Competence Modelling From the Perspective of Complex Systems Theories: A Systematic Literature Review

Pedagogika Vol. 156 No. 4

This article aims to investigate how the notion of competence is conceptualised and modelled from the point of view of complex systems theories. Although the importance of competences and competency-based education is widely acknowledged, the concept of competence keeps evolving and it remains difficult to define it in today’s constantly changing and uncertain VUCA world. Therefore, this study explores how the approach of complex systems, which is increasingly more often applied in educational research, can contribute to the definition of competence. The article presents a systematic review of 21 articles published in various databases in 2000-2023, revealing that from the perspective of complex systems, competence can be conceptualised both at the individual level and at the level of the whole system or organisation; it can follow a functionalist or contextual approach. Based on the research findings, it is assumed that in certain cases competence can be treated as emergence or even as an entire complex system, characterised by such properties as non-linearity, chaos, emergence, feedback loops, etc. Finally, this article reviews the variety of complexity-informed mathematical/computational and theoretical models utilised in the reviewed studies, the application of which opens up new avenues in overall educational research.

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Liad Mudrik, Melanie Boly, Stanislas Dehaene, Stephen M. Fleming, Victor Lamme, Anil Seth, Lucia Melloni

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

As the field of consciousness science matures, the research agenda has expanded from an initial focus on the neural correlates of consciousness, to developing and testing theories of consciousness. Several theories have been put forward, each aiming to elucidate the relationship between consciousness and brain function. However, there is an ongoing, intense debate regarding whether these theories examine the same phenomenon. And, despite ongoing research efforts, it seems like the field has so far failed to converge around any single theory, and instead exhibits significant polarization. To advance this discussion, proponents of five prominent theories of consciousness—Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT), Higher-Order Theories (HOT), Integrated Information Theory (IIT), Recurrent Processing Theory (RPT), and Predictive Processing (PP)—engaged in a public debate in 2022, as part of the annual meeting of the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness (ASSC). They were invited to clarify the explananda of their theories, articulate the core mechanisms underpinning the corresponding explanations, and outline their foundational premises. This was followed by an open discussion that delved into the testability of these theories, potential evidence that could refute them, and areas of consensus and disagreement. Most importantly, the debate demonstrated that at this stage, there is more controversy than agreement between the theories, pertaining to the most basic questions of what consciousness is, how to identify conscious states, and what is required from any theory of consciousness. Addressing these core questions is crucial for advancing the field towards a deeper understanding and comparison of competing theories.

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Anabele-Linda Pardi & Elizaveta Burina 

Scientific Reports volume 14, Article number: 10590 (2024)

In the contemporary context of an acute need for sustainability and swift response to imminent crises such as global warming, pandemics and economic system disruptions, the focus on responsible decision making, ethical risk assessment and mitigation at all organizational levels is an overarching goal. Our aim is to introduce a deterministic method for investigating the stability of complex systems, in order to find the most important elements of such systems and their impact on different scenarios. The novelty of the current approach lies in its compact format and intuitive nature, designed to accommodate a limited amount of computational resources. The proposed modelling method involves the mapping of complex systems from a diversity of disciplines (economic markets, resource management domain and the community impact of suburbanisation) onto a sequence of chemical reactions and involving a subsequent mathematical analysis. Mapping the results back onto the use cases shows that one can retrieve a considerable amount of detail, making the modelling strategy general enough to be adaptable and scalable while also detailed enough to provide valuable insights for practical scenarios.

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