Subject: Systems Language - causal connection

Posted by Tim Joy on 2/6/2010
In Reply To:Systems Languagg Posted by Tim Joy on 2/3/2010

Message:

It seems this little sister of our conversation got left behind, so I am leading her back in so you can meet and talk with her.

When you describe a causal connection, what various phrasings make it clear to someone in the middle grades? someone in high school? someone with a poor math background?

Causal connections vary, of course. This seems both a visual and verbal challenge as one's understanding of a system deepens. For instance, let's keep the playing basketball in lieu of doing homework scenario as our test case. Both mom and daughter receive feedback within this family dynamic. Once we enlarge the boundary to the daughter's performance in school, the dynamics shift. In simple terms, we often speak of "direct" or "indirect" causes, but clearly such labels are inadequate. There are effects that are near in time and distant in time. And each agent in the system receives differing feedback at differing times.

How might we improve students' capacity (train them) to keep more than two variables in their heads?

Tim

Follow Ups:

Systems Language - causal connection - Tim Joy 2/7/2010 
Systems Language - causal connection - Jennifer Arzberger 2/8/2010
Systems Language - causal connection - Niall Palfreyman 2/9/2010
Systems Language - causal connection - Bill Braun 2/9/2010
Systems Language - causal connection - Niall Palfreyman 2/11/2010
Systems Language - causal connection - Paul Newton 2/8/2010
Systems Language - causal connection - Warren Farr 2/8/2010
Systems Language - causal connection - Zachary Lawrence 2/8/2010
Systems Language - causal connection - Bill Braun 2/7/2010
Systems Language - causal connection - Tim Joy 2/8/2010
Systems Language - causal connection - Richard Turnock 2/6/2010