Reflections on learning as designing

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore, illuminate and hence evoke further reflections on the implications of creating and conserving distinctions that inherently act as simplifications and limit appropriate action.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach used was reflective regarding the chosen concept of designing and learning from the perspective of a constitutive epistemology. These were investigated as circularities and as distinctions in language. The variety of intended meanings and hence implicit entailments was examined from the perspective of implicit domains.

Findings

A tendency to focus on the results of designing and learning rather than the processes was attributed to several factors including cultural relevance, tangibility, durability and observability. Further, it was found that result and process are arbitrary distinctions in a circular system. It was noted that lack of awareness of multiple domains encourages reification, and that distinctions inherently obscure what happens in the non-articulated aspects of living. However, expertise embraces an ability to attend to such “betweens”. This applies to expertise in the assessment of learning and designing.

Originality/value

The most obvious value of the findings is for the field of education. The insights gained indicate that the path of individualized learning with an emphasis on attention to the processes, inclusive of those that are not distinguished and named but can, with reflective experience, be sensed and acted on, has deep epistemological roots. A further implication is that educators require expertise to effectively work with learners, and that effective assessment depends on recurrent conversational interactions between the educator and learner.

Citation

Bunnell, P. (2017), "Reflections on learning as designing", Kybernetes, Vol. 46 No. 9, pp. 1486-1498. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-11-2016-0308