PerLS: An Innovative Open Source Suite of Teaching/Learning Tools Informed by

Complexity Science

Presented by Kari Kumar and Obadiah George

Presentation Outline

• Introduction to the PerLS Project

• Complexity, Education, & PerLS

• PerLS Development– Approach, current prototype, and future plans

• Student and Faculty Feedback

Introduction to the PerLS Project

• The Catalyst– Disconnect between teaching/learning goals,

traditional approaches, and technology

– How can we develop learning technologies towards better reaching our teaching/learning goals?

*individualized learning journey with

unpredictable learning moments

Introduction to the PerLS Project

• Our TeamHealth

Fine Arts

Education

ABEL

Introduction to the PerLS Project

• PerLS = Personalized Learning Spaces

Complexity, Education, & PerLS

• Learning as a complex phenomenon– Arises from a complex set of interactions– Emergent– Learners are “transformed”– Non-linear and unpredictable

Image from http://www.astrolog.org/labyrnth/art.htm

Complexity, Education, & PerLS

• Complex systems– Open with fuzzy

borders– Self-organizing– Bottom-up

collectives– Far from

equilibrium self-organized

exchange

emergence

complex adaptivebehavior

feedback

Complexity, Education, & PerLS

• Complexity-informed Pedagogy: Doll’s 4 R’s

RRRReading, ‘Riting,

‘Rithmetic

RRRRRichness, Recursion,

Relations, Rigor

Emergent Learning

repository

RICHNESSRELATIONS

RIGOR

learning pathway

RECURSION

resource collection

PerLS Development

• Iterate, iterate, iterate• Agile Requirements Modeling – – Get the big picture - Initial Requirements

Envisioning days – In response to the Big Picture - Initial Architectural

Envisioning days– Iteration modelling

PerLS Development

• Model Storming process– Analysis based on just in time detailed

requirements– Key questions …?, What does it look like when …?– Key activity – screen sketching, data flow

diagramming, functional walkthrough

PerLS Development

Acceptance testing• Usability testing• User feedback

PerLS Development

• Current Functionality based on core elements

– Complexity Theory– Repository creation,

search, resource selection

– Interaction surrounding resources, or collection of resources

PerLS Development

• Future developments include – Inclusion of more elegant UI design –

implementing more sophisticated user controls to improve the user experience

– Tighter integration with Moodle platform

Preliminary Feedback

• Students – Generally favourable– Navigational refinements, UI intuitive design

(small learning curve)– Content quality – may require additional policy– Students need to have clear rationale for why

PerLS is being used – what does it offer over other approaches

– Key point- first time use is actually a very small percentage of the time• Students will persevere if the benefits are clear

Preliminary Feedback

• Faculty– Interest across participating faculties at York U

– Much interest from the Faculty of Health

• E.g., PerLS will support an online RN to MScN program • E.g., Additional faculty from outside the PerLS team

wish to use tools in Fall 2013

– Fall workshop is planned to build a trans-disciplinary resource repository on social justice

• Funding for the PerLS project

• The entire PerLS team – Gail Mitchell, Nadine Cross, Ron Owston, Michaela Hynie, Renata Wickens, Don SinClair, Obadiah George

Acknowledgements

References

Davis, B., & Sumara, B. (2006). Complexity and education: Inquiries into learning, teaching, and research. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Doll, W. E. (1993). A post-modern perspective on curriculum. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Doll, W. E. (2012). Complexity and the culture of curriculum. Complicity: An International Journal of Complexity and Education, 9(1), 10-29.

Mennin, S. (2010). Self-organisation, integration and curriculum in the complex world of medical education. Medical Education, 44(1), 20-30.