The Wuxing Learning Cycle for Elder Learners in the Asia-Pacific

Abstract

Learning has been in parts of the Asia-Pacific region for the past millennia and ancient scholars may have thought of learning concepts and its processes. While gerontology and researches on elder persons are available, studies on the learning mindsets of Asia-Pacific elders are not well documented. However, there is an ancient scientific belief that ‘knowledge of the natural world and the ability to change or harness it’ (Ho, Chinese mathematical astrology – Reaching out to the stars. New York, NY, RoutledgeCurzon, 2003, p. 7) may reveal some indigenous learning paradigm. The concept of Wuxing or ‘Five Elements’ in traditional Chinese knowledge has allowed this author to postulate the concept of the ‘Wuxing Learning Cycle’ as a useful elderly learning model in today’s cross-cultural contexts. The constructive Wuxing Learning Cycle has similarities with modern learning techniques and is useful in developing policy frameworks for active later life learners. Understanding of such a concept will nudge elder learners in their personal development for economic sustainability.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Brief Description of Wuxing Learning Cycle

Wuxing (Chinese translation for the ‘Five Elements’) is one of the ten meteorological deities in ancient China used for meteorological forecasts and for playing a significant role in battlefields. With influences from the Greeks, Indians, and Iranians, there were various fate calculation methods based on one’s year, month, day, and time of one’s birth and China developed its unique form of astrology independent of outside influence (Ho, 2003).

Wuxing is the equivalent of the word BaZi which has evolved into modern Chinese astrology with considerable popularity among Chinese communities in many parts of the world today.

BaZi uses the date and time of birth to produce (either manually calculates and draws or uses any online BaZi calculator to print) the BaZi Chart showing one’s characteristics and traits. There are new interpretations made to understand the BaZi Chart, and Yap (2017) mentioned that it enhances or predicts one’s learning styles.

Screenshot of online course conducted by Yap Joey (2017)

The Wuxing cycle of interactive five elements has been used in Chinese history, astrology, geomancy, philosophy, warfare, martial arts, and medicine by neo-Confucian philosophers. With BaZi which can reveal one’s characteristics and traits, it also shows one’s abilities in learning. BaZi reveals one’s dominant learning motivation, as well as careers, luck factors, mentors, aspirations, assets, and support of friends, family, and community. This leads this author to postulate that the same transformative process occurs when learners use resources to achieve outputs that will become wealthy as more outputs are achieved. The process is influenced by social and cultural norms which give rise to new (and better) resources.

The holistic process of energy transformations is as follows: ‘Wood’ energy (when burnt) gives rise to ‘fire’ energy which (when extinguished) will become ashes or ‘earth’ energy. Within the ‘earth’ is the ‘metal’ energy which when cold will produce ‘water’ energy which, in turn, becomes a resource for ‘wood’ energy. See Fig. 5.4.

Fig 5.4

Holistic view of traditional Wuxing

The wood element will counter and control the earth element which becomes its wealth. Similarly, the metal element which counters and controls the wood element will become its authority.

Adapting the classical Wuxing concept to learning, it can be seen that these five energy factors of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water can be translated as learner, output, knowledge, authority, and resource linked in a holistic cycle (Yap, 2017).

The Wuxing Learning Cycle is, thus, an adaption of the BaZi concept of five elements linked in a holistic interactive cycle. These five elements correspond to five basic interlinked learning components of learner, output, knowledge (wealth), influence, and resources (see Fig. 5.2). It shows the relationship of learning components with the learner himself/herself, and interactions between them. Unlike the BaZi concept where a learner’s dominant learning characteristic is revealed based on the date and time of birth, the Wuxing Learning Cycle does not take note of that. Instead, it shows the process of learning and the transformative energy to achieve results based on available (sometimes limited) resources.

Appendix 2: Learner Autonomy Profile (LAP)

Learner autonomy is the capacity to recognise a learning opportunity and the ability and willingness to participate in learning experiences either independently or with others. An autonomous learner makes efficient and best use of personal resources and the resources of others to identify, plan, execute, and evaluate their own learning experiences.

The learner autonomy profile (LAP) was developed in 1998 by Professor Emeritus Gary J. Confessore and his team. It identifies the learning strengths and weaknesses of adult learners by tapping into the 80% informal learning to develop a learning mindset. It focuses on the learning autonomy that exists in all individuals and helps them to create conditions that expand their natural learning behaviours. It is a validated comprehensive inventory that provides a precise understanding of a learner’s level of autonomy.

The LAP provides a scientific assessment of the learners’ four areas of human endeavours through a questionnaire. The four human behavioural factors (Ponton, Carr, & Derrick, 2004) associated with learner autonomy are:

• (a) The inventory of learner desire—Identifies the individual’s view of their willingness and ability to undertake a learning activity and make changes in their behaviours to initiate learning something new

• (b) The inventory of learner resourcefulness—Assesses the individual’s perception of their ability to mobilise their own as well as other resources necessary to define and engage in a learning activity

• (c) The inventory of learner initiatives—Identifies the individual’s view of their own intention to undertake learning activities, their perceived capacity to move from planning to engage in activities to learn something new

• (d) The inventory of learner persistence—Assesses the individual’s belief of their ability to continue with a learning activity

These four dimensions of learner autonomy questionnaires are completed on a computer to produce a full profile showing the percentiles of the factors and his/her position among a population of those who had completed the LAP. A general profile of a learner is given in Fig. 5.2 showing bar charts of the four inventories. Each inventory has subfactors to form a syndrome that helps to understand the reliance on learning strengths and provides strategies to overcome weakness in learning to achieve desired personally satisfied learning goals.

Learner autonomy profile (LAP) software is available in English, Spanish, Malay, and Chinese versions. See www.hrdenterprises.com/.