6: Exploring Complex Learning Systems Through the Plays of William Shakespeare: Reconceptualizing The “South” As An Afro-Franco-Creole Space

I believe we are currently in the midst of a conceptual shift (Davis & Sumara, 2001) in our understanding of learning. A lot has been written about how educators are approaching and comprehending this shift, and one of the primary frameworks emerging from these discourses is the movement from an instruction-based paradigm to a learning-based paradigm (Barr & Tagg, 1995; Freire, 2000; Hua, 2012; Jörg, Davis, & Nickmans, 2007; Sfard, 1998; Weick, 1976). Sfard (1998) described this shift in terms of her acquisition and participation metaphors; Freire (2000) talked about the shift in his banking- and problem-posing models of learning; and finally, Hua (2012) referred to the shift in his teaching and listening pedagogies. Regardless of the language used to frame these ideas, the overarching theme in this educational movement is concerned with transforming the way society perceives and understands our current learning systems.