Subject: Introducing System Dynamics to grade 8 students

Posted by Anthony Vassallo on 1/16/2009
In Reply To:Introducing System Dynamics to grade 8 students Posted by John F. Heinbokel on 1/15/2009

Message:

Dear John,
A fair question. And I certainly appreciate any assistance in this area.
I work at a P-12 College in Queensland, Australia. Each of our separate syllabus documents (i.e. Maths, English, Technology, etc) talk about students becoming lifelong learners and define lifelong learners as people that: have a deep understanding, are complex thinkers, are responsive creators, are active investigators, are effective communicators, are reflective and self-directed learners and are participants in an interdependent world (www.qsa.qld.edu.au).
Although becoming lifelong learners is embedded in all of their lessons, grade 6 - 9 students at our College get 4 hours per week (for one semester per year) of what we call Learning Enhancement Time (LET) during which we focus on becoming lifelong learners.
I plan to use some of the LET time with my students this year to introduce them to SD and will use the approach you describe at 1) i.e. "providing generic instruction, skills, insights in SD as a tool- and skill-set that can be applied across a wide range of problems."
My overall plan is to start with BOTGs, move on to CLDs, then stocks and flows and finally computer simulation (if I can raise the money for the software ;). However, I don't expect it will be a purely linear progression.
None of the staff at my College have heard of System Dynamics and I doubt if any of the students are aware of it. Hence my initial question.
Thanks & regards,
Anthony

Follow Ups:

Introducing System Dynamics to grade 8 students - Niall Palfreyman 1/16/2009