Co-operative (collective) thinking -

technology or/and art in education, CPD,

LLL and research

Ene-Silvia Sarv
Tallinn, Estonia
2023
Name Ene-Silvia Sarv
Expert of education; Estonian Forum of Education
Retired, former ass. Professor/lecturer, researcher, Tallinn
University, Estonia
Contact, enesilviasarv@gmail.com, enesilvia.sarv@mail.ee
e-homes Scribd: http://www.scribd.com/ene_silvias
Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/EneSilviaSarv
Moodle,

Areas of Philosophy and science of edcation - lecturer, researcher (typology of Estonian schools and
competence teachers, school as learning organisation, school climate, teacher education and CPD,
future studies, school-physics, curruculum, research methodology etc). E-learning and
teaching. Theory and practice of collective thiking technlcs, use in education. Alternative
pedagogies, esp waldorf-pedagogy.

Other Teacher of physics (1965 ...); teacher education, CPD, curriculum development (high school, university)
information since 1980; ed. research since 1987; university lecturer since 1981; school inspector, supervisor etc.
CPD - Emerson College (UK) 1991-1992, etc.
Organisation and content development: Estonian school-physics movement ancl development of
programme, textbooks, CPD programmes 1987-1990; International courses on Humanist Pedagogy
“The Threshold” 1992-2002; co-convenor and convenor EERA NW1 (Teacher CPD, learning for schools
and leaders) since 2006.
Monographs (in Estonian): On democracy and humanism for teachers (1997), Estonian school as seen
by teachers (2008), etc.; more than 100 articles (scientifc), ca 30 supervised MA thesises, ca 20 e-
courses, editor of 3 international books.
 A couple of notes to begin with
• In Estonia, the current success in education (incl. top 10 in PISA) is a result of longterm
systemic work on
• taking up sings of new knowledge (research) in the world
• cooperation on different levels,
• curriculum development,
• teacher initial education and continuing professional learning,
• preparation of futures scenarios of national and educational development.
• The concepts of “teacher education”, “Lifelong learning” (LLL), “qualification”
underline engagement into curriculum development, research, reflective practice, cultural
aspects.
• Teacher professionalism includes also self-development, ethics and social skills (incl co-
operation).
• The pandemic period appeared to be a good accelerator of processes and models, leading
to develop pervasive practices, whose impact is already visible in Estonian schools.
 On Content
• Co-operative thinking /co-thinking (CoT)
• Co-thinking (CoT) – some remarcs on theory and development
• CoT as technic/technology
• CoT as an art
• Use of CoT
• Analysis
• Implication-practices
• Enrichment (AI, follow-up activities, etc)
Perspectives
 CoT => Renewal of Estonian education from 1987
onwards - development in a situation of constant change
Characteristic of the process, the era:
Entrepreneurship and enthusiasm
Adoption and adaptation thanks to
- broad knowledge and experience
- ability and desire to learn
- creativity
- methods, incl :
grassroot participation (thanks to the semiconducted work of teams, groups)
collaboration between power and enthusiasts
empowerment of teachers
knowledge-creation

At the same time:

a number of mental models, ways of doing things rooted in everyday consciousness, traditions and rules in society
prevent innovations and changes.
E-S Sarv 2023 5
1987-88 versus 2023

E-S Sarv 2023 6

Professional learning/development

Individual Collaborative
books, WWW
Activities Methods of collaboration
- In formal school work Group-work methods
- In “hobby”education …
(groups of interest in school, Participative
interest-schools etc reseach and
(incl together with students) reflection

E-S Sarv 2023 7

Co-thinking – some remarcs on theory and development

Knowledge monopoly
20-21 century
– from professors-academics-teachers-books to media, groups

21 century : loss of knowledge monopoly, loss of trust

- CoThinking in/of groups
- AI, ChatGPT
- combination, interaction of groups, individuals, AI, …
 CoT as technic/technology
The most technological CoThinking method developed by the school of G
Schtcedrovitsky since 1960ies.
• “conflict” – technology: New ideas and solutions are born when the
personal beliefs of the participants are brought to "contradiction,
conflict with oneself" - "negative dialectics”
• The entire activity of the game-leader and the group's game technicians:
- highlighting contradictions, sharpening them and noting new ideas,
fixing them
Estonian technology -
• Positive dialectic – mutual enrichment, creation of new knowledge
based on awareness and combination of differences in knowledge fields
 CoT as an art
• The process of thinking together, both in groups and as interaction
between groups, requires flexibility
• - "grabbing" unforeseen situations and ideas,
• - in perceiving, amplifying, visualizing their potential,
• - when achieving a meta-level view,
• - interpretation-"translation" of visualizations, etc.
• Thought technology is not enough for the above!

The most difficult part of CoT is getting, analysing and meta-level

summaries of group work, presentations. The Configurator
Configurator – methodology of CoT analysis
The most difficult part of CoT is getting, analysing and meta-level
summaries of group work, presentations.

Thinking Bees group Talgujad (Est) have developed a configurator

analysis technique/technology/method.
1982 – levels/steps of content-understanding (V. Ruttas) – material,
content, form
2011 – steps/degrees of substantive understanding
2022/23 - design of configurators, directed configurators for versatile
description, analysis, understanding of systems
Steps/degrees of substantive understanding 1982

World
….
Organisation
…
Material
A complex approach - the cross prism of aspects
as a configurator 2011
Hegelian cross prism EPOHHAALSED- I EPOHI/PARADIGMA II III
PARADIGMALISED
MÕISTMISASTMED: EPOHI/PARADIGMA EPOHI/PARADIGMA
IDEEDE
ISE- Mehhanitsistlik MÕISTMISASTMED: MÕISTMISASTMED:
ARENGU determinism Iseregulatsioon Orgaaniline
ASTMED XIX sajand XX sajand harmoonia.
(klassikaline (mitteklassikaline XXI sajand
ratsionaalsus) ratsionaalsus) (postmitteklassika-
line ratsionaalsus)

KOKKUMÄNG KOKKUKÕLAMINE
IDEE TAGASI- KOKKUHOID (dünaamiline tasakaal) (AUTOPOIESIS)
PÖÖRDUNUNA OMA (optimeerimine) Inimesed omavahel. Inimkond looduses-
TEISITIOLEMISEST Vahendite piiratus Väärtused. Kõlbelisus. loodusega.
Võimekusehüpe.
Vabanemine.

UUENDUSLIKKUS RESONEERUVUS ,
IDEE OMA FUNKTSIONAALSUS (tegevuslik) HAAKUVUS, SIDUSUS
TEISITIOLEMISES (omavõnkesagedustega
Universumis)

MÄÄRATLETUS KESTLIKKUS MUUTLIKKUS

IDEE ISEENESES (kvalitatiiv- (ajaline määratletus) (DÜNAMISM)
kvantitatiivne) Protsessuaalsus (Rütm, tempo, pulss,
Ruumiline. Aeg on dünaamika)
igavene

https://www.scribd.com/doc/124537978/SISULISE-MOISTMISE-ASTMED-HEGELIAANLIKES-RISTPRISMADES
Märdimetsa II töö- ja mõttetalgud 14.mail 2011
21st century
Transition from natural science and social engineering approaches,
(consistently pursued by Shchedrovitsky, Russia) to humanitarian and,
so to speak, “participatory” approaches
Participatory approaches
- controlled impact of interested parties, controlled participation
…..
- participants as creators - those who are influenced and those who
influence belong to the same social reality.
Groupings. Teacher. Age difference <30 / 60+
Teacher’s mental
model

“Branchy"
young versus
harmonious
experienced
teacher

Ene-Silvia Sarv, 2006 1

5
Groupings – pedagogical rank (novice –teacher -
senior-teacher – master on methods) Teacher’s mental
model

”Branchy"
novice versus
harmonious
“mean” and
senior teacher

Ene-Silvia Sarv, 2006 1

6
 Use of CoT – Why CoT
To work with complex systems (teachers communities, school lesson
physics problems, …. , social development scenarios) is necessary
the interaction of different knowledge and competences,
which is offered by Co-Thinking, different Co-Thinking groups and methods.
To enrich teacher’s knowledge, develop mental models – CoT & groupwork
are the most effective means.
Working in groups, thinking together, positive dialectics cultivates mutual
respect, striving for mutually beneficial solutions.
In this way, it supports common mental and emotional well-being from
kindergarten onwards.
Example. School-development (2020 – 2035) workshops –
based on group work process - CoT (photos - Pärnu Adult high
school 2019)

E-S Sarv 2023 18

 Controversies
• Rhetorics sounds “right” <--> deeds might be quite
opposite
• E-environmental diversities, freedom, multi-sources <-->
organisation of knowledge into systems of knowledge
(need for new qualities of personal knowledge
management)
• “Decentralised centralisation” in education, incl a great
part of CPD
• Norming (official and hidden) <--> research and
knowledge based development, dynamic
• Acnowledged need for research and monitoring of CPD
etc <--> increasing lack of finances

• Professional frames (EU, Nation, Local, cultural) <-->

practices, learning environments, excpectations
(teachers/parents/pupils, society)
 Organized thinking activities in teacher education
and CPD, in classroom.
In Western countries
• Brain-storming 1930
A.Osborne
• Think tanks 1945
• Open space - H.Owen 1985
• Edward de Bono
“6 thinking-hats” 1986
• Palo Alto Foresight Institute
1986
• WorldCafe 1995, etc.
Russia Estonia
• Organisational development
bees (ODB, OДИ - Systems
thinking activity games)
G.Štšedrovitski 1979
• Estonian form of ODB 1982
• Rotator and other short forms
1982
• Longitudtional ODB 1979>1987-
1989
• Tsyclotron 2005 (Virtual,
Internet)
• Internet-based ODB 2009
• Virtual Open Development
Vision and Strategy Estonian Education and society 2035

- individual unhindered learning-trajectors and an open

learning spaces /evironments (for institutional and unformal
education and lifelong learning)

Multi-environments, combination of: face-to-face, co-

operative, virtual, research, ... etc.
Integrated, symbiotic, holistic methodology of learning-
teaching (interactive integrated methodology, lecture is
“out”).

E-S Sarv, 2023 21

 Thank You
and
be happy in Your work with Your students,
colleagues, all humanity and our Earth!
 References
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of London)
www.cfbt.com/evidenceforeducation/pdf/Self-evaluationReport_v4(W).pdf

Viive-Riina Ruus, Ene-Silvia Sarv. Educators CPD –

Dilemmas and Challenges. EERA, Cadiz, 2012. (Tallinn University,
Estonia)

E-S Sarv, 2020 23

 Based on
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Ene-Silvia Sarv. 2024. Teacher professionalism in Estonia: The lost paradise of lifelong learning? In: Innovation in Teacher Professional Learning in
Europe. Research, Policy and Practice. Edited by Ken Jones, Giorgio Ostinelli and Alberto Crescentini. Routledge. pp. 40-52 ISBN: 978-1-032-33449-3
(hbk) ISBN: 978-1-032-34526-0 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-32261-0 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003322610

Ene-Silvia Sarv (author, compiler). 2023. Co-thinking - technique or/and art. Introduction to group work and thinking bee methods. Handbook of thinking
bee methods. Publishers: Ene-Silvia Sarv and Talgujad © Tallinn, Tartu, 2016 - 2023 Editors: Katri-Evelin Kont, Valdo Ruttas 427 pages (In Estonian)