This article really helped in my understanding of loose and tight coupling, but I still have questions as I head into class on Monday. Tight coupling makes much more sense to me-- since the idea of loose coupling hasn't quite sunk in. Loose coupling, I feel like, is more indirect effects that direct like in tight coupling.
Loose coupling- tied together weakly, minimal interdependence (also more independence?)
Tight coupling- directly affects/effects one another, more crucial to survival of system (pg. 44)
With loose coupling, I highlighted loose coupling with local adaption. I think this would work with state mandates and how each district interprets. I see a connection between this and Fowler with policies written broadly.
The article mentioned the idea that loose coupling would be less expensive because it doesn't require as many resources. I'm not sure about that. Someone is coordinating the efforts-- it might not be their full-time job like in a tightly coupled system, but someone is still doing the work.
I tried to put on my research methods had when the article started talking about dependent and independent variables with couple systems. Dependent variable certainly exist in tightly coupled systems, and loosely coupled systems are more independent. However, I think I understand it to say that loosely coupled can also become dependent variables, but tightly coupled systems can never have independent variables due to the interdependence of tightly couple systems.
The concepts here are always a bit more complex, but you have gathered the basic points well--now to think how you'll use them!
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