Olen’s passion for dialogue ignited unexpectedly about a decade ago at a secluded resort in Thailand. In dialogue with artists, travelers and social visionaries, here began his early explorations into the transformative potential of conversation that David Bohm proposed in his work On Dialogue. Following travels in the Caribbean, Asia and Europe where he worked as a freelance fine art photographer and adult educator. After returning to university, Olen worked as program coordinator, lecturer and integral coach at Holma College of Integral Studies (Sweden), playing a central role in helping the college make the transition from holistic to integral studies. His graduate research, which focused on applying and building upon Scharmer’s four fields of conversation within transformative, contemplative and integral education contexts, has been fully funded by both Masters and Doctorate Canadian Graduate Scholarships from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Olen recently completed his PhD in Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver) and is beginning a two year post-doctoral position at Simon Fraser University where he will be researching presencing as a conversational practice for fostering contemplative and transformative forms of inquiry in classrooms. Olen teaches courses in Dialogue Processes as part time faculty at Langara College (Vancouver) as well as Philosophy of Education at UBC. His scholarship in integral theory, presencing and dialogue education have been presented at numerous international conferences and appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Transformative Education, the Journal of Adult and Continuing Education (Scotland), the Journal of Further and Higher Education (UK), Studies in Higher Education (UK) and Integral Review. As co-editor, he recently completed a book on Integral Education (Suny Press) with Dr. Jonathan Reams and Dr. Sean-Esbjorn Hargens, which will be released in the summer of 2010.
Recent Publications include:
- Gunnlaugson, O. (2011). Considerations of Contemplative Approaches to Learning for an Ontological Turn in Higher Education Classrooms. Studies in Higher Education, 36(3).
- Gunnlaugson, O. (in press). Presencing the Way for the Optimal We: Evoking Collective Intelligence in the Classroom. In Dea, W. Integral Education in Action. Integral Books: New York.
- Esbjorn-Hargens, S., Reams, J., Gunnlaugson, O. (Eds.). (2010). Integral Education: New Directions for Higher Learning. 500 pages. Suny Press: New York.
- Gunnlaugson, O. (2010). Re-examining an Integral Approach to Education. In Esbjorn-Hargens, S., Reams, J., Gunnlaugson, O. (Eds.). Integral Education: New Directions for Higher Learning (pp. 245-264). Suny Press: New York.
- Gunnlaugson, O. & Moore, J. (2009). Dialogue Education in the Post-Secondary Classroom: Reflecting on Dialogue Processes from Two Higher Education Settings in North America. Journal of Further and Higher Education. Routledge Publishers (UK). 33(2).
- Gunnlaugson, O. (2009). Establishing Second-Person Forms of Contemplative Education: An Inquiry into Four Conceptions of Intersubjectivity. Integral Review, Arina Press, 4(2), 23-56.
- Gunnlaugson, O. (2008). Metatheoretical Prospects for the Field of Transformative Learning. Journal of Transformative Education, Sage Publications, 6(2), 124-135.
- Gunnlaugson, O. (2007). Revisioning Possibilities for How Groups Learn Together: Venturing an AQAL Model of Generative Dialogue Integral Review, (3)1, 44-58.
- Gunnlaugson, O. (2007). Shedding Light upon the Underlying Forms of Transformative Learning Theory: Introducing Three Distinct Forms of Consciousness, Journal of Transformative Education, Sage Publications (4)2.
- Gunnlaugson, O. (2006). Exploring Generative Dialogue as a Transformative Learning Practice within Adult & Higher Education Settings, Journal of Adult and Continuing Education. Scotland.
- Gunnlaugson, O. (2005). Toward Integrally-Informed Theories of Transformative Learning. Journal of Transformative Education, Sage Publications (3)4, pp. 369-398.
- Gunnlaugson, O. (2004). Towards an Integral Education for the Ecozoic Era. Journal of Transformative Education, Sage Publications. (2)4, pp. 313-335
Recent Conference Proceedings & Presentations include:
- Gunnlaugson, O. (2005). Exploring Generative Dialogue Praxis in Adult & Continuing Education Settings. Annual Conference of International Adult Education [CIAE], Pittsburgh, PA.
- Gunnlaugson, O. (2005). Exploring Generative Dialogue as a Catalyst for Transformative Learning Annual International Transformative Learning Conference at University of Michigan, MI.
- Gunnlaugson, O. (2005) Investigating Transformative Learning Theory through Participatory Action Inquiry. Annual Investigating our Practices Conference at University of British Columbia, BC.
- Gunnlaugson, O. (2004). Changing the way Groups Think Together; Moving from Reflective to Generative Dialogue. Annual Peace Education Conference at Simon Fraser University, BC.
- Gunnlaugson, O. (2003). A Case Study in transforming the Glocal Learning Community of Holma College of Integral Studies (Sweden). International Learning and the World We Want Conference University of Victoria, BC.
Online Courses Taught:
CRCRTH616 Dialogue Processes
