Complexity studies course: thinking skills for wicked problems

The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Centre for Extra-Mural Studies (EMS) has launched a certified online postgraduate course that not only teaches integrated systems sciences, but also applies this learning to the context of its delivery. The course, Applied Complexity Science, also incorporates elements of artificial intelligence (AI) in its content and cutting-edge design.

The self-learning course is convened by Dr Fuad Udemans, who has a PhD in Complexity Science from the UCT Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB). The cutting-edge course presents a new way of learning and is part of the innovation culture linked to UCT’s Vision 2030 and its mission of unleashing human potential.

What is complexity science?

Complexity science, or systemic sciences, offers a scientific framework to understand and manage different system types, such as simple systems (one that has a single path to a single answer), complex systems (composed of many components that interact, such as global climate or a living cell), or chaotic systems (like the weather). Complexity studies focus on underlying patterns, interconnectedness, constant feedback loops, repetition, and self-organisation.

“People have been trained to immediately reduce complexity to predictability and accuracy, part of our Newtonian heritage or mechanistic worldview.”

However, people have been trained to immediately reduce complexity to predictability and accuracy, part of our Newtonian heritage or mechanistic worldview, said Dr Udemans.

“This is where the term ‘reductionism’ comes from, as we tend to reduce all things under study to their smallest components (the atomistic universe). We then study these parts in isolation or in a vacuum (or ideal state), to develop our theories and paradigms.”

But some problems, such as those known as wicked, messy or fluid problems, require taming strategies or partial answers as opposed to solutions.

“In a social or cultural context, these are problems that are difficult to explain and inherently impossible to solve,” said Udemans. “These complex systems also operate within societies, creating ‘nested problems’, situations with elements that can be solved, and those that cannot. These require different ways of thinking and management: new tools to better manage the networked nature of the universe and any system in flux.”

Transdisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity are key. Udemans cites the example of town planning.

“You can assemble the best minds in town planning: experts on transport, mobility and economics, the built environment, who operate in their very specific, rich domains. Human beings are exceptionally good at that. But they can’t speak to each other; no transdisciplinarity, and limited interdisciplinarity. So how do we get together to engage as a community working on a project? It’s challenging, because it’s so far from our classic way of working; yet very needed in modern society.”

The course has been structured to address this.

“The course content is niche-created and builds the transdisciplinary skills set needed to solve modern, nested problems and help humanity function in an interlocked, heterogenous, networked society,” said Udemans.

“The course content is curated to help users to recognise systemic disharmony and to build appreciative tolerance, to cope [with] and resolve conflict arising from socio-economic disharmony; in other words, the many types of divisions and separations in society.

“It supports the global movement demanding true equity, empathy and socio-ecological integration through systemic thought and action.

“It recognises the importance of transdisciplinarity, where several disciplines interact as a whole by making boundaries disappear.”

“Rare and new skills, like transdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity, are being widely promoted by multilateral organisations and foreign governments.

“We have dedicated decades of research to building tools to nurture and grow systemic skills and talents, as these are critically linked to better deal with uncertainty, coupled to varied and multiple constraints affecting people and society. These problem contexts are called wicked, messy or fluid problems, requiring taming strategies as opposed to solutions.”

At its core, complexity science supports an education reform (away from a mechanistic culture) by educating new generations who are acutely aware of intractable global socio-ecological problems.

“It empowers people – and organisations – to face global and community problems collaboratively, working with and not against community and environment. A consequence of this shift is to transition from teaching theories to teaching methodologies.”

He added, “It recognises the importance of transdisciplinarity, where several disciplines interact as a whole by making boundaries disappear.”

Niche areas

The course is built around 18 niche research areas or decks. These are: AI, cartography, chaos theory, cognition, complexity, cosmology, design, ecology, evolutionary biology, economics, futures and strategic planning, linguistics, management science, network theory, philosophy, quantum mechanics, sociology and system science.

Students can decide which to do when and can swap between modules, which aids recall and integration.

The course contains many insightful areas across the niche domains, said Udemans; for example, how cosmology impacts our belief systems; how evolutionary biology reveals the dynamics of predator–prey landscapes; and how we can learn from these areas to better manage societies and promote equality.

Importantly, the course teaches systemic methodologies, empowering individuals to use and construct their own methodologies (called plural models). This links to the course’s action-experimentation orientation.

“All of the decks are important, as they support transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary outcomes that enable life-long learning and development,” Udemans noted.

Innovative features

Several innovative features have been built into the delivery methods, which challenge traditional models. First, the platform has spaced practice (spacing study over time); retrieval practice (bringing information to mind); elaboration (explaining and describing concepts); interleaving (switching between research areas or decks); concrete examples (practice and illustration); and dual coding (combining words and images).

AI-related features have been embedded in the course, as these model neural networks and help participants learn, and allow them to interpret information in their own context.

“The course is empowering, as it nurtures transdisciplinarity, while also holistic – in other words, empathetic to all life, not only human life.”

“Our brains are designed to respond almost 80% faster to images or pictures; so we’ve added many pictures in the coursework. Another is rewards: as students select the answers, they immediately have input on the screen, so there’s a cognitive reward that keeps you interested. The third is that it promotes interleaving.”

Udemans hopes the course will expose as many people as possible to the systemic body of knowledge, and to the new ways of thinking that are urgently needed to manage wicked problems and reduce the need for predictability and certainty.

“The course is empowering, as it nurtures transdisciplinarity, while also holistic – in other words, empathetic to all life, not only human life.”

It’s essential that those in positions of power across governments and business learn and acquire new, relevant thinking tools, he said.

“My big concern is that our best minds and scientists are quiet – not because they do not wish to speak, but because they appreciate how little they know. Contrast this position with leadership across corporations, governments and social media platforms, who willingly impart their pearls of wisdom or codified life hacks, impacting [the future of] our planet.

“We really need to make scientific tools more accessible to these laypersons.”

Of the decision to host this course in the centre, EMS head, Dr Medeé Rall said, “This new offering by EMS, situated in the Development and Alumni Department, fits our focus and strategic reorientation. The centre has undergone its own Futures Think Tank process with futurist Abbas Jamie, the founder of The Innovation Mentor, specialising in futures and innovation strategy, to define our massive transformational purpose. This will realign the centre with UCT’s Vision 2030 and its mandate of unleashing human potential.”