This chapter provides insights into the complex and adaptive nature of systems and illustrates key characteristics of such systems. These contribute to an understanding of the challenges in health promotion and imply a need for more context-specific research to evaluate the health promotion interventions. CARA can address this need as it can be used to evaluate and support change in complex adaptive systems. To support and inspire other health promotion researchers who want to adopt CARA as their research approach, we have discussed our experiences and provided some guiding principles. Overall, complexity thinking can help to understand the challenges in health promotion, whereby CARA provides a possible strategy for health promotion researchers when dealing with the challenges of evaluating health promotion interventions in complex adaptive systems.
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In the wake of neo-liberal informed global trends to set performance standards and intensify accountability, the Dutch government aimed for ‘raising standards for basic skills’. While the implementation of literacy standards was hardly noticed, the introduction of numeracy standards caused a major backlash in secondary schools, which ended in a failed introduction of a high stakes test. How can these major differences be explained? Inspired by Foucault’s governmentality concept a theoretical framework is developed to allow for detailed empirical research on steering processes in complex systems in which many actors are involved in educational decision-making. A mixed-methods multiple embedded case-study was conducted comprising nine school boards and fifteen secondary schools. Analyses unveil processes of responsibilisation, normalisation and emerging dividing practices. Literacy standards reinforced responsibilities of Dutch language teachers; for numeracy, school leadership created entirely new roles and responsibilities for teachers. Literacy standards were incorporated in an already used instrument which made implementation both subtle and inevitable. For numeracy, schools distinguished students by risk of not passing the new test affirming the disciplinary nature of schools in the process. While little changed to address teachers main concerns about students’ literacy skills, the failed introduction of the numeracy test usurped most resources.
Energy Valley cluster and internationalisation.There is a need for more dynamic approaches to strategy development for clusters due to the complex internal and external environments that are part of clusters. The research introduced complex adaptive systems (CAS) approach to cluster theory where contextual analysis of clusters are an essential part of understanding cluster development. In-depth analyses of cluster dynamics and drivers of change in the context of the cluster would provide deeper understanding of cluster developments that will then feed into strategy development processes.
The pace of technology advancements continues to accelerate, and impacts the nature of systems solutions along with significant effects on involved stakeholders and society. Design and engineering practices with tools and perspectives, need therefore to evolve in accordance to the developments that complex, sociotechnical innovation challenges pose. There is a need for engineers and designers that can utilize fitting methods and tools to fulfill the role of a changemaker. Recognized successful practices include interdisciplinary methods that allow for effective and better contextualized participatory design approaches. However, preliminary research identified challenges in understanding what makes a specific method effective and successfully contextualized in practice, and what key competences are needed for involved designers and engineers to understand and adopt these interdisciplinary methods. In this proposal, case study research is proposed with practitioners to gain insight into what are the key enabling factors for effective interdisciplinary participatory design methods and tools in the specific context of sociotechnical innovation. The involved companies are operating at the intersection between design, technology and societal impact, employing experts who can be considered changemakers, since they are in the lead of creative processes that bring together diverse groups of stakeholders in the process of sociotechnical innovation. A methodology will be developed to capture best practices and understand what makes the deployed methods effective. This methodology and a set of design guidelines for effective interdisciplinary participatory design will be delivered. In turn this will serve as a starting point for a larger design science research project, in which an educational toolkit for effective participatory design for socio-technical innovation will be designed.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) wordt realiteit. Slimme ICT-producten die diensten op maat leveren accelereren de digitalisering van de maatschappij. De grote innovaties van de komende jaren –zelfrijdende auto’s, spraakgestuurde virtuele assistenten, autodiagnose systemen, robots die autonoom complexe taken uitvoeren – zijn datagedreven en hebben een AI-component. Dit gaat de rol van professionals in alle domeinen, gezondheidzorg, bouwsector, financiële dienstverlening, maakindustrie, journalistiek, rechtspraak, etc., raken. ICT is niet meer volgend en ondersteunend (een ‘enabling’ technologie), maar de motor die de transformatie van de samenleving in gang zet. Grote bedrijven, overheidsinstanties, het MKB, en de vele startups in de Brainport regio zijn innovatieve datagedreven scenario’s volop aan het verkennen. Dit wordt nog eens versterkt door de democratisering van AI; machine learning en deep learning algoritmes zijn beschikbaar zowel in open source software als in Cloud oplossingen en zijn daarmee toegankelijk voor iedereen. Data science wordt ‘applied’ en verschuift van een PhD specialisme naar een HBO-vaardigheid. Het stadium waarin veel bedrijven nu verkeren is te omschrijven als: “Help, mijn AI-pilot is succesvol. Wat nu?” Deze aanvraag richt zich op het succesvol implementeren van AI binnen de context van softwareontwikkeling. De onderzoeksvraag van dit voorstel is: “Hoe kunnen we state-of-the-art data science methoden en technieken waardevol en verantwoord toepassen ten behoeve van deze slimme lerende ICT-producten?” De postdoc gaat fungeren als een linking pin tussen alle onderzoeksprojecten en opdrachten waarbij studenten ICT-producten met AI (machine learning, deep learning) ontwikkelen voor opdrachtgevers uit de praktijk. Door mee te kijken en mee te denken met de studenten kan de postdoc overzicht en inzicht creëren over alle cases heen. Als er overzicht is kan er daarna ook gestuurd worden op de uit te voeren cases om verschillende deelaspecten samen met de studenten te onderzoeken. Deliverables zijn rapporten, guidelines en frameworks voor praktijk en onderwijs, peer-reviewed artikelen en kennisdelingsevents.
“Empowering learners to create a sustainable future” This is the mission of Centre of Expertise Mission-Zero at The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS). The postdoc candidate will expand the existing knowledge on biomimicry, which she teaches and researches, as a strategy to fulfil the mission of Mission-Zero. We know when tackling a design challenge, teams have difficulties sifting through the mass of information they encounter. The candidate aims to recognize the value of systematic biomimicry, leading the way towards the ecosystems services we need tomorrow (Pedersen Zari, 2017). Globally, biomimicry demonstrates strategies contributing to solving global challenges such as Urban Heat Islands (UHI) and human interferences, rethinking how climate and circular challenges are approached. Examples like Eastgate building (Pearce, 2016) have demonstrated successes in the field. While biomimicry offers guidelines and methodology, there is insufficient research on complex problem solving that systems-thinking requires. Our research question: Which factors are needed to help (novice) professionals initiate systems-thinking methods as part of their strategy? A solution should enable them to approach challenges in a systems-thinking manner just like nature does, to regenerate and resume projects. Our focus lies with challenges in two industries with many unsustainable practices and where a sizeable impact is possible: the built environment (Circularity Gap, 2021) and fashion (Joung, 2014). Mission Zero has identified a high demand for Biomimicry in these industries. This critical approach: 1) studies existing biomimetic tools, testing and defining gaps; 2) identifies needs of educators and professionals during and after an inter-disciplinary minor at The Hague University; and, 3) translates findings into shareable best practices through publications of results. Findings will be implemented into tangible engaging tools for educational and professional settings. Knowledge will be inclusive and disseminated to large audiences by focusing on communication through social media and intervention conferences.
