5 Summary

In the first part of this course your own STiP was central. The second part of the course has broadened your focus from systems thinking in practice (STiP) at the level of an individual, to look at how STiP happens in a social context, embedded in particular groups and organisations. The social context has implications for practice and practitioners. In particular, it considered how these contexts can constrain and enable the processes of managing change as social learning. It discusses learning systems for managing change. You were introduced there to a distinction from De Laat and Simons (2002) between learning in social interactions (where the learning process happens within a social context, but the outcome is an individual one) and collective learning (where both the learning process and outcome take a social form).

The PFMS heuristic was used to look at the ways in which you can orchestrate systemic practice with others – who may or may not be engaged in systems thinking in practice themselves. This sentence feels a bit lengthy and wordy. Can you suggest an edit? –– You were asked to explore the idea of collectively learning your way forward to make improvements in situations of concern, with a focus on how a practitioner thinks about, prepares for, designs in interactions with other people, achieving systemically desirable change that is also culturally feasible and viable over time involves practising with others who have different traditions of understanding, including theories of change. 

The course outlines two ideas of social learning systems: Critical Social Learning Systems (social learning that builds on the learners’ experiences where those who engage with it are encouraged to collaborate and integrate the different dimensions of their learning, critical reflection, rooted in systemic practice through social interactions) and communities of practice (a self-selected group of people who share a passion and commitment to developing knowledge [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]  and capabilities in relation to a particular topic and domain of practice, where members identify with the group and its expertise.)

The course outlines two ideas of social learning systems:

• Critical Social Learning Systems (social learning that builds on the learners’ experiences where those who engage with it are encouraged to collaborate and integrate the different dimensions of their learning, critical reflection, rooted in systemic practice through social interactions)
• Communities of Practice (a self-selected group of people who share a passion and commitment to developing knowledge and capabilities in relation to a particular topic and domain of practice, where members identify with the group and its expertise)

Finally, the course invites you to review learning as systemic practice and in practising being systemic, achieve a transformation in your capabilities for managing change!