making complexity accessible: what we learned from teaching early-stage learners and practitioners

We at resense360 work at the intersection of complexity, systems change, strategy design, and learning. When in learning processes, most of our time we engage with seasoned professionals who intentionally want to apply complexity thinking to their domain of work. However, we believe that complexity thinking is something that should also be taught in schools and universities — to inform new ways of action and thought for future generations.

Trying to make complexity tangible and accessible for high school and university students, we noticed several key differences between them and experienced practitioners. These differences — rooted in learning styles, inquiries, motivation, and experience — inform our choices as learning designers and facilitators.

extrinsic motivation ←→ intrinsic motivation
Early-stage learners are often driven by external incentives: grades, diplomas, or the promise of better career prospects. Practitioners typically operate from intrinsic motivation. Their learning is fueled by a need to deepen their expertise in a domain that already matters to them, a desire to advance real-life challenges, or a pursuit of personal growth.

curiosity-driven ←→ “pain”-driven
Beginners are driven by a general sense of curiosity — an openness to discover, without knowing exactly what they are looking for. Learning is an adventure for them. Practitioners, on the other hand, often learn in response to “pain points”: a bottleneck in a process, a leadership challenge, or a strategic decision looming overhead.

missing grounding in practice ←→ own practice as anchor
Early learners may encounter practice through simulations, group projects, or internships, but these experiences are often insufficient for nuanced, case-based learning. Professionals show up with their own live cases. This anchors their learning in direct relevance and immediate application.

need more examples ←→ need more thinking space
Early learners need a variety of real-world examples to bridge the gap between theory and practice, as they are still building foundational knowledge and skills. Practitioners, on the other hand, need more thinking spaces: they’re updating, reconfiguring, and refining what they already know and integrating new ideas into their existing experiences.

exploratory learning ←→ goal-oriented learning
Early learners thrive in environments that allow for exploration. They benefit from being exposed to a broad landscape of ideas, methods, and disciplines. Professionals, in contrast, are usually goal-oriented. They enter learning spaces with specific outcomes in mind and appreciate focused paths that get them where they need to go.

cognitive flexibility ←→ established mental models
Early learners are in a phase of cognitive plasticity — they are more adaptable and open to new ideas. Professionals, with established views and experience, can quickly understand things but may struggle when faced with ideas that challenge their usual perspectives. There is a strong focus on unlearning things.

stewardship & guidance ←→ co-creation of knowledge
Early-stage learners benefit from structured guidance and scaffolding. Practitioners value being co-creators in the learning process, contributing insights, challenging ideas, and helping shape the learning experience with their expertise.

Zoya Lukyanova and Ruslan Kildeev for resense360.