A framework for education in changing times
“Change is the only constant in life.” This oft-used bit of philosophy seems to be especially true for education: it had to practically reinvent itself to adapt to the new circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, and those changes are here to stay. The following framework for institutions, educators and training staff focuses on “change” and aims to provide guidance in times of uncertainty and dynamic developments. It was loosely inspired by the baguaa set of eight symbols (called trigrams) that originated in ancient China and form the basis for the I Chingthe Book of Changes, written between 1000 and 750 BC. It is intended to be compatible with all settings that combine synchronous and asynchronous learning, such as blended learning or inverted classrooms.
Three important factors
How, where and under what circumstances education can take place is mainly determined by three dichotomies:
1. Asynchronous vs. Synchronized learning
Do the students meet at the same time and in the same analog or virtual place, or do each of them pursue their learning goals individually at a time and place they see fit?
2. Learning at Home/On-The-Go vs. Learning in the buildings of an institute
Do students conduct their learning activities remotely from home or at a location of their choice, or do they enter the premises of an educational institution?
3. Analog vs Digital
Do the learning processes mainly depend on analog or digital tools and resources?
Just as the above trigrams each consist of three lines, either “broken” (representing the “yin” principle) or “solid” (representing the “yang” principle), didactic institutions can be seen as the combination of these three dichotomies, leading to a total of 8 settings. Below are the names of the eight Bagua Trigrams have been used to distinguish and describe each setting.
Education Framework Institutions
1. ☰ Heaven (Synchronous, On-Premise, Analog)
This is probably the idea most people have when they think of the concept of ‘education’: students in a classroom-like environment interacting with a trainer and with each other. After the various pandemic-related measures have been suspended, this setting is also what many students and trainers long for. The combination of synchronous, on-premise and analog learning makes for great learning experiences, especially when harnessing the powers of social learning, collaboration and problem-based learning.
However, this also comes at a price: institutions have to pay for buildings and teaching staff, and students have to invest their precious time, not only for the classroom itself, but also for round-trip transportation. In view of this, it seems advisable to make maximum use of this setting by reserving it for work that cannot otherwise be performed (or at least not with a comparable quality).
2. ☷ Earth (asynchronous, remote, digital)
This is the opposite of the “heaven” setting. Using digital tools to learn at home or on the go provides flexibility, provides instant feedback on learner interaction and enables highly individualized learning paths at typically very reasonable costs.
However, the cognitive processes that can be addressed in this scenario are often quite basic (remembering and understanding) and need to be supplemented by other scenarios, as is the lack of live social learning. This scenario is usually found in learning apps and self-study platforms, which can handle large numbers of students.
3. ☵ Water (asynchronous, local, digital)
This scenario combines the flexibility of asynchronous digital settings with the benefits of instant trainer support in the event a learner gets stuck. Imagine a self-learning space in a traditional physical setting, where each student pursues their individual goals with online education, but can still count on the support of their peers or trainers when they need it. Students can reap the benefits of social interaction, while teachers can provide individual support to a large number of students.
4. ☳ Thunder (asynchronous, remote, analog)
Time for a digital detox? The “thunder” setting takes students back to the traditional ways of self-directed learning, which primarily use analog sources such as books, notes, and writing implements. Thus, this approach is best suited for concentrated processing of information and diving into new topics that require full attention. The amount of time spent in this scenario should be commensurate with the students’ attention span and ability to self-direct their learning.
5. ☴ Wind (synchronous, on location, digital)
The shared use of digital tools in on-premise settings can lead to interesting and motivating social interactions. Think of quiz apps, Augmented Reality experiences or working together on a presentation.
6. ☶ Mountain (synchronous, remote, digital)
Synchronous, digital distance learning has come into our lives at the latest since the COVID-19 pandemic. Training staff have learned to transfer their traditional classroom settings to the virtual space, using tools such as Zoom, MS Teams or BigBlueButton. Both teachers and students had to learn a lot to adapt to the new circumstances, and new features have been added to allow even more interaction during webinars. So it seems logical to keep this scenario in the repertoire and take advantage of its many advantages, such as geographical flexibility and social interaction.
7. ☱ More (asynchronous, on location, analog)
As with the “thunder” scenario, this is another stage for concentrated work with analog sources that can take place in libraries or booths for self-study. All necessary resources are available on site, as is the advantage of being able to seek help from colleagues or trainers – or simply interrupt phases of concentrated work for an informal chat. Again, this stage requires the strong ability to direct the learning process itself.
8. ☲ Fire (Synchronous, Remote, Analog)
Remote, synchronous learning using only analog tools and resources? Doesn’t seem to work, right? Therefore, the ‘brand’ scenario should serve as a wildcard for all schemes that do not fit into the hitherto applied dichotomies, such as hybrid environments with learners participating both locally and remotely. Augmented Reality Building bridges between the analog world and Virtual Reality? Learning scenarios in the metaverse? Welcome to the “fire” scenario.
Conclusion
As often in life, the key to success is balance. To optimize learning processes, the eight scenarios must be combined wisely, taking into account both the learning objectives at hand and external factors such as the possibility of gathering many people in one place, or financial issues such as the cost of training staff.
Which combinations do you think will work best for your use cases? Will this framework prove future proof for the next global crisis? I look forward to reading your mind!