This article is a contribution by Kim Wahl, who is a lecturer for the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and the Office of Sustainability.
As part of University of Wisconsin-Madison’s comprehensive environmental sustainability initiative and goals, sustainability opportunities have continued to grow across campus. These opportunities include a sustainability internship program, a corporate sustainability internship program, Green Fund projects, a Sustainability Undergraduate Certificate, a newly designed Sustainability Graduate Certificate, and numerous sustainability-focused classes. I have the honor of teaching a few of these sustainability classes, which support the undergraduate and graduate sustainability certificates. Two of these classes include ENVIR ST 402 Special Topics: Social Perspectives in Environmental Studies courses. These courses include a section focused on sustainability and another on systems thinking (ENVIR ST 215: Sustainability in the Spring of 2025 and ENVIR ST 365: Systems Thinking in the Fall of 2025).
In these classes, we consider what we are learning along with how we are learning. Learning communities – spaces where we support learning – include individuals who are themselves living systems. We can therefore consider living system principles and incorporate systems thinking as we work to support inclusive learning communities (Widhalm, 2013; Capra & Luisi, 2016). I refer to key principles of living systems as I design and adapt the learning environment throughout the semester. The living system principles that are critical to this work include diversity, networks, feedback loops, dynamic balance, self-organization, development, and nested systems (Capra & Luisi, 2016).
Diversity and belonging contributes to inclusive classrooms. By exploring diverse perspectives and identities, we are able to grow empathy as we build our interpersonal skills to support sustainable social systems. There are many ways to facilitate learning experiences that achieve these ends. In my classes, some examples of these types of learning experiences include case studies, simulations, and systems modeling connected to real-life local and global examples. In my systems thinking classes, for instance, students also develop a systems model of their ideal learning environment. This informs instructional practice as far as how students prefer to learn while connecting to system modeling skills. In a photo essay project, for example, sustainability students take photos around campus and build narratives while connecting to the Campus Sustainability Map. This supports sustainability learning from their individual viewpoints and builds understanding of diverse perspectives as they share their work and reflect on the various interpretations of sustainability. In addition, this photo essay project connects to place-based learning while it expands their sustainability network in the community. The project includes interviews from the UW-Madison community and, throughout the class, students gather ideas on their project and sustainability concepts through walking tours, speakers, and campus field trips. Building connections to place and people supports our learning communities beyond the classroom to enrich learning experiences.
A necessary part in building connections to foster an inclusive learning community involves gathering feedback from those in the community. What we are learning and how we are learning is consistently and dynamically balanced through various forms of feedback in my classes (for example, holistic rubrics, discussion, reflective journals, and assessments). Feedback loops are integral to maintain a dynamic balance between processes and products in classes. The dynamic and flexible nature of the learning environment fosters belonging and engagement as well as supports students in reflecting, connecting, and sharing their learning. Students take in new information and self-organize this information with prior knowledge and how they view the world, leading to growth and development.
In my classes, we discuss and recognize that we are nested within larger systems. For example, students work to connect to the campus through trips, assignments, activities, projects, and discussions. We use the campus as a context for learning. Many other classes across campus do this as well; some refer to the campus as a ‘living laboratory’. Through place-based and/or project-based learning, such as in the photo essay project example, students learn beyond the classroom and connect to the campus as a living laboratory to deepen learning experiences and strengthen systems thinking. For my systems thinking class, students also do this as they explore and map campus systems. Systems thinking students study leverage points of change to develop more sustainable systems. Students are able to study the interrelationships among networks within local systems and apply this learning to environmental, economic, and social systems and concerns.
We can find many examples of individuals connecting to place and the living laboratory teaching concept throughout the campus. Dr. Tim Lindstrom, who teaches sustainability courses and leads the sustainability internship program, uses the campus as a living laboratory in his internship program and classes. He teaches ENVIR ST 326: Sustainability Tools: Systems Thinking and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in which the LCA of campus products are explored by his students. He also teaches ENVIR ST/ILS 255: Introduction to Sustainability Science where students visit places on campus to study such topics as energy, food systems, waste, and land use. Ian Aley, the Green Fund Program Manager, also supports the campus as a living laboratory in his work with Green Fund student projects across campus. These individuals, along with many others at UW-Madison, are consistently making local connections and extending that learning beyond the classroom.
Combining rigorous content with a living system approach supports more sustainable social systems. By ensuring that we address these living system principles, we are supporting learning communities in which each member of the community constructs their own learning in support of themselves and the whole learning community. Living system principles lay the foundation for designing inclusive communities to support students and learning, and integrating these principles into learning experiences is an ongoing process where adjustments are continually made to promote development and growth. An understanding of living system principles connected to complex learning systems gives us a deeper understanding of how to design curriculum and programs that are more sustainable and resilient as we support students and learning communities at UW-Madison.
References
- Capra, F. & Luisi, P.L. (2016). The systems view of life: A unifying vision. Cambridge University Press.
- Widhalm, B. (2013). Teaching living systems awareness as a change agent skill for a vibrant sustainable world. Proceedings of the 56th Annual Meeting of the ISSS.