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Systems Thinking

Dr Hye Eun Chu, A/Prof. Michael Cavanagh & Katelyn Mills

SYSTEMS THINKING IN STEAM

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Contents

STEAM Education

OFFICE | FACULTY | DEPARTMENT

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What is Systems Thinking
Systems Thinking as a Skillset
Systems Thinking in Interdisciplinary Education

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What is Systems Thinking?

DEFINING SYSTEMS THINKING

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What is Systems Thinking?

DEFINING SYSTEMS THINKING

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION | FACULTY OF ARTS

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What is Systems Thinking?

DEFINING SYSTEMS THINKING

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What is Systems Thinking?

DEFINING SYSTEMS THINKING

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A system is a group of interrelated, interdependent or interacting elements that form a collective entity

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What is Systems Thinking?

�“… understanding of how related objects or components interact to influence how a system functions.

�Students are provided with opportunities to recognise the connectedness of, and interactions between phenomena, people, places and events in local and wider contexts and consider the impact of their decisions.

�Understanding the complexity of systems and the interdependence of components is important for scientific research and for the creation of solutions to technical, economic and social issues.”

(NESA, 2021)

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DEFINING SYSTEMS THINKING

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Systems thinking is a thinking skill embedded throughout the NSW syllabus content. According to NESA (2021), effective learning in Science is underpinned by intentional, purposeful and productive thinking. Students engaging in systems thinking develop an understanding of how related theories or components interact to influence the function of a system. Students are provided with opportunities to identify connections and interactions between phenomena, people, places and events in their local world as well as wider contexts. Students are also provided with the opportunity to consider how their decisions impact the world around them. Understanding the complex nature of systems, and the interdependence of components is vital for scientific inquiry and research and for the development of solutions to technical, economical and social problems. Teachers are encouraged to engage students in systems thinking and identify further opportunities to develop these skills in their students.

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What is Systems Thinking?

DEFINING SYSTEMS THINKING

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“Systems thinking is a set of synergistic analytic skills used to improve the capability of identifying and understanding systems, predicting their behaviours, and devising modifications to them in order to produce desired effects. These skills work together as a system. “

(Arnold & Wade, 2015)

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What is Systems Thinking?

“Systems thinking is a set of synergistic analytic skills used to improve the capability of identifying and understanding systems, predicting their behaviours, and devising modifications to them in order to produce desired effects. These skills work together as a system”

(Arnold & Wade, 2015)

DEFINING SYSTEMS THINKING

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Synergistic: Characteristic of synergy, which is the interaction of elements in a way that, when combined, produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements.

Analytical skills: Skills that provide the ability to visualize, articulate, and solve both complex and uncomplicated problems and concepts and make decisions that are sensible and based on available information.

“Systems thinking is a set of synergistic analytic skills used to improve the capability of identifying and understanding systems, predicting their behaviours, and devising modifications to them in order to produce desired effects. These skills work together as a system. “

Synergistic: Characteristic of synergy, which is the interaction of elements in a way that, when combined, produces a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements.

Analytical skills: Skills that provide the ability to visualise, articulate, and solve both complex and uncomplicated problems and concepts and make decisions that are sensible and based on available information. Such skills include demonstration of the ability to apply logical thinking to gathering and analysing information, designing and testing solutions to problems, and formulating plans.

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What is Systems Thinking?

“Systems thinking is a set of synergistic analytic skills used to improve the capability of identifying and understanding systems, predicting their behaviours, and devising modifications to them in order to produce desired effects. These skills work together as a system”

(Arnold & Wade, 2015)

DEFINING SYSTEMS THINKING

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION | FACULTY OF ARTS

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Identify: To recognize as being a particular thing.

Understand: To be thoroughly familiar with; apprehend clearly the character, nature, or subtleties of

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What is Systems Thinking?

“Systems thinking is a set of synergistic analytic skills used to improve the capability of identifying and understanding systems, predicting their behaviours, and devising modifications to them in order to produce desired effects. These skills work together as a system”

(Arnold & Wade, 2015)

DEFINING SYSTEMS THINKING

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Predict: To foretell as a deductible consequence.

Devise modifications: To contrive, plan, or elaborate changes or adjustments.

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What is systems thinking?

Systems thinking is a set of synergistic analytic skills used to improve the capability of identifying and understanding systems, predicting their behaviours, and devising modifications to them in order to produce desired effects. These skills work together as a system.

DEFINING SYSTEMS THINKING

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What is Systems Thinking?

DEFINING SYSTEMS THINKING

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Systems Thinking as a Skill Set

DEFINING SYSTEMS THINKING

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Systems Thinking as a Skills set

SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS

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“Gaining Insight: Improving systemic insight of a particular system

Using Insight: Applying systemic insight to a particular system”

(Arnold & Wade, 2017)��

(Arnold & Wade, 2017)�

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Systems Thinking as a Skills set

SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS

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Gaining Insight: Improving systemic insight of a particular system

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Systems Thinking as a Skills set

SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS

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Using Insight: Applying systemic insight to a particular system

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Systems Thinking as a Skills set

Arnold and Wade (2017) break down systems thinking into a skill set.

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Mindset

How to approach systemic problems

Content

What’s in the system

Structure

How’s the system organized

Behaviour

What happens when content and structure interact

System

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Mindset

How to approach systems and systematic problems rooted in problem solving philosophy

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Explore multiple perspectives
Consider wholes vs parts
Effectively Respond to Uncertainty and Ambiguity
Consider Issues Appropriately
Use Mental Modeling and Abstraction

How to approach systems and systematic problems rooted in problem solving philosophy. Mindset is the highest-order set of systems thinking skills and is a philosophical st of skills that work together with all other systems thinking skills. The key skills underpinning mindset are observing systems from multiple perspectives, considering wholes vs parts, responding to uncertainty and ambiguity, considering issues appropriately, using mental modelling and abstraction.

Mindset skills in systems thinking tend to mature and develop over time. It is a set of higher order emergent skills that is overarching systems thinking. Despite their higher order nature, mindset skills should be the first skills that are taught to a systems thinker.

At any time you would like to pause this video and read the level of maturity associated with each skill, please do so.

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Mindset – Explores Multiple Perspectives

SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS

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Mindset
Explores Multiple Perspectives
Low Maturity					High Maturity
Approaches a system from only one perspective �	Explores other familiar perspectives when approaching a system �	Begins to explore unfamiliar or contentious perspectives �	Actively explores unfamiliar perspectives, but still tends to miss some non-obvious perspectives	Actively explores multiple, non-obvious perspectives, some of which might conflict with the thinker’s view

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Mindset – Considers Wholes Vs Parts

SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION | FACULTY OF ARTS

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Mindset
Considers Wholes Vs Parts
Low Maturity					High Maturity
Does not consider the system holistically	Considers some holistic aspects of systems but misses others; tends to spend too much time in particular areas	Considers the system holistically but tends to miss the importance of the parts; occasionally gets stuck in an event	Tends to consider the system holistically and considers the importance of the parts in most cases	Considers both the “forest” and the “trees” keeping “one eye on each” consistently while approaching systems	Does not consider the system holistically

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Mindset – Respond to Uncertainty & Ambiguity

SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION | FACULTY OF ARTS

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Mindset
Effectively Respond to Uncertainty and Ambiguity
Low Maturity					High Maturity
Stops when faced with uncertainty or ambiguity	Difficulty making decisions during uncertain times or in ambiguous circumstances	Decisions made when faced with uncertainty are as often flawed as are appropriate	Decisions made when faced with uncertainty are often appropriate	Able to make sustainable system decisions despite uncertainties in their outcomes	Stops when faced with uncertainty or ambiguity

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Mindset – Considers Issues Appropriately

SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION | FACULTY OF ARTS

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Mindset
Considers Issues Appropriately
Low Maturity					High Maturity
Takes a reactionary approach to issues	Takes a reactionary approach to issues, but tends to realise that this approach has flaws	Sometimes takes appropriate time to allow issues and complexities to emerge; still reacts to issues/jumps to conclusions sometimes	Rarely jumps to conclusions when issues occur; often spends appropriate time to absorb complexity	Allows time for complexity of a situation to sink in; rarely, if ever, jumps to conclusions; almost always considers issues appropriately	Takes a reactionary approach to issues

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Mindset – Considers Issues Appropriately

SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION | FACULTY OF ARTS

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Mindset
Use Mental Modelling and Abstraction
Low Maturity					High Maturity
Does not recognize the value of mental modeling; intuitive models are highly inaccurate, overly simple, or overly complex	Recognizes the benefit of simplification through mental modeling; mental models may be inaccurate, overly simple, or overly complex �	Recognizes that different mental models can influence perspectives and actions differently; able to simplify the problem through mental modeling with some accuracy and simplicity �	Able to simplify the problem through mental modeling with increasingly accurate results using increasingly simpler models; recognizes that all models are flawed but some are useful	Devises the simplest mental model that accurately describes the system for a given purpose; recognizes that all models are flawed but some are useful �	Does not recognize the value of mental modeling; intuitive models are highly inaccurate, overly simple, or overly complex

Modelling various aspects of reality is important as we cannot fit all of reality inside our minds (Richmond, 2004). Mental models are simplified ideas, observations and parts of our reality used to draw meaning from our experiences. Systems thinking requires one to mentally model systems or system parts to simplify and understand structure and behaviour. Models are constantly changing and being updated to support communication of complex systems in simple more approachable ways. Systems thinking allows us to use mental models to create and test hypotheses and assumptions via thought experimentation.

One component of mental modelling is appreciating various types of mental models from other systems thinkers. This reinforces the Multiple perspectives skill. Two mental models from different people around the same phenomenon may arrive and different conclusions. Both mental models are valid, and one may contain details the other excluded.

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Content

Define what is in the system by recognising the system, deciding what is contained within the system and differentiating between the elements within a system.

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Recognise Systems
Maintain Boundaries
Differentiate and Quantify Elements

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Content – Recognise Systems

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Content
Recognise Systems
Low Maturity					High Maturity
Does not recognize that a problem is systemic �	Recognizes that the problem is systemic but cannot identify it �	Recognizes that the problem is systemic and is able to identify associated behaviour or system of interest in general terms �	Recognizes that the problem is systemic and is able to identify associated behaviours or systems of interest increasingly more concrete terms	Recognizes that the problem is systemic and is able to identify associated behaviours or systems in concrete terms	Does not recognize that a problem is systemic �

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Content – Maintain Boundaries

SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION | FACULTY OF ARTS

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Content
Maintain Boundaries
Low Maturity					High Maturity
Unable to define the boundary of a system	Able to create an initial mental model of the system that contains some relevant elements. May contain extraneous elements or missing key elements	Able to maintain a system boundary that, over time and context, contains most if the relevant elements and minimizes extraneous elements	Able to maintain a system boundary of the system over time with increasing accuracy	Able to maintain an accurate boundary of the system that correctly changes over time and context with a high degree of quantitative accuracy	Unable to define the boundary of a system

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Content – Differentiate & Quantify Elements

SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION | FACULTY OF ARTS

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Content
Differentiate and Quantify Elements
Low Maturity					High Maturity
Unable to recognise that elements are different	Able to identify and differentiate between stocks and flows, as well as other types of variables and elements	Able to estimate properties of elements, such as the maximum quantity of a stick or the rate of a flow	Able to quantify properties of elements, such as the maximum quantity of a stick or the rate of a flow with increasing accuracy	Able to describe the properties of elements with a high degree of accuracy	Unable to recognise that elements are different

Understanding the elements contained within a system, and differentiating between them is critical to understanding systems For example, differentiating between element properties, nature and types (Plate & Monroe, 2014; Stave & Hopper, 2007).

By differentiating the types of stocks, flows and variables as described by Plate and Monroe (2014) and Stave and Hopper (2007) is a part of this skill.

A stock refers to a resource pool or storage pool within a system, for example, the amount or variety of trees within an ecosystem . Flows are referred to changes within these stocks, for example, the growth or decline of trees or specific tree species within an ecosystem. Extending beyond stocks and flows, the nature and properties of elements including transpiration, photosynthesis or even the leaves

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Structure

How the system is organised. This focuses mainly on the relationships between elements, identifying and outlining the nature of these relationships.

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Identify Relationships
Characterise Relationships
Identify Feedback Loops
Characterise Feedback Loops

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Structure – Identify Relationships

SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS

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Structure
Identify Relationships
Low Maturity		High Maturity
Unable to recognise even those relationships that would be considered obvious by novice systems thinkers	Increasing ability to recognise relationships that are distant or complex in space, time or other factors; larger volume of relationships recognized.	Able to recognise the vast majority of relevant relationships, even obscure, meta-physical, non-obvious, or complex one.

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Structure – Characterise Relationships

SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION | FACULTY OF ARTS

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Structure
Characterise Relationships
Low Maturity			High Maturity
Unable to characterize the strength of a relationship	Unable to characterize the strength of a relationship with accuracy or consistency	Able to estimate the strength of a relationship with some consistency	Able to characterize relationships with increasing accuracy. Able to create highly accurate characterizations of relationships

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Structure – Identify Feedback Loops

SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION | FACULTY OF ARTS

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Structure
Identify Feedback Loops
Low Maturity		High Maturity
Unable to recognize feedback loops	Increasing ability to recognize non-linear feedback loops (loops that are distant in space, time, or other factors); larger volume of feedback loops recognized	Able to recognize the vast majority of relevant feedback loops

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Structure – Characterising Feedback Loops

SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION | FACULTY OF ARTS

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Structure
Characterising Feedback loops
Low Maturity					High Maturity
Unable to characterize the strength and properties of a feedback loops	Unable to characterize feedback loops with accuracy or consistency	Able to estimate the strength and properties of feedback loops with some consistency	Able to characterize feedback loops with increasing accuracy	Able to create highly accurate characterizations of feedback loops	Unable to characterize the strength and properties of a feedback loops

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Behaviour

How the content and structure of the system produces behaviour and furthermore how to change behaviours to produce a desired result.

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Describe Past System Behaviour
Predict Future System Behaviour
Respond to Changes Over Time
Using Leverage Points to Produce Desired Effects

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Behaviour – Describe Past System Behaviour

SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS

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Behaviour
Describe Past System Behaviour
Low Maturity					High Maturity
Unable to describe past behaviour	Able to describe past system behavior in general, conceptual terms	Able to describe past system behaviour through estimation	Able to describe past system behaviour with increasing levels of accuracy	Able to describe past system behaviour with a high degree of accuracy

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Behaviour – Predict Future System Behaviour

SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION | FACULTY OF ARTS

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Behaviour
Predict Future System Behaviour
Low Maturity					High Maturity
Unable to predict future behavior	Able to predict future system behavior in general, conceptual terms over short timescales	Able to predict future system behavior in estimated terms over short timescales	Able to predict future system behavior with increasing levels of accuracy over longer timescales	Able to predict future behavior with a high degree of accuracy over a long timescale	Unable to predict future behavior

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Behaviour – Respond to Changes Over Time

SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION | FACULTY OF ARTS

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Behaviour
Respond to Changes Over Time
Low Maturity					High Maturity
Does not respond differently to changes in the system over time	Recognizes the need to respond differently over time	Responds to changes over time in ways that are occasionally effective	Responds to changes over time in increasingly effective ways	Consistently responds to changes over time in highly effective ways	Does not respond differently to changes in the system over time

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Behaviour – Use Leverage Points

SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION | FACULTY OF ARTS

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Behaviour
Use Leverage Points to Produce Desired Effects
Low Maturity					High Maturity
Does not recognize leverage points in a system	Recognizes obvious or lower strength leverage points, but often pushes them in the wrong direction	Recognizes some high strength leverage points, and usually pushes them in the right direction	Recognizes most low and high strength leverage points, understands their differences, and uses them effectively most of the time.	Recognizes points of high leverage in a system. Consistently uses those leverage points to influence system behaviour in desired ways.	Does not recognize leverage points in a system

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STEAM and Systems Thinking

SYSTEMS THINKING IN INTERDISCIPLINARY EDUCATION

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Explores systems through multiple STEAM disciplines to understand the elements within a system to solve problems.

STEAM can foster the development of systems thinking skills

Systems thinking can assist in exploring STEAM in a more holistic way

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Systems Thinking and Interdisciplinary Education

SYSTEMS THINKING AND STEAM

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STEAM and Systems Thinking

Systems Thinking should be developed by teachers and students

SYSTEMS THINKING IN INTERDISCIPLINARY EDUCATION

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Planning Lessons

Assess Conceptual Knowledge

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STEAM and Systems Thinking

For Teachers….

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STEAM and Systems Thinking

For Students…

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STEAM and Systems Thinking

SYSTEMS THINKING IN INTERDISCIPLINARY EDUCATION

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