The teaching of multi-modal thinking on a self-study of teaching reform in a university information system course [Mark Williams, ISSS 1998 Paper Session, July 21/98]

These notes are a rough transcription, prepared as each individual presenter and/or commentator spoke at the ISSS 1998 conference. Gaps and errors have likely occurred. For more accurate citations, please consult the original presenters. These notes have been contributed to the ISSS by David Ing, of the IBM Advanced Business Institute (sabi@systemicbusiness.org).

Mark Williams: West Australia, just recent Ph.D. student, Faculty of Management Information Systems

In 1991 to 1993, conducted study on technicism: over-reliance on technology:

• Found acted unethically, returned to research.

• 15 modes of existence.
• In an information systems course: numerical, physical, biologically, psychological, logical, lingual, social, economic, aesthetic, theoretical, moral, basic commitment.

• Hypothesis: Open discourse would balance off technicism
• Groupware, dialogical group, learning journals
• Encourage a community of rationality, discourse (Habermas)
• Students used to walk into class, do exercises, and then leave.

• Watch breathing, so don't get RSI and eyestrain.
• Take three deep breaths, think about relaxing
• Results in a change of atmosphere of the room.
• Have broadened the boundary of the interaction: was a teacher, and have now come closer as a learning community.

• Thought this would be an easy way to get a doctorate.
• Then came to understand that this was teaching instrumentalism: had used students, without asking them for consent.
• Conducted a self-study 1993 to 1996: autobiography of failure.
• What was the underlying reason for the failed investigation?
• Psychologically-oriented study of self.

Discourse: opening up the bounds of the system

Amsterdam school of philosophy:

• Appropriate norms.
• University course -- should include all dimension of life.
• 15 modes of existence:
• numerical, spatial, kinetic, ....

• Research foci, rules and roles:
• Wanted open discourse.
• Though technicism was a bad thing.
• Reflexive phenomenology, and even kept dream journals
• Conclusions: to investigate technicism and discourse, including self as a teacher.

1. Over-reliance on technicism
2. Discourse could lead to an open learning environment.
3. Technicism was going in on self -- which probably what happens in any researcher, as a dialogue between the inner self and the outer self.

• Want to follow the path of the prophet, rather than the philosopher.
• The prophet asks, how should we live?
• Life, rather than existence.

Questions

• They were involved, but ethics are tied into the inner world of self.

• Talking about teaching-learning system, with the audience marginalized.
• If the teacher sits down, the students join the community.