Educational Systems Theory

Property: Complexity Growth

Definition:

Educational system complexity growth is increase in the number of connections within the system. (p. 63)

Comments:

When the system experiences an increase in the number of connections between components within the system then complexity growth has occured. In this case, connections can be thought of as interactions which occur between parts of the system.

Illustrations:

Examples:

Complexity Growth occurs when the connections between components within a system are increased. In this example, the teacher has implemented a new teaching technique known as cooperative learning, in which students in the classroom work together on various learning activities. Before cooperative learning, the teacher interacts in a one way conversation with some of the students in the classroom, as indicated in figure one. After cooperative learning has been implemented the teacher not only interacts with all of the students in the class but the students interact with each other as well. This increase in interactions or complexity growth is demonstrated in figure two.

Related Terms:

interdependence

size

vulnerability

flexibility

centrality

state determinacy

toput

feedin

feedout

feedthrough

feedback

regulation

compatibility

efficiency

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Hypotheses Containing the Property: Complexity Growth

#63. If educational system interdependence increases, then complexity growth increases.

#167. If educational system complexity greater than some value increases, then size increases.

#179. If educational system size increases and complexity growth is constant, then vulnerability increases.

#180. If educational system size increases and complexity growth is constant, then flexibility decreases.

#181. If educational system size increases and complexity growth is constant, then centrality decreases.

#188. If educational system size increases and complexity growth is constant, then state determinacy increases.

#194. If educational system size increases and complexity growth is constant, then toput increases.

#195. If educational system size increases and complexity growth is constant, then feedin decreases.

#196. If educational system size increases and complexity growth is constant, then feedout increases and change in feedout decreases.

#197. If educational system size increases and complexity growth is constant, then feedthrough increases.

#198. If educational system size increases and complexity growth is constant, then feedback decreases.

#199. If educational system size increases and complexity growth is constant, then regulation increases to some value and then decreases.

#200. If educational system size increases and complexity growth is constant, then compatibility decreases.

#201. If educational system size increases and complexity growth is constant, then efficiency increases to some value and then decreases.

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