Thwarted or Embedded: Mapping Cause and Effect

Facilitators: Li Yuan and Adam Cooper

Understanding whether a new or emerging idea will be thwarted or become embedded when subjected to the "acid test" of the real world that is the educational system - and also the perpetual change of technology use - relies on an understanding of the patterns of cause and effect in that system. This session will use a mixture of group-work and discussion to create a number of maps showing both positive and negative influences in the system as it is - as opposed to how we might wish it to be - and hence to understand how multiple factors might work together or in opposition. The session will capture: maps of cause and effect; descriptions of the challenges and enablers for several innovations; key points (critical blockers) where interventions might be required.

We will be using a technique based on "System Maps" http://hsctoolkit.bis.gov.uk/Systems-maps.html, one of the Horizon Scanning Centre's "tools for strategic futures thinking".

This session has now been written-up and the system maps have been uploaded to the JISC Observatory website.