A holistic approach to the management of human consumption towards an economics of well-being

The goal of this conceptual paper is to draw attention to the problems caused by the rapid growth of the global economy, coupled with high population growth and excessive exploitation of natural resources. It is necessary to be aware that the global economy will not be able to grow at the actual speed in the long term. A paradigm shift in production and consumption is therefore necessary to avoid the collapse of ecosystems and the concurrent reduction of stocks of natural resources. This is the reason why capitalism has to take a new direction towards a sustainable and naturally harmonized development model

Modern information literacy innovates library by systems thinking

Information literacy enables library users to well use modern sources of information in order to both create and apply knowledge. This competency can be more or less holistic with the level of holism having crucial consequences.To describe this particular need for holism systems thinking and information literacy are discussed, especially in relation to their creative and innovative use. We propose a Dialectical Systems Theory which can support this endeavor

Gaming for Introducing Social Challenges and Responsibility to Young People

Background and Purpose - Gaming has the potential to support the development of young people’s capabilities in social responsibility (SR), and at the same time represents threats of developing undesired behaviour patterns. Successful integration of gaming in the life of young people requires a systemic approach, which hasn’t been provided in the literature jet. We are providing an insight to the issue. Design/Methodology/Approach - In the paper multiple methods are used. To elaborate the backgrounds on the games effects and social behaviour, literature is analysed. To assess the state-of-the art of young people characteristics, their pressing social challenges, and gaming evaluation reports are analysed. The synthesis is provided and put in the context with social responsibility properties using system dynamics. Results - Gaming concepts, appropriate for education for SR, and relationships between young people challenges and the players in the gaming environment in SR terms are proposed. Conclusions – Currently, the loop of games development is negatively propelled by the short-term games demand. We propose effective feedback loops, linking young people and their social environment, using SR tool set to provide demands to the game providers. The experience will support the games developers to design socially constructive games, aiming to develop the desired skills and competencies in social transformation processes of young people toward SR. The proposed model provides merely an overview model, designed by the literature review and state-of-the-art analysis. To fully understand the games effects on the young people, a more detailed analysis is required

Students as active citizens: A systems perspective on a Jean Monnet module, experiential learning and participative approaches

Students develop knowledge through an ongoing process of learning embodied in their daily experiences. As citizens, they develop an identity in their communities as they build relationships through recurrent interactions, thus constructing citizenship by strengthening stable interactions. This paper examines the development of student active citizenship within a Jean Monnet module summer school that employs a participative approach and experiential learning. The research provides a multi-level systems perspective on the learning experience in a Jean Monnet module. It combines state-of-the-art analysis of the Jean Monnet modules reports, analysis of a selected module’s activities, and delayed participants feedback analysis. The methodology addresses complexity at multiple levels and leaves sufficient variance to invite readers to test the approaches themselves. First, opportunities and gaps in the development of active citizen abilities were identified within the Jean Monnet modules. Second, it was established that the use of a participative approach and experiential learning aligned activities in the learning process yielded positive results in participant engagement. Third, long-term effects in the form of an improved understanding of active citizenship and the execution of activities in real life were also observed. We point to the need for active communication in the development of a full-cycle experiential learning process. Additionally, the multi-level monitoring model contributed positively toward the continual improvement of the learning process and thus provided a learning experience for teachers. The research is limited regarding the clear articulation of the research results, rendering comparison with other learning experience reports challenging. For lecturers, the importance of integrating the participative approach into the student learning process is documented; the effects of experience learning on students’ active participation are presented; and the importance of systems perspective on multiple aspects of the learning process is reinforced. For students, an example of the importance of being active in the learning process and using available resources is provided. For policy makers, the article attests to the importance of learning programmes expanding the limitations of the regular curricula and the need to support additional programmes, as well as the benefits of a participative approach and experience learning in the process of developing active citizens. We point to the need for authentic situational-context experience and active communication in the learning process. Additionally, we provide an example of systems investigation of the learning process. The paper identifies the gap between the Jean Monnet modules and active citizen abilities and provides a potential approach toward reducing them. It also provides a multi-level method for monitoring and adjusting the learning process