Educational Systems Theory

Property: Compactness

Definition:

"Educational system compactness is average number of direct channels in a channel between components." (p.40)

Comments:

Compactness is a measure of the number of channels between components. A large number of direct channels is a system with high compactness. A large number of direct channels implies more connectivity of components within the system. A system with low compactness has a small number of direct channels. A hierarchical system has a small number of direct channels.

Illustration:

Examples:

A school with a shared governance structure in school administration is an example of a compact system. Teachers and staff interact directly with each other to make decisions. Distance between components is low. A low compactness system would be one that is highly hierarchical. This means that the decision-making process would involve many direct channels that build on each other; the distance from one end of a channel to another would be very large.

A hyperlinked multimedia package would be very compact, since a user can jump from one page to another without having to return to a main menu or home page/card. Conversely, a computer program that allows movement from one section to another only by returning to a main menu would be an example of low compactness.

Related Terms:

complexity

efficiency

hierarchical order

regulation

size growth

state determination

toput

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Hypotheses Containing the Property: Compactness

65. If educational system compactness increases, then hierarchical order decreases.

104. If educational system compactness greater than some value increases, then efficiency increases.

138. If educational system toput increases and compactness greater than some value increases, then regulation increases.

139. If educational system toput increases and it is not the case that compactness greater than some value increases, then efficiency decreases.

184. If educational system complexity increases and size growth is constant, then compactness decreases.

191. If educational system efficiency is greater than some value and compactness is greater than some value, then state determination is greater than some value.

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