Download Associate Professor Sharynne McLeod

Julie Lancaster
Simple Rules
Embedded Design
Emergent Feedback
Similarity at Scale
Dispersed Control
The Principles in Action and Common Schema
Simple Rules
Simple rules provide a basis for successful collaboration and the establishment of communities of
professional practice in human systems. They are not intentions or mission statements; they actually
drive the form and function of a system. They represent both design cornerstone and catalyst for the
day-to-day collaboration that is necessary for team-based higher education course design and delivery.
Simple rules provide that point of shared understanding that makes it possible for individuals to work as
a team. The simple rules are delineated in each of the subject modules so students can see the
rationale behind subject structure. Students are always encouraged to discuss any aspects of the
‘simple rules’ in on-line forum discussions or other avenues.
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Embedded Design
Successful complex systems exhibit self-repeating patterns or similarities within their organizational
structure (Waldrop, 1993). Embedded design is the principle that creates these self-repeating patterns
by expressing the simple rules in the design of a system and embedding those design features in all
others.
For example, the simple rules were used to design and then embed a common educational design
approach in all subjects. A rich and flexible yet broadly consistent subject design framework is
embedded in all subjects creating a consistency and coherence across the course. The design
integrated self-questioning, peer mediation, authentic assessment, advance organization, and concept
mapping into a research-driven design framework. This makes it easier to link important themes and
make for an efficient interface for students. This step addresses the space between ‘the big tent’ and
subject design issues identified in the opening paragraph.
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Emergent Feedback
Emergent feedback is based on the idea that feedback works best when it helps individual or group
work out what to do next as opposed to what happened. It is more formative or emergent than
summative. This was accomplished through a number of initiatives. First, the simple rules and
research-based design model created a common language and term of reference that could be used to
share feedback in understandable ways. Second, multiple levels of feedback were employed. For
example students would, as part of an assignment, give formal feedback using the forum on peer work
and submit the feedback, they gave/received in assignments that described their original product, the
feedback they gave/ received and amended product. A journal requirement enabled students to selfmonitor their growth as part of a feedback cycle. (See for example assessment items in ESS423 and
ESS409).
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Similarity at Scale
Similarity at scale is what happens when the key features of a system are embedded at all levels
making a system similar to itself (Gleick, 1987; Merry, 1995). It is the corollary to embedded design.
The most obvious example of this principle is the way in which high value teaching approaches are
intended to be scaled up through the subjects, course and then the schools in which the students have
worked. For example, functional behavioural assessment was taught as a key content area in ESS 423
Managing and designing the inclusive learning environment in the first module of the degree. The FBA
approach then becomes an option for study in the second module of the degree - ESS527 that requires
students to design a project to be implemented at scale in their school. The implementation of the
project would bring a sustainable research-based practice to the school the impact of which extends
beyond the participation of an individual teacher in the degree.
The intentional similarity created a self-reinforcing effect as students learned by doing at many levels in
their experience across the course.
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Dispersed Control
The effect of building a subject design framework around the principles described so far is that it
provides a vehicle to disperse control to the agents in a complex network who pool their collective
intelligence. The rules, embedded design and emergent feedback when employed to guide the process
of subject development and product creates regularities and consistencies in the approach that
constitutes a common schema. Individuals working within the schema can employ a common pattern
language that results from the rules and the embedded design process to share feedback using that
language. Students can build capacity with the meta language because the pattern language is
embedded in their subjects and course. Staff share the same meta-understanding of the course and the
role of individual subjects that has been shown in a host of areas to make for deeper learning and
understanding.
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The Principles in Action and Common Schema
In practice, the six principles are designed to function interactively to create a common schema. Simple
rules are articulated through the embedded design process that is then scaled up to all levels of work.
Emergent feedback creates the conditions for constant formative adaptation of the work and disperses
control to allow for constant refinement of subjects. It is this interaction that permits a system to “make
itself” by constantly adapting to its changing circumstances. For example, a student using the pattern
language could provide feedback about a design problem that would be understood by all members of
the team. Because of the common understanding the team can pool its collective intelligence to solve
the problem. Any solution can have an impact at scale because it can be deployed at all levels in the
process or product of the system. The latter is important in that the theory is designed to create the
conditions for constant change and adaptation in order to address the issues associate with the way
courses and subjects are refined (Edwards et al., 2002).
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