I hesitate to participate in this thread for fear of being perceived as a
cynic. But I have to say, that if we are discussing Senge's vision of a
LO, then almost trivially, most higher ed institutions do not meet the
test.
For example --
They practice systems thinking? No. Administration is actually much more
aware of the total system than most professors, who are primarily involved
in their own specialty.
They practice personal mastery? No. Well, yes, if it involves the
specialist discipline, but no if it involves students. How many
professors have a vision that they constantly compare to current reality?
In my broad experience, most would not understand the question.
Mental models? At the risk of minimizing the work of some very good
people, the mental model of education at the college level has not changed
in eons. And this is despite some very good work that has shown direction
about how it could change.
Shared visions? Colleges are one of the bastions of the individual
contributor. Having sat in on many faculty meetings, there are as many
visions as there are faculty. There is no incentive to change that
situation.
Team learning? No, no, no, no.
Sorry to be such a drudge, but last I knew these were the five disciplines
of LOs, and at least based on my experience -- 5 years in one, 25 years in
close association, and 10 years in education reform -- the areas where
passion for these disciplines exists are notable for their rarity.
Rol Fessenden
--Rol Fessenden <Rf9@compuserve.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>