Prof Steve Rayner, Host for the workshop has provided the following notes. If you were in this workshop and would like to add to this, or if you missed it and have something to add, please post in the Comments below.
- Distinction between TL as peak moments of personal insight or intense change in thinking and perspective (literally transformational) and TL as continuing and continuous shift in position as a consequence of learning (perhaps transformative).
- Quasi-religious nature of terminology/ discourse reflecting spirituality, emotionality and holistic basis for much of the discourse about TL.
- Difficulties in defining, measuring and assessing TL (& therefore establishing standards of quality or competence and related to this educational interventions producing intended outcomes or impact).
- Link to ESD but concern for growing pressure in HEI to commodify knowledge, introduce instrumental managerially and wreck many of the values and ‘requirements’ necessary for TL.
- Unanimous agreement about the issue of resource linked to the previous point.
- Need for mixed methodologies as well as qualitative methodologies in developing an understanding/ new accounts of TL. There was a view that perhaps ‘participatory research’ was a requisite for appropriate research design in work with TL.
- TL at the moment is an elusive slippery construct which some felt will by definition always be so given its inclusion of a need for emotionality and affect as key aspect of what it is that we recognise as transformational (linked too to learning that converts self-reference and personal identity).
- Student empowerment – is it a neccessary pre-condition for teachinng TL? Case examples given of intended transformational learning in a curriculum for media studies in the UoG were contributed (several related to trips, re-location, removal from established comfort zones); ditto with a comparative research project funded by PRSI involving early years team in education (UK-Sweden).
- Possibilities around organizational learning, institutional change and TL – need for research and more work with the ideas of TL and learning communities within the institution?
Please leave comments below.
Kenny
