| The sciences of complex adaptive systems describe a universe of variability and transformation. The centrality of the role of information, information exchange, and information management across networks of nonlinear interaction provides a key to understanding the regularities of dynamic change in these systems.;Drawing from contemporary theory in biology and physics, the role of information in the networked structures of complex adaptive systems points towards a common source for the patterns of transformation in complex systems. This model of networked interactions offers an opportunity to examine similarities of learning behaviors in natural and cultural systems, challenging developmentalist paradigms.;The sciences of complexity suggest new approaches to formal educational practices. They pose challenges to mechanistic approaches to learning strategies. The research program proposed in this thesis offers an alternative perspective from which to observe and assess complex adaptive behaviors in formal learning practices. |
