Creative platforms for social learning in ICM: the Watershed Talk project

Abstract

Watershed Talk was an action research project within the Motueka-based integrated catchment management research programme. It explored processes of dialogue between catchment residents, scientists and resource managers, and examined how design of creative processes can shift people's understanding and develop their capacity to address the complex environmental issues that they face. The project was highly reflective, and examined the potential transformative power of constructive conversation and the means by which social learning platforms can affect the legacy of skills, knowledge and enthusiasm for action amongst participants. Three important elements for the design of platforms for social learning were identified: (1) the value of using principles to guide process design; (2) the potential outcomes from using creative approaches to generate dialogue; and (3) the importance of integrating evaluation and reflection into platform design to both manage the platform and to help cement new learning amongst participants. This paper outlines the fundamental aspects of the Watershed Talk platform design, its implementation, and conclusions drawn from evaluation of the experience.

Keywords:

• complex problem solving
• social learning platforms
• integrated catchment management
• dialogue
• community resilience
• public engagement

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the generous contribution of time, energy and creativity of all the Watershed Talk project participants. Work on this paper has been enabled by the New Zealand FRST-funded Integrated Catchment Management research programme under contract C09X0305.

Notes

1. This special issue of the New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research focuses on different aspects of the Motueka ICM research programme. For detail about the programme, see Fenemor et al. (2011), this issue.

2. Tāngata whenua is a Māori term literally meaning ‘people of the land’ used to refer to local tribes with standing in the area.