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 Team Health 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

Complexity, Education, & PerLS Complex systems – Open with fuzzy borders – Self-organizing – Bottom-up collectives – Far from equilibrium self-organized exchange emergence complex adaptive behavior feedback

Complexity, Education, & PerLS Complexity-informed Pedagogy: Doll’s 4 R’s R R R Reading, ‘Riting, ‘Rithmetic R R R R Richness, Recursion, Relations, Rigor

Emergent Learning repository RICHNESS RELATIONS 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), Mennin, S. (2010). Self-organisation, integration and curriculum in the complex world of medical education. Medical Education, 44(1),