According to Frijtof Capra, renowned physicist and systems theorist, understanding the basic principles of ecology and their applications can enhance and inform the learning process.  As a result, educators will be able to make considerable strides in preparing students for the 21st century. Education has, to a great extent, focused on analysis, that is, taking things apart in order to understand them.  The new way of thinking focuses on studying things in terms of their connection, context, and relationships to the whole.  This process also addresses differences in student learning styles, which results in more engaging learning experiences.

Capra tells us that nature does not show us isolated building blocks, but rather a complex web of relationships between the parts of a unified whole.  The importance of each component of a system is tied to its relationship to the whole. And the essential properties of a living system (whether an organism or community) are properties of the whole.  By looking at just one component in isolation (for example, an atom), we would not have realistic picture of its importance.  The essential properties of a living system are properties of the whole, which none of the parts have.  A major application of systems thinking is that human communities and ecological communities are all living systems.

Billings, in his text, Plants, Man and the Ecosystem, states that ecological knowledge can be applied at each of the three principal levels of integration--the individual, the population, and the ecosystem.  This approach to studying nature can be applied to human social and political systems as well.  This integrated approach is a fundamental underpinning of sustainability education and practice.  Now that man has the ability to manipulate whole ecosystems for his benefit, there is the danger of letting them get completely out of hand, to the detriment of present and future generations.

Systems thinking is reflected in the corporate, governmental, and non-profit sectors.  The applications of systems thinking have led to many innovations in the workplace in terms of how employees work together and how organizations plan for the future. The business and leadership sections of bookstores are lined with exciting, practical methods based upon these concepts. These include practices such as continuous learning, team dynamics, ethical leadership, and group facilitation, which may include consensus building, visioning, and strategic planning.  When incorporated into the educational process, all of these applications enhance the learning experience and help to develop students who will become citizens, employees, and leaders who can think clearly, evaluate processes, and create results.