Educational Systems Theory

Property: Flexibility

Definition:

"Educational system flexibility is different subgroups of components through which there is a channel between two components with respect to affect relations." (p.39)

Comments:

A flexible system contains many connections between components, so much so that the removal of one component does not equal collapse of system connections.

Illustration:

Examples:

A classroom in which the teacher is the source of instruction, knowledge and guidance is a system of low flexibility. If the teacher were removed, connections to components would be removed. There is little connection between students and other teaching/informational components, possibly teacher aides, computer-based instructional software, or another (team) teacher.

The Internet is a high flexibility system. Internet components (information sources, browsing tools, and hardware support nodes) are widely dispersed and can be accessed from many different places and in many different ways. If one computer subsystem or network were removed from the larger Internet system, the larger system would still be able to function adequately.

Related Terms:

complete connectedness

complexity growth

hierarchical order

size

state determination

strongness increases

vulnerability

weakness

---

Hypotheses Containing the Property: Flexibility

53. If educational system complete connectedness increases, then flexibility increases.

56. If educational system strongness increases, then flexibility increases.

64. If educational system hierarchical order increases, then vulnerability increases and flexibility decreases.

114. If educational system weakness and hierarchical order, then flexibility decreases.

165. If educational system flexibility decreases, then state determination increases.

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

Go to SIGGS Home Page.