Dear Tina, at a general level, I find your description of the idea of
expansive cycle OK. However, there is a whole lot more to it, so I can only
recommend that you read the original explication of the theory, not only
secondary sources. The original source is:
Engeström, Y. (1987). Learning by expanding: An activity-theoretical
approach to developmental research. Helsinki: Orienta-Konsultit.
Unfortunately the book is out of print, but there are copies in libraries
and in the possession of colleagues.
As to the issue of natural vs. constructed, I think expansive cycles happen
all the time 'naturally' in societies - that is, without explicit arranging
by researchers or teachers. But they mostly happen in fragmentary forms and
temporally and spatially so widely dispersed that they are hard to capture.
Partly for that reason, in 'Learning by Expanding', I used two novels
('Huckleberry Finn' and 'Seven Brothers') as my prime examples of 'natural'
expansive cycles. And later I analyzed Peter Hoeg's semi-autobiographical
novel 'The Borderliners' as another example.
But the issue goes deeper than that. Is any societal process 'natural'? I
don't think so. There is always constructive and destructive interference,
or interpenetration and intermingling of activity systems.
Cheers,
Yrjo Engestrom
> Dear Professor Engestrom,
> I understand the expansive model is part of a larger theoretical framework and
> have drawn on some recent work of Gordon Wells to make connections to the
> classroom context. As I understand it then an expansive cycle "represent[s
> ]the
> way in which action is embedded within this more complex organizational
> structure of activity" (Wells 2001, p 5) that leads to the development of new
> structures within an activity system. In other words, expansion is Engestrom's
> metaphor for transformative processes and outcomes whereby activity systems
> can
> reproduce existing social structures and through expansion produce new
> ones.(Minnis and John-Steiner 2000)
>
> If I have understood this correctly, then as Wells states 'the expanded model
> of
> an activity system can be used to show potential areas of tension and
> potential
> breakdown and (according to Phillip Capper's email) this means the
> constructivist teacher takes this opportunity to create a ZPD in the class to
> assist students to develop an historical perspective of their world.
>
> I said I thought the expansive cycle was a natural stage in development
> because
> I was thinking about the expansive cycle being a more sophisticated phase in
> the
> activity of learning to think like an historian. I suppose given our
> conversation I should see it as not natural at all but needing to be
> constructed
> by the teacher so they become motivated to transform their understanding.
>
> Does this make sense? Am I on the right track or have I missed the point?
> Thanks
> Tina
>
> Yrjö Engeström wrote:
>
>> Dear Tina, the expansive cycle model is part of a larger theoretical
>> framework, namely the theory of expansive learning, which is based on
>> cultural-historical activity theory. If you want to use the expansive cycle,
>> you need to go into its theoretical foundations. They are very different
>> from "a constructivist pedagogical strategy for promoting students'
>> conceptual development" that David Kirshner was referring to.
>>
>> In various versions of constructivist pedagogy, conceptual conflict refers
>> to any situation where the student's existing concepts or schemata fail to
>> explain or predict some experience. In the theory of expansive learning,
>> contradictions refer historically evolving deep tensions in collective
>> activity systems.
>>
>> You mentioned that you had thought that "the expansive cycle was a
>> natural stage in development." I wonder what you mean by this. Could you
>> perhaps elaborate a bit?
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>> Yrjo Engestrom
>>
>>> I viewed Professor Engestrom's video yesterday on the expansive cycles
>>> in Learning 3 and wondered if someone could help clarify a point for me.
>>>
>>> I am researching the role of the teacher in supporting students'
>>> conceptual development. The students are junior high school history
>>> students. Before watching the video I thought the expansive cycle was a
>>> natural stage in development and students could, through dialogue with
>>> the teacher and other students, co-construct knowledge about the nature
>>> of history and historical methodology - ie begin to think like an
>>> historian. Now it seems this expansive cycle needs some kind of conflict
>>> or disharmony for participants to reflect and "look outside the box". If
>>> this is the case then in the classroom situation I have described,
>>> students do not engage in this expansive cycle.
>>>
>>> I would really appreciate some clarification on this point.
>>>
>>> My second question is the use of multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary
>>> and crossdisciplinary. If, as a teacher researcher I am drawing on
>>> linguistic theory (SFL) education theory, sociology and cognitive
>>> psychology to consider learning in the classroom within a social context
>>> is my work multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and crossdisciplinary?
>>>
>>> I am not sure of the fine points related to these terms.
>>>
>>> Again any comments would be appreciated.
>>>
>>> Tina Sharpe
>>> PhD student
>>> University of Technology
>>> Sydney, Australia.
>>>
>>>
>
>
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