Complex Systems and Learning: Empirical Research, Issues, and ‘seeing’ Scientific Knowledge with New Eyes

Abstract

The purpose of this symposium is to move beyond speculations about how knowledge about complex systems might be important for students to understand to focus on empirical research into the learnability of these ideas. For example, do complex systems ideas represent learning challenges that are qualitatively different than learning other scientific knowledge? What are the differences in pre-conceptions students have about complex systems phenomena and more expert scientific ways of thinking in these areas? What are the profiles of successful and less successful ways of learning about complex systems conceptual perspectives? Can complex systems provide conceptual perspectives for cognitively "seeing" physical and social sciences subjects in new and interconnected ways? It is hoped the papers in this session will provide insights into these questions and other theoretical and research issues in the learning sciences.