Cycle 1202 Courses

Learning online with Gaia U
1. Connecting our community, exploring the online technics & documentation basics - active learning, reading for info, mind mapping 3313
2. Unfolding overall program design and support systems 3314
Life & Career Review 3311
Learning Intentions Pathway Design 3312
Elements of Transformative Action Learning Certificate - TALC
1. Design as a Transformative Process 3306
  In this Element of Transformative Action Learning we explore how to develop and apply Design Thinking. Design Thinking has, in recent years, come into to increasing prominence thanks to early efforts by Buckminster Fuller, Christopher Alexander, Victor Papanek, Bill Mollison and, most recently, a leading design consultancy named IDEO. Each of these sources emphasises the potential for humans to become the architects of the future rather than it's victims. Learning how to apply Design Thinking to ecosocial systems (systems that lie on the fuzzy boundary between humans and all other life) is one of the most potent and empowering Tools for Transformation available today. We will explore a subtle combination of intuitive, analytical, visionary and dreaming approaches Design Thinking. Starting with a brainstorm/dreaming phase used to tease out the desired outcomes required of the design we move through a multitude of ways to gather information about the context and check out who our allies might be before launching into designing and planning our projects. By adding feedback loops and design 'tweaking' into the system we stay flexible in the long term thus enabling us to work in complex and chaotic situations. Thoughtful application of Design Thinking can readily quadruple the yields from almost any project without involving significant extra deployment of resources. It is essential to know that good ecosocial design is not a mystery - instead, think of it as an acquired/learned skill flex that uses easily described, clear principles such as "minimum effort for maximum effect". With modest amounts of practice almost anyone can become a competent designer and take charge of the development of their part of the world. Gaia University designers are rooted in Permaculture Design in which complex ecosocial systems are designed for the regeneration of both ecological and human communities.
  1. Ethics and principles
    1. Small is Beautiful
  2. Systems thinking
  3. Frameworks & methods
  4. Case studies
  5. Mainstream adoptions
    1. IDEO
    2. Bucky Fuller
  6. Path of Least Resistance
  7. Design by the Removal of Limiting Factors
  8. Ideas of constructedness (post-structualism)
2. Learning and Unlearning - Tools for Transformation 3305
  In this Element of Exploration we take a look at some models and theories that attempt to describe how people learn by doing and, most importantly for Gaia University and the planet, how people unlearn and therefore become capable of stopping doing unconscious damage to self, others and planet. Most of us are fascinated by knowing more about our own psychological make-up and the insights arising through playing with this Element are likely to be deeply satisfying and, surprisingly, very practical - as Kurt Lewin, one of the fathers of action research and social psychology once quipped, "There is nothing quite so practical as a good theory!". This Element asks us to make a survey of our own capacities to learn, unlearn and transform through engaging with the world and it will help us come up with strategies to become ever more powerful in these respects.
3. Managing Time, Managing Promises 3307
  Many people who live a purposeful life say the same thing - 'not enough time, too much to do!'. This Element of Transformative Action Learning takes us through the 'Getting Things Done' system for better productivity, effectiveness and peace of mind - this is personal time management. Then we zoom out and take a broad look at the art and science of acting in multiple projects at the same time. For this we use an innovative process called Managing Action Promises (MAP). MAP provides us with creative protocols for enhancing our ability to function in a community or team though managing our commitments in flexible ways. By these means we avoid disappointing ourselves and others. This helps so much to build our reputation as a person who does what they say they will do. Such folk are welcome members of Transformational Communities everywhere. Then we look to Life Balance and Lightening the Load as methods for avoiding tunnel vision and over-commitment. The world needs us well-rested, well-nourished and well-exercised! Let's banish burn-out!
  1. GTD
  2. MAP
  3. Balance & Loadings
  4. People on Purpose
4. Thinking about Worldviews 3304
  World views are at once both elusive (hard to spot) and critical. How we think about the world and our societies has a potent effect on what we think is possible and how empowered we feel to take initiatives to change things. However it is not so easy to see our own Worldviews which, in any case, are likely to change over time. In this Element we look at some schemes previous thinkers have come up with to look at world views and then challenge ourselves to name our own. This will allow us to reflect on whether or not our world view is holding us back from constructive action, is interfering with our ability to reconfigure society to work for planet and people and is (oh no!) directly contributing to the problems in the first place. From this fresh look at ourselves we can make decisions to change the way we think about the world. A second powerful result of playing with this Element of Exploration is that we will gain a more reliable way of spotting the world views of others. This clearer view of the way other people think is very helpful when it comes to understanding and interacting with a diverse range of people in our communities.
  1. Spiral Dynamics
  2. Worldview Project
  3. The Patrix
  4. World Systems Analysis
  5. Existing institutions/emergent institutions
5. Growing Leaderful Communities 3308
  Taking leadership and working effectively in inclusive groups are on the priority list of challenges for all world changers right now. In this Element we look at a leaderful culture model that includes giving practical support for people stepping-up to provide direction and meanwhile has an open, capacity building structure that encourages all participants to fill some part of the critical leadership gap. We also use the Designing Productive Meetings and Events manual published by Gaia University, along with other materials, to rapidly improve the quality and joyfulness of our working meetings.
  1. Leader, supporter & allies roles
  2. The meaning of each
  3. Designing Productive Meetings and Events manual
  4. Contradicting personal patterns
  5. What Worldview's are on display here?
6. Appraising the Current Culture, Making Space for the Future 3309
  Holding dynamic tension between our realistic appraisal of the current culture and our vision for the future is a powerful way to have next steps for action emerge from the (chaotic) field. And, consistent with the attention to unlearning as well as learning, we look at what ways of thinking about ourselves and other people we might eliminate so as to get out of the way of transformations of self and society. Joanna Macy spoke to this two-headed process when she encouraged us to "hospice the old and midwife the new".
  1. Fundamental beliefs about humans
  2. Oppression, internalized oppression
  3. Liberation strategies
  4. What Worldview's are on display here?
  5. Hospice the old, midwife the new (Joanna Macy)
  6. Transitions
  7. Path of Least Resistance