Subject: Causal Loops with 'AND'

Posted by leusa on 11/26/2009

Message:

Hi Everyone,
I wanted to share my comments with the K-12 community concerning http://www.systemswiki.org/index.php?title=Systems_Thinking:_The_Essence_of_AND
and I would like your comments for applying this approach with high school students.

My comments are as follows:
1. After studying the "innovation Paper Reference" I realized the importance of AND and the concept of setting a BOUNDARY.

2. If I do get opportunity to teach my high school class I will have to determine on using "+" = S and "-" = O I know there is a difference of opinion. The paper referenced utilized "S" and "O". I think that approach will be easier for the high school students, but I maybe wrong. I personally find this approach easier, but that is just me.

3. For the high school kids I think the BOTG's would be helpful. We spend a lot of time graphing and understanding graphing, so perhaps a link to BOTG's for Reinforcing and Balancing Loops would be helpful. You would be surprised of how many students do not really understand an Exponential Function let alone a Balancing Loop BOTG. I am talking Rural Area schools and poverty areas that I tutor in.

4. I think a little more explanation of the "Time Delay" with a BOTG maybe helpful. I am a retired Control System guy, so I can relate very easily to time delays, in fact you can see it going in the political world right now! lol Time Delay, I think is a big problem for people to relate to, even if you have a math background etc. So maybe a link to "Time Delays". It is amazing what a time delay and a second order differential equation can accomplish! lol

5. When determining that BOUNDARY, when does one stop, when the probability of occurrence is low? Maybe a little more discussion or Link to utilizing that probability notion with real world data.

Thank you in advance for your feedback.
Alex

Follow Ups:

Causal Loop Diagrams - Richard Turnock 11/27/2009 
Causal Loop Diagrams - Niall Palfreyman 11/27/2009
Causal Loops with 'AND' - Bill Braun 11/27/2009 
Causal Loops with 'AND' - Karl North 11/27/2009
Causal Loops with 'AND' - Gene Bellinger 11/27/2009
Causal Loops with 'AND' - Sharon Villines 11/27/2009