An Exploration of Holistic Learning in Different Contexts

Abstract

In order to excel in today’s competitive and complex business world, one has to be a holistic learner and be flexible enough to take on the challenges of holistic learning. The purpose of this chapter is to explore ‘holistic learning’ and introduce a cybernetic framework to aid in that structured exploration. A comparative analysis of various descriptions of holistic learning is explored in simple, complicated, and complex contexts by mapping these three contexts against three types of learning, viz transmissive, transactive and transformative. In order to aid structured conceptual explorations, a cybernetic framework based on X-matrix that has been implemented using Microsoft^® Excel^® is introduced. In the course of this conceptual exploration, the relationship between understanding and acting and what it means to transition from understanding to acting and acting to understanding is explored. The findings of this research suggest that holistic learning is context dependent and is different in different contexts. If the context is simple, then holistic learning may be described as a circular conjoining of learning from acting to understanding and understanding to acting. If the context is complicated, then holistic learning may be described as a spiral conjoining of learning from acting to understanding and understanding to acting. If the context is complex, then holistic learning may be described as a journey of learning’s and not an end by itself. In general, transformative learning is considered holistic learning. Through this exploration of holistic learning, distinctions are drawn across different contexts enabling the learner to be aware of the challenges involved in holistic learning. The learner has to be flexible to acquire various learning’s that will lead to holistic learning. The framework will be useful for learners to carry out explorations, test their previous understanding’s/learning’s, analyze the relationships between ‘actions/activities and understandings’ and vice versa. The framework can be customized to suit various explorations with an emphasis on iteration, reflection and flexibility.