I have been part of the SeStuTHESA group from a long time ago... I can recall the days when I would sit for hours with Joan and a few other colleagues discussing a TED Talk video and how it impacted on our various professional development initiatives, or sometimes debating/discussing a concern that one of us experienced in our classroom practice or in writing an abstract or preparing for a conference. I think trust, respect and openness are important for the group. Knowing that we can all learn from each other's experiences has been very useful for the development of the group. I suppose another key aspect is commitment to the group and coming with greater listening skills than speaking skills. Trust the process, trust the people.
All the best Heather for your group.
-----Original Message-----
From: Action Research Africa Network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Joan Lucy Conolly
Sent: 24 October 2010 07:23 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: The Self Study for Transformative Higher Education and Social Action Project at DUT SeStuTHESA@DUT
Hi Heather
Please forgive my tardy response ... I have been thinking about how SeStuTHESA came into being at DUT so that I can answer your questions usefully and succinctly. And this is what I have come up with.
How did SeStuTHESA begin?
It actually began with myself. For almost 20 years, I have been thinking and writing about my own learning journey privately and personally, in the first person. I have been doing this, but in an increasingly formalized and disciplined way for the last three years, i.e. every day. And as I write and reflect and write and reflect about how I learn, and what I learn and from whom and under what circumstances, I pay close attention to what is emerging in my writing, which ranges from the predictable and expected, to the totally unexpected, scary, astonishing, pleasing, shameful, wounded, inter alia. At the same time, I talk to trusted and respected friends. These increasingly include favourites on TEDTALKS. And at the same time, I read, and reflect on what I was/ am reading/ have read over a period of over 40 years. I reflect on how that is intersecting with what I am discovering about my own learning, and what I observe in others. And I write about that as well, and reflect on what I am writing. And so on ...
In that process, I have discovered/ am discovering ...
1. I find it challenging to write critically reflectively about myself. I find that it recalls all sorts of emotional, intellectual and spiritual baggage which requires interrogation and decision-making : What is useful to keep and take forward, and what is just holding me back, and has to be released.
2. I find myself writing in the third person and in the passive voice and stop to ask myself 'why?' Only to discover that this means that I can only write in questions. So back to some very deep thinking and reading and thinking and talking to trusted friends, until I have the confidence to write with a sense of authority.
3. I find that my talking to trusted friends results in us talking at length about things of common concern and that is what has formalized into the group and what it does.
As I write this, I am wondering how this is going to be useful to you?
And the best I can offer is that this is truly a 'journey of awareness', based on the understanding that 'I can only be human in terms of my relationship with others - present and past' (ubuntu), and this in turn implies the need for 'respect for all creation' (ukuhlonipha). These notions are universal - 'Know thyself and then canst thou be false to no man.' 'To thine own self be true.' 'The Golden Rule - 'Do only unto others what you would have them do unto you.' 'Compassion as a guiding principle beginning with the self'. And my awareness that our planet and all who live on it are in deep distress. And that I have a responsibility for this situation, and so it is easy to ask "how can I improve what I am doing?" as a contribution to the universal good.
You ask about objectives. I have found that people like to be working on something 'real' so those who find the group meetings most useful like it when there is a safe space to talk about what they are discovering in their attempts to do what they do 'better'. All of this is of course in response to ...
Aims of SeStuTHESA
SeStuTHESA aims at developing critical reflective personal and professional practice at DUT with the intention that this will have the fourfold effects of
1. raising the quality of learning, teaching and assessment by transforming educational practice, and thus impacting positively on the undergraduate throughput.
2. locating curricula culturally so that learners can learn more easily and effectively, which will also have a positive effect on the undergraduate throughput.
3. connecting - equitably - the knowledge and capacity of the university with the knowledge and capacity in communities for effective social impact.
4. and simultaneously increasing the number of masters and doctoral qualifications among DUT educators (and post graduate students) to meet the minimum requirements for educator qualifications with higher education.
So most of the group are working on their masters or doctoral qualifications, some are working on what they are writing for publication, or the next conference which they wish to attend. With the 'aims' 1. 2. and 3. as above as the outcome.
You ask about parameters.
1. I find that the AIMS are critical as they focus everyone on the 'same page'.
2. Then I think that notions of respect, compassion, and trust are very important.
3. I have found that people respond to feeling 'safe', which does not translate into 'indulgent', but rather while looking always for 'rooms for improvement' - 'how can we do this better?' they feel that they can 'trust' the rest of the group to be constructive in their comments and contributions - 'respectfully' and 'compassionately'.
I have been asking myself what reading has played an initiating role in what happens in our group, and here is a short list.
Very important is Jack Whitehead's website which provides many successful theses in addition to a generous wealth of other reading and good practice: see www.actionresearch.net
1. Jean McNiff "Action research for professional development: Concise advice for new action researchers" (attached) 2. Donald Schon. 1982. "The Reflective Practitioner: How professionals think in action". Basic Books:USA 3. Ernest Boyer. 1997. "Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate." The Carnegie Foundation : USA
And the others attached.
My Favourite TEDTALKS http://www.ted.com/ Ken Robinson http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution.html
Karen Armstrong http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/karen_armstrong_let_s_revive_the_golden_rule.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/karen_armstrong_makes_her_ted_prize_wish_the_charter_for_compassion
Chimamanda Adichie http://www.ted.com/search?q=chimamanda+&x=9&y=11
William Kamkwamba http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/william_kamkwamba_how_i_harnessed_the_wind.html
Sugata Mitra http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/sugata_mitra_shows_how_kids_teach_themselves.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/sugata_mitra_the_child_driven_education.html
To this list, we each add what talks to us individually... according to our particular perspective and focus. Which of course ensures that we are not a clone factory!! We are all as different as can be as I am sure you saw for yourself at NMMU.
And I am absolutely sure that any other group will be as varied and different as it needs to be to address its own individual concerns, in terms of the 'aims' recorded above.
I am happy to respond to further enquiries ... and most importantly, I hope that the other members of the SeStuTHESA group at DUT will want to add what they think would help you in your development of this exciting 'journey of awareness'.
Take care
Joan
-----Original Message-----From: Action Research Africa Network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Heather Goode
Sent: Saturday, October 23, 2010 11:37 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Hello
Hi Joan
The interest at my institution is also motivating, but currently I would like to know how to get the group started in the best way and set the objectives and parameters in a way that is beneficial to participants.
I am hoping to be in a facilitatory co-learner role.
Thanks
Heather
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!
-----Original Message-----
From: Joan Lucy Conolly <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Action Research Africa Network <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2010 17:01:36
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: Action Research Africa Network <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Hello
Hi Heather
Thank you for your interest. We have just come to the end of another VOLUNTARY 4 hour SeStuTHESA meeting on a FRIDAY afternoon!!! And a 2 hour one yesterday. I found every minute instructive and inspiring. There were 7 of us on Thursday, and 11 of us on Friday! And this at the height of the year's academic activity just prior to exams. You know what I mean.
What is it that you would like to know about SeStuTHESA? As I said at the NMMU conference, we are very happy to share our practice.
Take care
Joan
-----Original Message-----
From: Action Research Africa Network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Heather Goode
Sent: 22 October 2010 01:12 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Hello
Hi Joan
I would love to explore with you the ideas and some lessons learnt about setting up a similar group at Midrand Graduate Institute. There is alot of demand to make the research journey less lonely and more productive!
Thanks
Heather
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