Learning Chaos

"Wicked Problem" describes any situation that can't be solved in the traditional sense with a single answer. 2 + 2 = 4 is a "tame problem" with a single solution. Learning and education are wicked problems - they need lots of different perspectives without the goal of "the correct answer." When we think we've solved a wicked problem, we're relying on too narrow a kind of thinking. As teachers and learners, we can start looking more at possibilities rather than searching for "the answer," and encourage our students to expand rather than contract how they see exploring solutions.