目的: 本文創作目的是用日常概括見聞事例，淺易地介紹錯綜體科學治學方法——重視的是全盤思維方式、依賴對整體形態格局 (whole pattern) 的描述、並常用隱喻 (metaphor) 的手法去說明相關整體形態佈局的整合相容邏輯。景觀意念圖是一項常用的工具。本文創作的場景是「可持續發展教育」課程的設計爭議，作為闡述應用動態或變系統理論的載體。
背景: 課程改革工程在全球各地，各大城市進行得如火如荼。校本課程，中央公訂新學科，跨學科研習等 推陳出新；一些課程帶地區局限性、難以推廣；一些只是曇花一現，最諷刺的是一部份課程在試教研究宣告成功後便壽終正寢。
「環保」之後有「全球化」(Globalization) 這些議題走進教室。近年我們探討「全球暖化」(Global warming)，「可持續發展教育」(Sustainable Development Education) 等問題。孰先孰後，在時間的巨輪中，沒有遲或早的問題；但怎樣設計才可以在云云創新中突顯價值而成立，然後又在長江後浪推前浪的定律下生存下來呢？
討論: 作者試圖從「混沌理論」 (Chaos theory)，「錯綜體理論」(Complexity heories) 和「動態或變系統理論」 (Dynamical Systems Theory) 去理解新行業、新學科或學術研究興趣潮流的生命演變，從而推敲設計「可持續發展教育」課程應有的策略 —— 要含新技能元素、並且跨學科。更進一步推論包含錯綜體理論元素 (連串本不相關事件可因機緣互相抵銷或隨正回饋無限擴張、並產生革命性轉變) 和動態或變系統概念 ( 因時間引進的變數考慮 ) 進入「可持續發展教育」課程設計的必要性。
Aim: This article is intended to be a layman introduction to the methodology commonly used in complexity science studies, emphasizes holistic consideration, description on the entire pattern against bits and pieces of sectional analysis, use of metaphors to build up integration of ostensibly incompatible features such as simultaneous co-existence of land and rivers, hills and valleys in the landscape portraits, a popular tool in complexity studies. The setting of analysis used in this article falls in the arena of recent hot debate on how curriculum on Sustainable Development Education should be designed, a vehicle to illustrate application of Dynamical Systems Theory.
Background: Curriculum re-engineering has been around for decades throughout the world; school-based curricula, innovative central curricula, inter-disciplinary projects, to name but a few. Some did not last long because of territorial biases; some made a fad and faded. The irony lay in the immediate demise of projects that claimed a success in their pilot run.
We had topics like environment conservation, globalization, followed by global warming infiltrating the classrooms these past years. Now the limelight is on sustainable development. Is it late? That is not
