Guiding Frameworks
Throughout the four modules, your learning will be grounded in a multidimensional framework that centres the four changemaking competencies of empathy, teamwork, shared leadership, and practicing changemaking. Because changemaking is complex, nuanced, and multifaceted, one theoretical framework couldn’t possibly provide the breadth and depth necessary to explain, explore, and enact changemaking. For this reason, we have blended three frameworks throughout the four modules, which also mirrors the Manifesting as a Changemaker model:
- Head, Heart, Hand (Orr, 1992; Sipos et al., 2008)
- I, We, Us
- Thinking, Feeling, Doing
Expanded Head, Heart, and Hand Model
The Head, Heart, and Hand model was first proposed by David Orr (1992) and later expanded upon by Sipos et al. (2008) as a way to understand “the all encompassing nature of transformative experience and ties relational knowing and involvement to the cognitive (Head) and affective (Heart) domains. Additionally, it connects critical reflection with the psychomotor (Hands) and emotional (Heart) domains” (Islam et al., 2022).
Our research, however, revealed additional adjacent layers that we felt naturally partnered with the Head, Heart, and Hand model, which we have woven together to provide the conceptual framing to help us understand and support educators plan for and design teaching and learning opportunities that centre changemaking:
- I, We, Us
- Thinking, Feeling, Doing
We believe that these additional layers of framing complement each other and demonstrate the uniqueness of our research and model. Together, we believe this trio of frameworks works to demonstrate the complicated (and sometimes blurred) intersections of changemaking. These intersecting frameworks will guide you through the four modules as both a learner interested in learning more about practicing changemaking, and an educator eager to inspire the development of the four competencies in your students as you learn to apply the expanded head-heart-hand framework. To learn more about the ways these frameworks overlap and complement each other, click on the image hotspots below.
Overview of Key Changemaking Pedagogies
Before moving onto exploring the various ways you can practice changemaking inside your classroom or learning environment, let’s dive a bit deeper into some of the pedagogical underpinnings that deeply support changemaker mindsets, knowledge, and skills (Fuessel, 2020). Click on each label below to learn more.
Overview of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, all members of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which outlines 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Before moving on, watch the short video from the United Nations outlining all 17 goals.
Universities Canada (UC) and Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) have embarked on a pan-Canadian initiative encouraging post-secondary institutions to sign the SDG Accord to “embed the UN Sustainable Development Goals into our education, research, leadership, operations, administration, and engagement activities” (EAUC, 2024). To date, nearly 300 post-secondary institutions worldwide have joined the SDG Accord, including 48 Canadian Colleges.
Watch this short video from CICan (2022) to learn more about the SDG Accord.
We see changemaking education as inexorably interconnected to both individual and systems change, as an opportunity for real social change that aligns with the UN SDGs. Changemaking education marries the guiding principles of empathy, teamwork, and leadership with the UN SDGs. This interconnection allows educators and learners to engage with learning opportunities that contribute to real social change in their local and global communities. While we will not be covering the specific details of the 17 SDGs in this module, we encourage you to learn more about them using An Introduction to the Sustainable Development Goals (eBook), an open educational resource and self-directed course.
