Tension and Paradox in Course Development

A Holonomic, Zen-Inspired Perspective

Michael Cenkner, M.Ed.

cenkner@gmail.com

Focus question:Who’s at the centre of the course development process?• The institution?

• The union?

• The academics?• The instructional designers?

• …?

Zen and Creative Management

• “Men have always tended to be servants of their technologies. Zen and Creative Management suggests ways of bypassing this fate.” Marshall McLuhan

• Conflict and creativity at work• Conflict and Creativity at Work:

Human Roots of Corporate Life (Sussex Academic Press, November 2008)

• Resonance with ID/course development

Evolving Validity Sources of Instructional Design

Toyota’s Management Philosophy and Practice

• Constant improvement vs. “good enough”• Acceptance of paradox (e.g. failure/success)

The First Noble Truth:Life is “dukkha.”

Dukkha is “two-ness” (duality).

Two-ness is separation.Separation is suffering.

The “Holon”

• “Not two, not one”• Part/whole• Polarity• Effect of perception

Our experience of holons

My thesis:

Tensions that arise in course development activities are instances of inherent (universal) tensions.

Some holons relevant to course development

Who’s at the centre of the course development process?

Centre/periphery: questions for consideration

• Who or what is appropriately at the centre (in our context)? Implications?

• Who or what is appropriately at the periphery (in our context)? Implications?

• How is the tension between these polarities experienced and expressed (or not) by people? Implications?

Centre/periphery: Centre

Who or what is appropriately at the centre (in our context)?

• Student?• Professor/academic program?• The course writer?

• Instructor?

• Instructional designer/course dev. team?• Society?

Centre/periphery: Tension

• How is the tension between these polarities experienced and expressed (or not) by people?

• Implications?

Centre/periphery: Periphery

Who or what is appropriately at the periphery (in our context)?

Implications?

Summary

• “Eastern philosophy” and course development

• Albert Low• “Holons” – e.g. centre/periphery

• Implications…

ReferencesCsikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of

Optimal Experience (1st ed.). HarperCollins.Koestler, A. (1967). Ghost in the Machine. New York:

Macmillan.Low, A. (2008). Conflict and Creativity at Work

Human Roots of Corporate Life. Sussex Academic Press.

Penton Media, Inc. (2008, October 9). How to Develop Products like Toyota. Retrieved March 30, 2009, from http://machinedesign.com/article/how-to-develop-products-like-toyota-1122.

Zen and Creative Management (Conflict and Creativity at Work: Human Roots of Corporate Life).. Retrieved March 18, 2009, from http://www.conflictandcreativityatwork.ca/author-s-books/zen-and-creative-management.