Hi Reynaldo,
Your question was a welcome reminder to consider the learning experience when teaching with Liberating Structures. I'm very curious to hear reflections from learners/students about their experience with LS and how it differs from other teaching strategies. What benefits do learners see in these strategies, and how do these benefits compare to those identified by teachers?
Thanks for sparking these ideas. :)
Thanks Bettina, Leva, and Nancy for sharing your experiences learning to teach with LS! Very helpful. :)
Hi everyone,
My name is Jane Maxwell and I'm a faculty development instructor at Yukon College (soon to be Yukon U). I've dipped my toes into Liberating Structures in the past, mostly in the context of facilitating professional development opportunities for instructors, and I look forward to taking a deeper dive this week.
What big question do you have about Liberating Structures as we begin our time together?
How can we approach LS as a framework rather than a menu? Since my goals is to build capacity with instructors rather than designing a specific course/workshop, I worry that the menu of 33 structures will be overwhelming and may encourage superficial engagement with LS. However, I still struggle myself to identify a clear framework of LS that can facilitate deeper and more meaningful engagement.
What do you hope to get from and give this group this week?
I hope to get and give critical and creative perspectives on Liberating Structures as a tool (or philosophy?) for fostering critical, creative and reflective approaches to teaching and learning!
Yes! I have also wondered what is the key features/principles that make a structure "liberating" and distinguish it from common-sense teaching strategies designed to encourage open participation. I hope that this week will provide opportunities to whether LS have the potential for transformative learning that transcends the risks and constraints of our institutional contexts.