Please join us at Systems Thinking World on LinkedIn We believe employing a systems perspective provides individuals, groups and organizations a greater likelihood of creating the future they desire with fewer unintended consequences. The endeavor is to promote further awareness and understanding of the power and value of employing a systems perspective and create content essential to enable one to develop and evolve the skill and ability to think and act systemically.

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From SystemsWiki

Interaction is the foundation of Systems and to understand systems we create Models. Models are simplifications of reality created to promote understanding. Models are not exact replicas of reality, but attempts to capture the essential nature of some small part of reality in order to help us understand that part better. There is a saying that: all models are wrong, though some models are useful. Whether a model is a good model or not depends on the extent to which it supports the intent for which it was created. That the model is wrong is a given, though there are times when insights can be gained from simply understanding the structure of a model. But one should always remember that a model is just a simplified, qualitative representation of some real or perceived situation. While insights are often possible from the structure of a model there are times when the most valuable insights can only be uncovered through a quantitative exercising of the dynamic model.

The learning program that follows is the result of feedback from individuals participating in the Moodle Systems Thinking Courses as well as the "Systems Thinking World/Learning Programs". Each segment of this learning program will present an interaction scenario intended to promote, or provoke, thought and allow you to draw conclusions regarding the implications of interactions. Admittedly the first few segments of this learning program may be similar to watching paint dry - though if you bear with it for a short time it will become far more thought provoking.

Someone asked how this learning program differed from the two previously developed learning programs and here is the cooking analogy that surfaced. I hope it connects.

• Moodle Courses -- an environment where you read about cooking and then answer questions about cooking. (Linear knowledge)
• Systems Thinking World Program -- an environment where you read about cooking then answer questions about cooking. Your mentor then responds to your answers and everyone has a chance to observe the exchange. (Learning loops)
• Thoughts on Interaction Program -- an environment were you cook from a recipe, taste your own cooking and answer questions about your cooking. Your mentor gets to respond to your answers and taste your cooking and everyone else has a chance to participate in the exchange and sample your cooking. (Hands on)

It is intended that a you work though the initial rigorously scripted segments of the program and then be guided through the development of models which are more personally relevant. Each segment will have one or more questions for you to post answers to a specific discussion within the SystemsWiki phpBB forum. Once answers are posted a coach will provide feedback regarding your answers, as may other participants. If you intend to participate in this program registering for SystemsWiki phpBB forum is appropriate.

Within each segment you will find embedded links, and references at the end of the segment, which are provided for you to explore a deeper level of understanding. These links are not considered essential reading. It's entirely up to you.

Your feedback to improve the segments of the learning program may be posted on the discussion page associated with each individual segment Wiki page. These will be reviewed and integrated as appropriate. If you intend to participate in this program and you have not yet created a SystemsWiki user account now might be a good time to do so, and using the same username and password you used for the forum would probably make things easier. You an create a SystemsWiki account and review some initial editing guidelines on the Help:Editing page.

[edit] Current Segments

Here are the existing segments.

1. Environment - Introduces Insight Maker, the web based model development environment used in this learning program.
2. Sketch a Model - Begin using the most frequently used elements within Insight Maker by constructing a sketch for a model.
3. Setup the Model - Transform your sketch into a model ready for simulation.
4. Exercise the Model - Run a simulation of your model and become familiar with the output options.
5. Elaborate the Model - Add additional components to your previous model to make it a goal seeking structure.
6. Benefits of Units - Presents advantages of using Units and the risks associated with not using them.
7. Causal Loop Diagram - Presents a simplified convention for presenting model insights.
8. Savings Account - Develop a reinforcing structure and investigate its interactions.
9. Retirement Account - Develop a retirement account model and further investigate the nature of reinforcing structures.
10. Why Model Interactions - An argument in support of modeling interactions as opposed to just noodling them.
11. How to Model Interactions - An approach to developing models that will aid in understanding and dealing with situations of interest.
12. Create Your First Model - This is the segment in which you get to pick a personally relevant situation and begin developing insights relating to it.
13. Additional Tools - The useful tools not covered in the previous segments are provided to ensure you are aware of their function.

[edit] Optional Segments

The following segments are available for your review in any order you choose based on your interest.

If you have thoughts about how to improve the learning program or this page please add your comments to the discussion page.

[edit] References

• Systems Thinking: Critical Thinking Skills for the 1990s and Beyond by Barry Richmond
• A System Dynamics Skills Inventory by Gordon Kubanek. "The Systems Worldview" section seems most relevant.

Additional Resources Online Courses * Content Guide * Bookmarks Feedback to Gene Bellinger