Modeling Discontinuities in Cultural Evolution

Discontinuities permeate culture, and present a formidable challenge to mathematical models of cultural evolution. Cultural discontinuities have their origin in cognitive processes that include metaphor, analogy, cross-domain transfer, and self-organized criticality. This paper shows how cultural discontinuities can be accommodated by a theory of cultural evolution using cognitive reflexively autocatalytic foodset-generated (RAF) networks. RAF networks, originally developed to model the origin of life, have been used to models the origin of cognitive structure capable of evolving culture. Mental representations of knowledge and experience play the role of catalytic molecules, interactions amongst them (e.g., associations, affordances, or concept combinations) play the role of reactions, and thought processes are modelled as chains of such interactions. The approach tags mental representations with their source, i.e., whether they were acquired through social learning, individual learning (of pre-existing information), or creative thought (resulting in new information). This makes it possible to track the emergence and transformation of cultural novelty. We illustrate how the approach accommodates discontinuities using a historical example, and show how it is amenable to modelling cultural contributions of groups. We provide a RAF interpretation of the self-made worldview, and discuss how the approach can be used to think more concretely about possible future cultural trajectories. Because cross-domain thinking produces cultural discontinuities, it is impossible to pre-specify what features or traits will be present in future iterations of a cultural output. This suggests that cultural lineages are comprised not of external outputs or ‘memes’, but the conceptual networks that generate them.

Blended Learning at the Boundary: Designing a New Internship

This paper explores how blended learning can enhance learning at the boundary between academia and industry, and make possible the design of a new kind of internship. Boundary theory proposes that socio-cultural discontinuities between different environments create opportunities for learning. Blended learning pedagogy makes it possible to make the boundary between the classroom and the work place more salient and continuous. We present principles for designing internships that leverage blended learning to exploit boundaries, and describe an internship program based on these principles. Finally, we reflect on what we have learned through two years experience offering the program to students and employers.

Blended Learning at the Boundary: Designing a New Internship

This paper explores how blended learning can enhance learning at the boundary between academia and industry, and make possible the design of a new kind of internship. Boundary theory proposes that socio-cultural discontinuities between different environments create opportunities for learning. Blended learning pedagogy makes it possible to make the boundary between the classroom and the work place more salient and continuous. We present principles for designing internships that leverage blended learning to exploit boundaries, and describe an internship program based on these principles. Finally, we reflect on what we have learned through two years experience offering the program to students and employers.

Intercultural Collaborative Project-Based Learning in Online Environments

This chapter addresses the question, “How can we overcome potential cultural discontinuities in online collaborative project-based learning environments?” The authors first identify differing worldviews, communication practices, and technological issues that can present barriers that frequently arise in intercultural online courses. They then identify constructivist project-based teaching strategies that reduce these intercultural barriers. Differing worldviews can be reconciled by fostering collaboration, grouping, relevance, and metacognition. Communication barriers can be minimized by attention to language and community building. Technological problems can be reduced by using asynchronous communication, simplifying online communication systems, and providing technical training and ongoing technical support. The chapter concludes with a model for a polycentric culture that minimizes differences among individuals in terms of their worldviews, communication practices, and technological issues.