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Thinking in Levels: A Dynamic Systems Approach to Making Sense of the World

Item

Title
Thinking in Levels: A Dynamic Systems Approach to Making Sense of the World
Abstract/Description
The concept of emergent "levels" (i.e., levels that arise from interactions of objects at lower levels) is fundamental to scientific theory. In this paper, we argue for an expanded role for this concept of levels in science education. We show confusion of levels (and "slippage" between levels) as the source of many of people's deep misunderstandings about patterns and phenomena in the world. These misunderstandings are evidenced not only in students' difficulties in the formal study of science but also in their misconceptions about experiences in their everyday lives. The StarLogo modeling language is designed as a medium for students to build models of multi-leveled phenomena and through these constructions explore the concept of levels. We describe several case studies of students working in StarLogo. The cases illustrate students' difficulties with the concept of levels, and how they can begin to develop richer understandings.
Author/creator
Wilensky, Uri
Resnick, Mitchel
Date
1999
In publication
Journal of Science Education and Technology
Volume
8
Issue
1
Pages
3-19
Resource type
en Background/Context
Medium
en Print
Background/context type
en Conceptual
Keywords
complexity
dynamic systems
levels
mathematics education
modeling
science education
simulation
systems thinking
Open access/free-text available
en Yes
Peer reviewed
en Yes
Language
en
ISSN
1573-1839
DOI
10.1023/A:1009421303064
URL
Official Publisher's Webpage (Springer Link)
Full-text PDF Shared by Author (MIT)
Citation
Wilensky, U., & Resnick, M. (1999). Thinking in Levels: A Dynamic Systems Approach to Making Sense of the World. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 8(1), 3–19. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009421303064
Cited in
The Institution of Schooling
Resource status/form
en Published Text
Scholarship genre
en Theoretical
en Empirical
Abbreviation
Journal of Science Education and Technology
Item sets
Handbook Chapter 4 Citations

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