

The enduring existence of disproportionate representation of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in special education programs and disciplinary practices creates a double bind for educators, educational leaders, and families. Disproportionality is an adaptive systemic issue that is not under any entity’s control; thus, it demands collaboration and critical dialogue among local stakeholders. This article examined the implementation of Learning Lab, a new methodology of systemic transformation, for local stakeholders to collectively examine and address disproportionality in behavioral outcomes from the ground–up. Learning Lab aims to increase equity within the local implementations of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) by opening up decision-making and problem-solving processes with local stakeholders. Designed to increase authentic collaboration and dialogue among educators, families, and community-based organizations, Learning Lab offer...

The enduring existence of disproportionate representation of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in special education programs and disciplinary practices creates a double bind for educators, educational leaders, and families. Disproportionality is an adaptive systemic issue that is not under any entity’s control; thus, it demands collaboration and critical dialogue among local stakeholders. This article examined the implementation of Learning Lab, a new methodology of systemic transformation, for local stakeholders to collectively examine and address disproportionality in behavioral outcomes from the ground–up. Learning Lab aims to increase equity within the local implementations of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) by opening up decision-making and problem-solving processes with local stakeholders. Designed to increase authentic collaboration and dialogue among educators, families, and community-based organizations, Learning Lab offer...

Thorius, K. A. K. (2023). Leveraging asset pedagogies at race/disability intersections in equity-expansive technical assistance. In F. R. Waitoller & K. A. K. Thorius (Eds.), Sustaining disabled youth: Centering disability in asset pedagogies (pp. 169-182). Teachers College Press.

In this chapter, Dr. Kathleen A. King Thorius considers her history of encountering and perpetrating the intersection of ableism and racism, and her own practice as a school psychologist and technical assistance provider, including the reproduction of racial and ability hierarchies in her professional and personal life. She describes coming to learn more about how her individual and collective action can contribute to systemic transformation toward equitable, just schools for students at the intersection of race, disability, and other minoritized identities through the framing and practice of equity-expansive technical assistance. Thorius is the Great Lakes Equity Center’s founding executive director, and co-editor of this volume with Federico Waitoller.

This article considers the contribution of "social constructionist" research to housing studies. The first part of the paper discusses "positivist" epistemologies that have provided an implicit foundation for the majority of housing research. It then examines the philosophical suppositions that underpin "social constructionism". This is followed by a summary of the major criticisms that can be levelled against the new research agenda, alongside a review of recent examples of housing research that draw upon social constructionism. Finally, the paper considers the future of theoretical housing research and speculates as to what can be achieved by methods based upon a social constructionist epistemology.

This chapter highlights the phenomenon of family business groups as a research target and presents the vision for the book. The role of family business groups in different economies is a main reason for the need to understand the emergence and development of family business groups. Partly due to the invisibility of the family business group—the current business group—the entrepreneurship and family business literature have largely neglected the topic. So this chapter raises a set of questions as targets for research on the family business group. The remainder of the chapter covers all of the book’s chapters and their perspectives on the phenomenon of the family business group.

In this paper, we study family business portfolios and illustrate ownership that connects family and business systems. Traditional family business research has assumed the one family/one business concept to be the main model. This study builds on the ideas of modern portfolio theory and behavioural finance theory and suggests that the portfolio evaluation criteria of risk and return coexist with the basic family-based evaluation criteria of obligation, securing succession, or family unity. This longitudinal case study and case analysis suggest that the family can be seen as a viable governor for the business portfolio and that the family portfolio development can be characterised by the complex set of portfolio evaluation criteria, including the needs of the individual family members to the contingent needs of the distinct businesses. The paper concludes with a redefined collection of portfolio management criteria identified and suggestions for further research on the subject.

This chapter focuses on the methodological issues of researching family business groups and portfolios. It identifies and discusses five areas which pose special methodological challenges for family business researchers. The field is still developing relevant research questions, and until these are clarified further, the field lacks an agreed theoretical framework or agenda with which to guide empirical research. This development of questions requires a period of inductive empirical studies to identify and highlight which research questions are most relevant before grounded theorizing can progress. Empirical research, however, is handicapped by definitional difficulties and the absence of large-scale secondary databases which would enable business groups and family firms to be identified for statistical comparison. Furthermore, family business groups can span more than one generation, necessitating longitudinal approaches which rely principally on the imperfect historical recollecti...

In this chapter, we sum up the lessons learned about family business groups. The chapter highlights some of the contributions of the separate chapters in the book and shows that many of the chapters in fact open up new perspectives into studying family business groups, thus providing possibilities for further studies. We suggest that while this book has covered a wide range of the entrepreneurial, managerial and contextual issues related to the emergence and prevalence of family business groups, research on family business groups is still in its infancy. We conclude with a set of ideas for further research on the topic.

This chapter highlights the phenomenon of family business groups as a research target and presents the vision for the book. The role of family business groups in different economies is a main reason for the need to understand the emergence and development of family business groups. Partly due to the invisibility of the family business group—the current business group—the entrepreneurship and family business literature have largely neglected the topic. So this chapter raises a set of questions as targets for research on the family business group. The remainder of the chapter covers all of the book’s chapters and their perspectives on the phenomenon of the family business group.

This paper presents the interaction of different systemic elements in innovation activities in complex business portfolios. The interaction of innovation and portfolio transformation is highlighted based on two empirical case studies. Systemic challenges with different drivers and external impacts are presented. The managerial implication is to focus on dynamism present in continuous change. This study contributes to innovation and portfolio business literature by creating a linkage between the two fields of study and by making the multiple interlinked systems visible. This paper extends the innovation discussion towards portfolio businesses.

Il processo di valutazione dell'insegnamento e tradizionalmente compito esclusivo degli insegnanti; l'introduzione di metodi innovativi consentono di superare la valutazione sommativa dando spazio alla partecipazione democratica degli studenti, all'uso di nuovi processi, come l'autovalutazione e la valutazione condivisa, facendo riferimento ad una valutazione formativa. Scopo del presente lavoro e di avviare una riflessione sul ruolo della valutazione nella formazione universitaria e, in particolare, nella formazione iniziale degli insegnanti di Educazione Fisica.

Culturally responsive positive behavioral interventions and supports (CRPBIS) is a statewide research project designed to renovate behavioral support systems to become more inclusive, adaptive, and supportive for all. The CRPBIS methodology, called learning lab, provides a research-based process to bring together local stakeholders and facilitates their authentic participation in problem solving. Learning lab addresses the outcome disparities for youth from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds and strategically includes CLD families and students and representatives from communitybased organizations. Learning labs were found to successfully create and sustain productive partnerships among local stakeholders that renovated their school discipline systems. The purpose of this article is to provide specific guidelines and key considerations for practitioners on how to implement learning labs to facilitate authentic and productive family– school–community collaboration...

Culturally responsive positive behavioral interventions and supports (CRPBIS) is a statewide research project designed to renovate behavioral support systems to become more inclusive, adaptive, and supportive for all. The CRPBIS methodology, called learning lab, provides a research-based process to bring together local stakeholders and facilitates their authentic participation in problem solving. Learning lab addresses the outcome disparities for youth from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds and strategically includes CLD families and students and representatives from communitybased organizations. Learning labs were found to successfully create and sustain productive partnerships among local stakeholders that renovated their school discipline systems. The purpose of this article is to provide specific guidelines and key considerations for practitioners on how to implement learning labs to facilitate authentic and productive family– school–community collaboration...

Collaboration between teachers and child support workers is seen as a promising way to effectuate inclusive practice in mainstream education. This paper aims to explore how co-location of services promotes transformation of practice, and to expand an analytic framework for interdisciplinary collaboration. By combining these two perspectives, we intend to contribute to both theory and practice. The data consist of semi-structured interviews that explore the experiences of teachers and child support workers who co-work in three schools for secondary education. A template analysis was used to examine collaboration in co-location, and to further develop the framework with which we began our empirical research. The initial template consisted of dimensions of knowledge sharing in relation to dimensions of trust and dimensions of identity. The results showed that proximity can be divided into three different types, being spatial proximity, organisational proximity and personal proximity. These types of proximity, in turn, can be related to knowledge sharing, trust and identity. The contribution of the expanded framework for practice lies in its potential to shed light on how processes in interdisciplinary collaboration can be shaped.

Much of the literature on service-learning discusses issues related to faculty, students, and community partners. However, there is little research on issues related to academic staff. In this project, through a series of meetings and workshops, change lab methodology was used to analyze the barriers to staff members’ involvement in service-learning, and intracollegiate collaboration supported their increased involvement in community-engaged curricula. A series of designed-research processes was utilized to create new artifacts, to mediate and foster a drive toward mutual engagement in the agential-structural relationship, to encourage staff members to engage in reflective practice, and to enable staff to empower themselves. After witnessing the real-life needs of a rural community and empowered through collaboration and professional development, academic staff devoted time to working with teachers, students, and community, further transforming themselves from a mostly administrativ...

In educational contexts, a careful space planning where the training process takes place is indispensable because it promotes changes and innovation and inclusion processes. With the distance learning the design of educational contexts is even more important: online learning environments have peculiar characteristics and, therefore, a simple transposition of traditional practices into virtual environments is not possible. Teaching professionalism and initial and in service training on digital competence and on the inclusion of pupils in virtual educational spaces are fundamental. Therefore, in this article we reflect on the characteristics of the physical and virtual educational spaces and on the role of the teacher in the new educational scenarios.

In the era of Internet, mobile technologies and open education, the need for changes to improve the efficiency and quality of higher education has become crucial.Big data and analytics can contribute to these changes and reshape the future of higher education. Basing decisions on data and evidence seems stunningly obvious. However, higher education, a field that gathers an astonishing array of data about its “customers,” has traditionally been inefficient in its data use, often operating with substantial delays in analyzing readily evident data and feedback. In this paper, the value of Analytics for Higher Education is discussed, and a model of learning analytics development is presented. The main pedagogical and ethical issues about the use of learning analytics are also pointed out, since learning is messy, and using analytics to describe learning is not easy. Nevertheless, Learning Analytics can penetrate the fog of uncertainty around the future of higher education, and shed ligh...

This paper explores the shifting dynamics in our Learning Landscapes as pressure for deep systemic change mounts. Concepts of future-fit learning and future-creative competencies are introduced as part of a new narrative for new educational paradigms. A Protopia of Evolutionary Learning Ecosystems (ELEs) is proposed. The emergence of ELEs is more likely to curate and foster a thrivability world during those times of growing pressures. Six integral levels of wellbeing for thrivability are postulated, and the role of education to integrate them in the development of future-fit competencies is considered. These competencies are further explored through five evolutionary archetypes.

This article explores a new perception of causality and time. It is proposed that our present is not the result of our past; instead it emerges from our futures. The intention to bring into being a world and future where all of us can thrive has been shared by numerous people. Yet despite these intentions, we have not yet been able to effectuate the deeper transformational change required for bringing this forth at the pace and scale now required. This article offers the quintessence of this quest, to liberate our focus from our entrapment within the systems we defined.

At present many researchers are exploring ways to improve the resilience of the global system, prevent catastrophic failure, and support the transition to a sustainable global system. This paper makes two interlinked proposals for developing better-and more credible-tools for modeling critical global issues and identifying and managing threats. First, proven risk management methods from other fields can be usefully applied to the assessment and mitigation of large, complex socio-ecological problems. Second, using viability as the priority criterion for the design of our models will not only highlight systemic threats, but also help us develop constructive interventions.