Requirements
System-Level Barriers
We've stated it elsewhere and we'll say it again. Barriers to learning or performance are not often inherent in the capacities of the learners or workers themselves, but in the design of resources (materials) and the system. Geary Rummler states, if you pit a good performer against a bad system, the system will win every time (2004).
Let's clarify what's part of a system. It seems like we've covered so much already – what could possibly be left?
Often, people don't cite materials, curriculum or instructional strategies as their primary barrier to instituting better practices. Often, people cite system-level barriers. These are the toughest to address if all parts of the system aren't working together.
What's in a System?
Viewing barriers and solutions systemically is emerging as a professional standard – across many professions. What this means is that we recognize there are many moving parts to a whole – and in order to bring about true, deep change, there as to be alignment between all the subsystems. Consider the following visual.
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