We started the week discussing “Leverage Points in a System” by Meadows (1999). As the brief involves system-building, we considered how identifying and addressing changes in points of leverage could lead to meaningful change. One such area was privacy. Given our students resist mainstream technology, partly due to privacy anxieties, we questioned how privacy could act as a possible positive feedback loop. If left unchecked, free flow of information could put our students at risk. With that, we recognise that accessible information can increase accountability, as Meadows discusses. This shows the nuanced tension between the two that needs to be handled properly within our outcome. 

To continue working via our “research through design” framework, we decided to develop a series of workshops tackling our core themes from the previous week. We split into four groups, each assigned a specific topic of interest. My group, comprised of Chazzo and Shaye, would focus on independent learning.

I proposed a workshop in which participants would select a skill none of them possessed and attempt to teach themselves using their aggregate knowledge (and without technology). This would test if collaborative, self-directed learning could emerge and be successful.

Chazzo was sceptical, so we ran our first iteration of it within our mini-group. Upon discussion, we decided songwriting was the skill we all sought to improve. Though the exercise was successful, we knew we had to test it again with people outside the group.

We ran a second test with three peers from our class. They chose photography and built a makeshift pinhole camera. Despite limited resources and time, they managed to produce results they were happy with.