English

The complexity paradox: An analysis of modeling education through the lens of complexity science

Software Engineering 2023-08-29 v1

Abstract

Modeling seeks to tame complexity during software development, by supporting design, analysis, and stakeholder communication. Paradoxically, experiences made by educators indicate that students often perceive modeling as adding complexity, instead of reducing it. In this position paper, I analyse modeling education from the lens of complexity science, a theoretical framework for the study of complex systems. I revisit pedagogical literature where complexity science has been used as a framework for general education and subject-specific education in disciplines such as medicine, project management, and sustainability. I revisit complexity-related challenges from modeling education literature, discuss them in the light of complexity and present recommendations for taming complexity when teaching modeling.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2308.13809,
  title  = {The complexity paradox: An analysis of modeling education through the lens of complexity science},
  author = {Daniel Strüber},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2308.13809},
  year   = {2023}
}

Comments

5 pages; accepted for publication at the IEEE/ACM International Conference on Modeling Driven Engineering Languages and Systems (MODELS), Educators Symposium