Abstract

In the face of rapid global transformations, higher education and professional learning increasingly demand approaches that transcend linear teacher–learner models. REFLACT (reflect + act) is an interdisciplinary and systemic framework that integrates action and reflection into dynamic teaching-learning experiences. Rooted in systems theory, constructivism, cybernetics, organisational psychology, and learning organisation theory, REFLACT views learning as a co-created, relational process. Rather than positioning educators as transmitters of knowledge, REFLACT invites dialogue, collective sense-making, and embodied reflection. This paper develops the REFLACT approach in greater detail. It begins by contextualising the need for systemic and constructivist frameworks in higher education and lifelong learning, contrasting linear models of instruction with systemic paradigms that recognise uncertainty, interaction, and co-authorship. It then explores the theoretical foundations of REFLACT, drawing on systemic traditions from Heinz von Foerster, Paul Watzlawick, Steve de Shazer, and Peter Senge. The core of the paper presents the REFLACT Hoop, a choreography of nine iterative stages. Workshop experiences at academic and professional conferences—including the Paris Conference on Education 2025, the International Education Conference 2025, and the TURN Conference—illustrate how the framework is applied in practice. Finally, the paper emphasises REFLACT’s multidisciplinarity. While designed for higher education, the framework has proven effective across diverse fields, including systemic coaching, leadership development, organisational learning, and interdisciplinary research collaborations. It enables faculty, practitioners, and learners to deal with complexity through processes that foster trust, motivation, and adaptability. We argue that REFLACT represents a paradigm shift towards participatory and systemic approaches to learning. Its combination of reflection and action provides a generative mindset that can be flexibly adapted across cultures and disciplines. This paper concludes with recommendations for educators, institutions, and researchers interested in advancing interdisciplinary and multidimensional learning in times of transformation.