Education's Ecosystems: Learning Through Life (review)

Human nature exists and operates in an environment. And it is not "in" that environment as coins are in a box, but as a plant is in the sunlight and soil.

—John Dewey, Human Nature and Conduct (1922)

Education's Ecosystems: Learning Through Life by Bertram C. Bruce examines the process of education in human systems with illustrating lessons from the natural world. By contrasting pedagogical practices with our understanding of the interrelationship of organisms within a biosphere, Education's Ecosystems reminds readers of the importance of community and connections in the interpretation and replication of knowledge. In this age of COVID-19, the isolation so many people have experienced due to work-from-home mandates reinforces the message of the book. Just as basic biological life forms require interaction with a network of other organisms to survive, our existence is grounded in similar principles. Conversely, the continuation of long-term separation from the nurture and support of personal ecosystems is detrimental to our overall health and well-being. Applying the lessons from this experience, the book questions why society, after centuries of examples of alternative options aligned with natural learning processes, continues to provide children with educational experiences, both in subject matter and location, divorced from their lived realities. Dewey argued this point throughout his career, and yet his wisdom on this matter continues to be sidelined by educational policy fixated on standardization, student output, and preparation for the workforce. Education's Ecosystems provides a much-needed reminder of the importance of attending to the needs of the whole child while using the natural world as our framework for improving practices.

Anchoring this approach is the author's proposed ecosystems learning framework (ELF), which he deftly explains in the opening chapter. Key characteristics of this framework include understanding diversity in ways people learn, the importance of networking, the identification of emergent properties by considering a child's full experience, constructing learning niches, and the interpretation of learning ecosystems. It serves as a tool for a wide range of educational systems to employ when evaluating the curriculum in all of its forms. Bruce further expands on the purpose of the framework: "The ELF essentially provides a schema for thinking about an educational situation, some questions to ask, and the starting point for assessing or improving that situation. It is not intended to yield a quantitative measure or a step-by-step remedy for problems" (8). The benefits of using this approach with children is described in following chapters through the use of biological mechanisms, personal and historical narratives, and community exemplars.

Chapter 2 revisits biological concepts to establish the foundation for understanding the intricate yet delicate nature of an ecosystem. This overview of the life sciences and the diversity of the biosphere serves as an analog to the unique systems involved in the education of children. Bridging these disciplinary parallels, chapter 3 revisits the purpose of education and challenges the contemporary standard view of creating learning experiences in artificial settings disconnected from lived experiences. Using the philosophical contributions of Confucius, Gandhi, and Dewey, the chapter strongly questions current educational policy choices and schooling practices that diverge from holistic and natural learning experiences. Highlighting this disconnect between practices and the need to nurture and foster a child's ecosystem is not a new concern, but the discussion in this chapter skillfully explains these issues in a fresh light.

Subsequent chapters (4–8) further explore the five components of the ELF (diversity, networking, emergence, construction, and interpretation) in greater detail and provide a strong argument for realigning schooling with a child's life in a specific community. As a means of underscoring the characteristics of a particular ELF component, each chapter opens with a demonstration of the diverse and intricate relationships organisms balance to connect, interpret, and survive in the world. Individual chapters proceed by illuminating the role of each component through engaging narrative and helpful, albeit brief, real-world exemplars. In fact, several examples of successful educational ecosystems merited a longer exposition due to their unique characteristics and pedagogical approaches. These...