Dancing with swarms: eco-centered psychological facilitation and the future of learning

Pavlo Lushyn, Yana Sukhenko

Abstract


This paper explores the convergence between swarm intelligence principles, stigmergic coordination, and Eco-Centered Psychological Facilitation (ECPF) as a transformative framework for reimagining education and psychology in the posthuman age. Drawing on recent research in collective intelligence, distributed cognition, stigmergic coordination, and AI-mediated learning environments, it argues that psychological and educational facilitation should be reconceptualized as ecological tuning—the artful creation of rhythmic, spatial, and relational conditions that enable emergent self-organization through environmental traces. The concept of stigmergy—coordination through traces left in the environment—provides a concrete mechanism for understanding how collective intelligence emerges in educational settings. Through an integration of insights from complexity science, urban morphogenesis, posthumanist philosophy, and ethical AI frameworks, this study outlines comprehensive design principles for hybrid human-AI learning environments where participants actively "stigmergize" meaning through iterative trace-making. It proposes an ecological ethics of minimal intervention combined with metacommunicative awareness as the foundation for psychological and educational transformation, positioning the facilitator as a conductor of temporal rhythms, keeper of stigmergic traces, and cultivator of collective reflexivity. The implications extend beyond traditional pedagogical boundaries, suggesting new possibilities for understanding human development, collective intelligence, and the co-evolution of human and artificial cognitive systems in educational contexts through the lens of stigmergic self-organization.


Keywords


swarm intelligence; Eco-Centered Psychological Facilitation (ECPF); stigmergy; stigmergic coordination; AI in education; distributed cognition; posthumanism; collective intelligence; hybrid learning environments; emergent self-organization; ecological tun

Full Text:

PDF

References


REFERENCES / СПИСОК ВИКОРИСТАНИХ ДЖЕРЕЛ

C. Hasse, «Posthuman learning: AI from novice to expert?», AI & Society, vol. 34, pp. 355–364, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-018-0854-4

P. Atchley, Н. Pannell, К. Wofford et al., «Human and AI collaboration in the higher education environment: opportunities and concerns», Cognitive Research: Principls and Implications, vol. 9, art. 20, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-024-00547-9

P. P. Grassé, «La reconstruction du nid et les coordinations interindividuelles chez Bellicositermes natalensis et Cubitermes sp.», Insectes Sociaux, vol. 6, рр. 41–80, 1959. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02223791

F. Heylighen, «Stigmergy as a universal coordination mechanism I: Definition and components», Cognitive Systems Research, vol. 38, рр. 4–13, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsys.2015.12.002

R. Braidotti, The Posthuman. Polity Press. 2013. [Online]. Available: https://ageingcompanions.constantvzw.org/books/The_Posthuman_-_Rosi_Braidotti.pdf Application date: September 05, 2025.

R. Braidotti, Posthuman Knowledge. Polity Press. 2019.

Z. Wang, &, C. Wang, «A posthumanist approach to AI literacy», Computers and Composition, vol. 76, рр. 102933, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compcom.2025.102933

P. Lushyn, «The paradoxical nature of ecofacilitation in the community of inquiry», Analytic Teaching, vol. 24, № 2, рр. 110–115, 2004 [Online]. Available: https://journal.viterbo.edu/index.php/at/article/view/808 Application date: September 05, 2025.

P. V. Lushyn, Ecological assistance to the individual in a transitional period: Еcofacilitation. Kyiv, Ukraine : "Oriyana", 2013. (Series "Living Book"; vol. 2).

P. V. Lushyn &, Y. V. Sukhenko, «Transforming education: navigating the human-AI ecosystem in psychological training and beyond», In: 5th International Conference on Sustainable Futures: Environmental, Technological, Social and Economic Matters (ICSF). 2024. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1415/1/012011

P. Lushyn, &, Y. Sukhenko, «Metacommunications and artificial intelligence: The ECPF approach for international management», Organizational psychology. Economic psychology, vol. 35(2), рр. 161–173, 2025. https://doi.org/10.31108/2.2025.2.35.15

E. Bonabeau, M. Dorigo, &, G. Theraulaz, Swarm Intelligence: From Natural to Artificial Systems. Oxford University Press, 1999. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195131581.001.0001

D. M. Gordon, Ant Encounters: Interaction Networks and Colony Behavior. Princeton University Press, 2010.

А. Aceves-Fernández, (Ed.). Swarm Intelligence – Recent Advances and Current Applications. IntechOpen, 2023. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.100661

М. Batty, Building a science of cities. Cities, 29, 2012. [Online]. Available: https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:263788321 Application date: September 05, 2025.

S. Westby, &, C. Riedl, «Collective intelligence in human-AI teams: A Bayesian theory of mind approach», аrXiv preprint arXiv: 2208.11660, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.11660 Application date: September 05, 2025.

A. W. Woolley, C. F. Chabris, A. Pentland, N. Hashmi, &, T. W. Malone, «Evidence for a collective intelligence factor in the performance of human groups», Science, vol. 330, is. 6004, рр. 686–688, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1193147

M. Bearman, &, R. Ajjawi, «Learning to work with the black box: Pedagogy for a world with artificial intelligence», British Journal of Educational Technology, vol. 54, is. 5, pp. 1160–1173, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13337

Z. Boussouf, H. Amrani, М. Zerhouni Khal, &, F. Daidai, «Artificial intelligence in education: A systematic literature review», Data and Metadata, vol. 3, р. 288, 2024. https://doi.org/10.56294/dm2024288

К. Barad, «Posthumanist performativity: Toward an understanding of how matter comes to matter», Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, vol. 28, is. 3, рр. 801–831, 2003. https://doi.org/10.1086/345321

S. K. Burriss, &, K. Leander, «Critical posthumanist literacy: Building theory for reading, writing, and living ethically with everyday artificial intelligence», Reading Research Quarterly, vol. 59, is. 5, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.565

О. Al-Omari, & Т. Al-Omari, «Artificial Intelligence and Posthumanism: A Philosophical Inquiry into Consciousness, Ethics, and Human Identity», Journal of Posthumanism, vol. 5, is. 2, рр. 458–469, 2025. https://doi.org/10.63332/joph.v5i2.432

D. Yan, «Posthuman Creativity: Unveiling Cyborg Subjectivity Through ChatGPT», Qualitative Inquiry, vol. 31, is. 2, рр. 253–264, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778004241231923

С. А. Taylor, & А. Bayley (Eds.). Posthumanism and higher education: Reimagining pedagogy, practice and research. Palgrave Macmillan, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14672-6

R. Nath, &, V. Sahu, «The problem of machine ethics in artificial intelligence», AI & Society, vol. 35, рр. 103–111, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-017-0768-6

E. Hutchins, Cognition in the Wild. MIT Press, 1995.

S. Wang, F. Wang, Z. Zhu, J. Wang, T. Tran, &, Z. Du, «Artificial intelligence in education: A systematic literature review», Expert Systems with Applications, 252 (рart A), рр. 124167, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2024.124167

R. K. Sawyer, Group creativity: Music, theater, collaboration. New York: Psychology Press, 2003. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410609090

М. Lipman, Thinking in Education (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press, 2003. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511840272

TRANSLATED AND TRANSLITERATED / ПЕРЕКЛАД, ТРАНСЛІТЕРАЦІЯ

C. Hasse, «Posthuman learning: AI from novice to expert?», AI & Society, vol. 34, pp. 355–364, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-018-0854-4 (in English).

P. Atchley, Н. Pannell, К. Wofford et al., «Human and AI collaboration in the higher education environment: opportunities and concerns», Cognitive Research: Principls and Implications, vol. 9, art. 20, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-024-00547-9 (in English).

P. P. Grassé, «La reconstruction du nid et les coordinations interindividuelles chez Bellicositermes natalensis et Cubitermes sp.», Insectes Sociaux, vol. 6, рр. 41–80, 1959. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02223791 (in English).

F. Heylighen, «Stigmergy as a universal coordination mechanism I: Definition and components», Cognitive Systems Research, vol. 38, рр. 4–13, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsys.2015.12.002 (in English).

R. Braidotti, The Posthuman. Polity Press. 2013. [Online]. Available: https://ageingcompanions.constantvzw.org/books/The_Posthuman_-_Rosi_Braidotti.pdf Application date: September 05, 2025. (in English).

R. Braidotti, Posthuman Knowledge. Polity Press. 2019. (in English).

Z. Wang, &, C. Wang, «A posthumanist approach to AI literacy», Computers and Composition, vol. 76, рр. 102933, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compcom.2025.102933 (in English).

P. Lushyn, «The paradoxical nature of ecofacilitation in the community of inquiry», Analytic Teaching, vol. 24, № 2, рр. 110–115, 2004. vol. 24, № 2, рр. 12–17, 2002 [Online]. Available: https://journal.viterbo.edu/index.php/at/article/view/808 Application date: September 05, 2025. (in English).

P. V. Lushyn, Ecological assistance to the individual in a transitional period: Еcofacilitation. Kyiv, Ukraine : "Oriyana", 2013. (Series "Living Book"; vol. 2). (in English).

P. V. Lushyn &, Y. V. Sukhenko, «Transforming education: navigating the human-AI ecosystem in psychological training and beyond», In: 5th International Conference on Sustainable Futures: Environmental, Technological, Social and Economic Matters (ICSF). 2024. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1415/1/012011 (in English).

P. Lushyn, &, Y. Sukhenko, «Metacommunications and artificial intelligence: The ECPF approach for international management», Organizational psychology. Economic psychology, vol. 35(2), рр. 161–173, 2025. https://doi.org/10.31108/2.2025.2.35.15 (in English).

E. Bonabeau, M. Dorigo, &, G. Theraulaz, Swarm Intelligence: From Natural to Artificial Systems. Oxford University Press, 1999. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195131581.001.0001 (in English).

D. M. Gordon, Ant Encounters: Interaction Networks and Colony Behavior. Princeton University Press, 2010. (in English).

А. Aceves-Fernández, (Ed.). Swarm Intelligence – Recent Advances and Current Applications. IntechOpen, 2023. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.100661 (in English).

М. Batty, Building a science of cities. Cities, 29, 2012. [Online]. Available: https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:263788321 Application date: September 05, 2025. (in English).

S. Westby, &, C. Riedl, «Collective intelligence in human-AI teams: A Bayesian theory of mind approach», аrXiv preprint arXiv: 2208.11660, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.11660 Application date: September 05, 2025. (in English).

A. W. Woolley, C. F. Chabris, A. Pentland, N. Hashmi, &, T. W. Malone, «Evidence for a collective intelligence factor in the performance of human groups», Science, vol. 330, is. 6004, рр. 686–688, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1193147 (in English).

M. Bearman, &, R. Ajjawi, «Learning to work with the black box: Pedagogy for a world with artificial intelligence», British Journal of Educational Technology, vol. 54, is. 5, pp. 1160–1173, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13337 (in English).

Z. Boussouf, H. Amrani, М. Zerhouni Khal, &, F. Daidai, «Artificial intelligence in education: A systematic literature review», Data and Metadata, vol. 3, р. 288, 2024. https://doi.org/10.56294/dm2024288 (in English).

К. Barad, «Posthumanist performativity: Toward an understanding of how matter comes to matter», Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, vol. 28, is. 3, рр. 801–831, 2003. https://doi.org/10.1086/345321 (in English).

S. K. Burriss, &, K. Leander, «Critical posthumanist literacy: Building theory for reading, writing, and living ethically with everyday artificial intelligence», Reading Research Quarterly, vol. 59, is. 5, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.565 (in English).

О. Al-Omari, & Т. Al-Omari, «Artificial Intelligence and Posthumanism: A Philosophical Inquiry into Consciousness, Ethics, and Human Identity», Journal of Posthumanism, vol. 5, is. 2, рр. 458–469, 2025. https://doi.org/10.63332/joph.v5i2.432 (in English).

D. Yan, «Posthuman Creativity: Unveiling Cyborg Subjectivity Through ChatGPT», Qualitative Inquiry, vol. 31, is. 2, рр. 253–264, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778004241231923 (in English).

С. А. Taylor, & А. Bayley (Eds.). Posthumanism and higher education: Reimagining pedagogy, practice and research. Palgrave Macmillan, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14672-6 (in English).

R. Nath, &, V. Sahu, «The problem of machine ethics in artificial intelligence», AI & Society, vol. 35, рр. 103–111, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-017-0768-6 (in English).

E. Hutchins, Cognition in the Wild. MIT Press, 1995. (in English).

S. Wang, F. Wang, Z. Zhu, J. Wang, T. Tran, &, Z. Du, «Artificial intelligence in education: A systematic literature review», Expert Systems with Applications, 252 (рart A), рр. 124167, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2024.124167 (in English).

R. K. Sawyer, Group creativity: Music, theater, collaboration. New York: Psychology Press, 2003. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410609090 (in English).

М. Lipman, Thinking in Education (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press, 2003. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511840272 (in English).


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.