Virtual Science of Learning Organizations: Designing the Future Dr. Susan Winter University of Maryland, College Park
Jan 16, 2016
Virtual Science ofLearning
Organizations: Designing the Future
Dr. Susan WinterUniversity of Maryland, College Park
National Science Foundation
“…promote the progress of science… advance the national health, prosperity and welfare… secure the national defense…”
– National Science Foundation Act of 1950
Science of Learning (SoL) SolicitationExtend the frontiers of the SoL Broaden SoL’s impact on society Centers expected to contribute to learning in
all educational settings.
US Research & Education: Inherently State & Local
Fragmented Research and Education Apparatus
Difficult to influence, much less control
Extending the Frontiers & Contributing to Learning
Complex intellectual challenges
Multi-disciplinary collaboration among diverse scientific teams sharing common resources
Distributed Geographically
Virtual Organizations!
Organization of Scientific Work
Old Science Lab, Researcher + Assistants Division of Labor Narrow Focus of Work
New Science Complex Problems Shared Resources Interdisciplinary Teams Global Operations, Distributed,
Asynchronous
Science
Infrastructure DevelopmentEnabling Technologies
Organization of WorkExploitation of Capability
Principles for Designing Virtual Science-of-Learning
Organizations Informed and Reflective Choices
General PrinciplesUnderstand Specific Contexts
Mix of Virtual and Face-to-Face Elements
Organizations Likelihood of Success for Kinds of
Alliances Knowledge-based Alliances Least Likely Leadership and Processes are Important
Silos are Hard Interactions Incentives Insights
• Building Cultures• Building Spanning Roles
Knowledge Management/ Group and Team Science
Trust is KeyAbsorptive Capacity
Tacit vs. Explicit Knowledge
Sociotechnical Systems
“If You Build it, They Will Come” Myth
Crowdsourcing/Social ParticipationCitizen SciencePrizes/Contests/CompetitionsGamification
Incentives NOT well understood
3 Aspects of Virtual Scientific Work
AssetsWhat do you have to work with?
Knowledge FlowsWho tells who about what and when?
GovernanceWho can make what decisions?What are the incentives?
3 Aspects of Scientific Work
Dimension Assets
Knowledge Flows
Governance
Collaboration Success Knowledge-based
Alliances vs. Sharing Equipment or Data
Silos Impede Knowledge Flows
Mandating Use vs. Incentives
Types of Collaborations
Lifecycle and EnduranceTemporary, Recurring, Permanent
BoundednessProblem-focused vs. Group-enabling
Scale and Scope2 vs. 2,000 Scientists
Determinants of Enablers Degree of Shared Context
Discipline, Department, Organization, Country, Language, Culture
Task and Actor InterdependenceDivisible, Serial Dependence, Co-
creation
Determinants of Enablers Regulatory Environments
Degrees of Freedom? Technical and Human Infrastructure for
Asset Management, Governance, Knowledge FlowsTools
• Custom, Commercial-Off-the-Shelf, End-User Developed
• Heterogeneous Environments (Platforms, Networks)• Poor Fit to Tasks• Technical Difficulties are the Norm!
Human• Large Gaps in Expertise on Distributed, International
Teams
Mix Modalities to Enable Knowledge Flows
OralFace-to-Face, videoconference,
phone Written
Manuals/Wikis, Contracts, Journal Articles Pictures/Graphics (drawing boards), Meta-data, MOUs, email, Text Messages, Blogs, Tweets
Is this easy? No! Hitting a Moving Target
Will Eventually Sort it OutGoal = Accelerate Process so Get Sorted Faster
Hard and Persistent Problems even with the Help of the Organizational Sciences
Resources are Sparsely Distributed and Poorly Connected (Who do you call for help?)Hard to Disseminate Lessons Learned
Problems Are Tractable If
Committed & Not Easily Discouraged
In It for the Long Run Issues Play out Over Time Iterative Process of Doing & Learning Synthesis Across Instances for Patterns
Know why you are invested in thisComplementary Assets
Engage Really Good People to Work on Them
Designing Virtual Science-of-Learning Organizations: Smart
Learning by Doing Bring Assets to Bear on the Problem
Research Evidence Industry Lessons LearnedAssessment for Continuous Improvement
Support VSLO Leaders and Members for Knowledge Transfer/DeploymentWorkshops, Manuals, Online ResourcesMore Research/Translation to Practice
Questions?
Understanding Innovation Communities
Building Innovation Communities
Realizing the Potential
Translational science
Research Evidence: Creation/Synthesis/Agenda
Tailored suite of materials: - Practices, tools, processes…- Scale, Disciplinarity, Pedagogy
Funding Good PracticesHuman Capital