Introduction to the September 2020 Special Issue: Harnessing Systems Thinking to Inform Meaningful Change Efforts in Org
- PDF / 168,163 Bytes
- 2 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 47 Downloads / 215 Views
COLUMN: GUEST EDITORS’ NOTES
Introduction to the September 2020 Special Issue: Harnessing Systems Thinking to Inform Meaningful Change Efforts in Organizations Beth Rajan Sockman 1 & Fredrick W. Baker III 2 & Samantha J. Blevins 3 & M. Aaron Bond 4 & Angela Doucet Rand 5 Published online: 30 August 2020 # Association for Educational Communications & Technology 2020
The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is home to the Systems Thinking and Change (STC) division—focused on harnessing systems thinking to inform meaningful change efforts in organizations. Change, including systemic change, is inevitable in any organization, anywhere in the world. Managing change successfully requires study, understanding, and an awareness of the unique nuances prevalent in each individual organization. Our field of Instructional Design & Technology is founded upon preparing for and managing change—our focus on instruction is intended to prepare learners to adapt to the evolving situations in their personal and professional lives. As evidenced by the breadth of settings of the articles within this special issue, our work is therefore present and impactful anywhere there are people. Furthermore, AECT boasts that its members may be found “around the world…in places where educational change is underway” (https://www.aect.org/ about_us.php). * Beth Rajan Sockman [email protected] Fredrick W. Baker, III [email protected] Samantha J. Blevins [email protected] M. Aaron Bond [email protected] Angela Doucet Rand [email protected] 1
East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA, USA
2
Independent Consultant, Integrated Human, LLC. Gulf Breeze, Florida, USA
3
Radford University, Radford, VA, USA
4
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
5
University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA
Thinking in systems and studying the process of change are foundational skills for the betterment of any organization. Implementation of any innovation does not happen in a vacuum, rather it takes an understanding of the system for implementation. In STC, we acknowledge that utilizing innovation and managing change in organizations is not so easy, and that the role of systematic examination of these ideas and processes will inevitably lead to an increased understanding, which allows us to better learn both from those who have been successful in these efforts, and those who have not. This special issue highlights a variety of ways that systems thinking and change can be implemented in different contexts. Any key principles which can be drawn from the breadth of knowledge and theories regarding systems and change rely upon understanding and engaging the interconnectedness of various systems. Intuitively, we acknowledge the integral relationships between various systems, and the importance of acknowledging the roles that each of us play within them. Just this year we have witnessed something smaller than 5 μm (10–6) per single droplet, well beyond the reach of the unaided human eye, have an unprecedented global impact. The
Data Loading...
