Dynamic Boundaries of Action Based Learning: the Longitudinal Impact (Invited Paper)

D. Song, S. Nousala, P. Aibeo

How do communities and group-based efforts create, learn and evolve? This paper argues that communities are dynamic, continuously creating connections through cyclical learning processes, regardless of how tight or loosely formulated group based efforts are (Hall et al. 2012).

Learning cycles or epicycles processes are relevant for action-based investigation within organizational and social structures. The question of behaviors across boundaries or groups maybe influenced by their positioning within a larger adaptive system, including the type of focus, determined goals and the type of connections that have been developed over time (longitudinally).

These types of community or group efforts can be described as autopoietic systems, which operate within larger adaptive societal webs (Nousala 2014). The learning methodologies involved in investigating these types of dynamic phenomena need themselves to be dynamic. These methods can be viewed through longitudinal cycles, (which are essentially feedback loops that include extensive reflective time lines, integration before repetition) exposing these epicycles at work. The continuous recording of various processes through epicycles (which are the basis for learning cycles) provide a means to “qualitatively measuring” change, which would normally go unseen (Hall et. al 2012; Hall et al. 2005; Nousala and Hall 2008; Wenger and Synder 2000; Garduno et al. 2015).

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