Subject: Exploring engineering ideas using Stock & Flow Models

Posted by Niall Palfreyman on 10/20/2009
In Reply To:Exploring engineering ideas using Stock & Flow Models Posted by Robert Christopherson on 10/19/2009

Message:

Robert Christopherson schrieb:
> I was wondering if any of you have any experience or materials on
> teaching engineering concepts using system dynamics.
Hi Robert,
I teach bioengineering, so my students have a bias towards biological systems. I realise that your students won't have this bias, but I still get the impression that biological examples have more intuitive appeal as an introduction to the principles. I use the following sequence:

1. Constant rate of change: Gene expression. We look at what happens when a gene is expressed at a constant rate - this gives the first introduction to rates of change and the derivative.
2. The very first model-building we do is the alcohol model by Will Glass on the CLE website.
3. Exponential decay: first a demonstration by tossing a coin to see which members of the class 'decay', and then modelling it with an SD tool. This is also my students' first experience of a differential equation.
4. Then I turn the model around to look at rabbits having children (two each). Both of these models give a chance to note standard properties of the exponential function like multiplication by equal factors in equal times.
5. Later in the semester we look at how the exponential model for rabbits can be made more realistic for bacteria in a Petri dish, and that leads to the introduction of a linearly falling specific growth rate and so to the logistic model and equation.

Best wishes,
Niall Palfreyman.