Complex Systems Theory

For the past two weeks I have been taking a class focusing on advanced instructional strategies. We discussed different educational philosophers including Dewey, Piaget, and bell hooks, we analyzed the pros and cons of constructivist education, and we looked at different pedagogical foundations based on Montessori, Steiner, and Waldorf. Additionally, we were asked to read Tom Wessels book, The Myth of Progress, in order to learn about complex systems theory.

A complex system, as explained by Wessels, is any system that feeds back on itself. It is involved in a cyclical process that uses energy efficiently, wasting as little as possible. Enmeshed in this theory are branching ideas such as entropy, self-organization, nestedness, emergent behaviors, and co-evolution. The purpose of learning about this theory is to recognize the interconnectedness of ecosystems and help students understand the "big picture" behind natural, as well as human-created systems.

For example, the idea of emergent behaviors states that unpredictable events may happen when elements of an ecosystem are changed. In Australia, adding toads to the ecosystem produced an emergent behavior that resulted in the explosion of the toad population. This was an unpredicted result of a human action. Self-organization follows the theory that organisms in nature will organize themselves as to minimize competition and increase chances of survival. The ungulate population in Jackson Hole (elk, moose, antelope, deer, bison, etc) feed in different areas at different times of the year and might migrate in the winter to increase their supply of food and decrease competition. Nestedness is the idea that organisms are embedded in different elements of a system; they have a specific niche. For example, I am part of a family, but also part of a group of friends. I am a graduate student at Teton Science School yet I am also a teacher. Organisms exist in different circles as well - at times they are predator and at times prey. They can destroy a group of willow trees but will feed the earth when they die.

These ideas are heady and take some careful thought but the book is wonderful. However, what do complex systems have to do with teaching and education? Well, many of these elements can be used to explain why human behavior is not sustainable and is not creating a healthy complex system. Many of our actions are linear transactions. When we are buy a new ipod we throw the old one away, when we get new sneakers, the old pair goes into the garbage. We have not created a self-organizing system. Additionally, this theory explains why climate change is such a large problem.

In a complex system, energy is being given off and then reused in different forms. For example, a tree that is in an entropic state is losing more energy than it is gaining. Eventually this tree will decompose and its nutrients will return to the ground to provide energy for another organism. In our system, we are releasing carbon dioxide in large quantities and that energy is not being reused. In fact, it remains in our atmosphere where it is causing emergent (unpredictable) effects on a large scale.

I am still wrapping my mind around these issues and theories however it is important for students to understand the complexity of natural ecosystems and the way in which humans affect the natural rhythms of these natural spaces. Our final assignment for this class is to come up with a two-day lesson plan that will allow students who come to Teton Science School to access this material. I am basing my lessons around the concept of sustainability and the lessons humans can learn from the natural systems around them. I will be using these lessons to teach the 8th graders from Tongue River, WY who will be coming in two weeks. I look forward to seeing how students process this information.