E) Teacher ecologies for learning

1. Ecological framework for viewing contemporary issues & practices in HE B) Societal ecosystem social/ political/economic influences SOCIETY / CULTURE/ GOVERNMENT / ECONOMY C) Higher education eco system D) Institutional ecosystem HE agencies leadership & management, culture, infrastructure, frameworks, policies, tools, resources for learning and the support/regulation of practices other institutions E) Teacher ecologies for learning A) Global ecosystem sites for interaction/learning created by teachers and others who support student development A) Global ecosystem F) Personal ecologies for learning professional & statutory bodies programmes / modules co-curricular opportunities independent agents & brokers other independent agents in the HE system employers social spaces and activities wider community & networks of HE practitioners wider community of HE practitioners secondary education system

2. eg emergence of Web 2.0 / social media Global ecosystem large scale adoption Societal ecosystem lots of experimentation/dissemination of practices, perhaps encouragement HE education ecosystem University ecosystem – people/roles, culture, conversations, policies, strategies, regulations, QA, tools, resources, rooms/special spaces, training/CPD (and more….) new institutional policies, resources & CPD opportunities How an issue impacts an ecosystem New teaching & learning practices led by early adopters personal influences new behaviours, skills and attitudes of learners

3. Global ecosystem Learning for a Complex World What sort of knowledge, capability, dispositions, qualities & values are necessary to survive and flourish in a complex world? Societal ecosystem What are other teachers doing? HE education ecosystem University ecosystem – people/roles/leaders, culture, conversations, constraints & affordances, policies, regulations, timetables, tools, resources, spaces, facilities, training/CPD (and more….) What sort of pedagogical practices do we permit / encouraged? The ecologies for learning I create What do I believe & value, and what knowledge, skills experience do I have to enable me to turn my ideas into effective practices? How do I know that what I am doing works? Ecology of personal pedagogy The concept of pedagogy encompasses relationships, conversations, learning environments, rules, norms and culture within the wider social context…It takes in the ways in which what teachers and students do is framed and delimited within a specific site, a policy regime and the historical [cultural] context. Thomson, et al (2012)

4. More demand for creativity to tackle big, complex challenges, grow economy (innovation), sustain and nourish culture and the wellbeing of individuals for a healthy society Global ecosystem Societal ecosystem HE education ecosystem Teachers are Influenced by their domain and field of practice University ecosystem How can I use my creativity to help learners prepare themselves for the complex challenges they will face in their lives? Issue of creativity in HE An opportunity to do more to encourage learners to use and develop their creativity My intrinsic desire for creative self-expression for personal fulfilment Personal creativity is 'the emergence in action of a novel relational product growing out of the uniqueness of the individual on the one hand, and the materials, events, people, or circumstances of his life' Carl Rogers (1960) Higher education is a circumstance!

5. We live in an over populated world and we are rapidly depleting our non-renewable resources. Even resources that are renewable we are mismanaging. We need to think and behave more ecologically. We need people who can sustain themselves, their families, their society, other societies and the planet. Global ecosystem Societal ecosystem HE education ecosystem HE sustainability initiatives University ecosystem Top leader’s commitment – sustaining the university as a flourishing enterprise. Strategy & PIs to raise awareness & engage. Resources & support. What support/encouragement do staff need to contribute to the sustainability challenge? Issue of sustainability in HE What sustains me as a university teacher & enables me to flourish? What sort of ecologies for learning do I need to create in order to enable my students develop themselves so that they can sustain themselves throughout their lives? What do I need to do give myself the best chance of sustaining myself and those I care for throughout my life? How can I act responsibly to sustain the world I inhabit?

6. Complexity in the world, including the issues that emerge, requires the university ecosystem to have leaders (at all levels) who can lead themselves and others in ways that enable the ecosystem to adapt, innovate and change Global ecosystem Societal ecosystem HE education ecosystem University ecosystem Positional leaders & managers academic & service domains Project leaders to take a lead on issues eg employability sustainability internationalisation Issue of leading in a university Research leaders Academic innovators Student leaders Academic leaders programmes & modules The distributed nature of leadership in a university means that it is full of leaders. Positional leaders that inhabit the formal leadership and management structure (President and senior members of management team, Deans, HoDs, HoS) Academic leaders (programme and module leaders) Research Centre/Group leaders, Leaders of service providers and support units, Project Leaders, Innovators & Student Leaders. Everyone can and should take a lead and be/become a leader in the interests of sustaining a healthy adaptive ecosystem. The consequence of all this leadership is that it has to be led and managed!!

7. Higher education is a global market. There is a demand for high quality education and universities are able to tap into the demand. Lots of international activity and a good reputation improves positions in international rankings, and attracts good students, fee income and intnl. faculty Global ecosystem Societal ecosystem HE education ecosystem Competition for international students University ecosystem Cultural transitions for students can be challenging they often enter the university ecosystem with expectations about the education process and what is expected of them that differ from their actual experience. Their immersive experience is a major source of learning and personal growth Top leader’s commitment Strong strategy & PIs to engage New resources including dedicated support eg International Office Issue of internationalisation We can view home students as global citizens and frame learning & assessment accordingly Teachers create new ecologies for learning sensitive to the linguistic / cultural diversity of their drawing on the culturally diverse perspectives of students The ISSUE provides affordance for entirely new approaches to learning & teaching. Possible links with teachers & learners outside Ireland Teachers draw on their own experiences of being in other cultures and are able to empathise with students and appreciate their challenges