Subject: Process in System Dynamics

Posted by Sharon Villines on 7/9/2009
In Reply To:Process in System Dynamics Posted by Richard Turnock on 7/9/2009

Message:

> I developed a short essay describing different processes in teaching
> and learning system dynamics.
> See attached. Any comments, suggestions or constructive improvements
> are appreciated.

I just reread Meadows Thinking in Systems and found that starting right out with stocks and flows and diagrams of feedback loops is fairly meaningless without understanding the rest of the book first.
That approach seems to make the diagrams more important than the reason for doing them. This may be natural for engineers and others but for the non-technical, it's a bit off putting.

I think the kids need to first understand what a system is in real life -- a forest, fish in a lake, the problem of feral cats, etc. Then they can understand why one would want to model the system in order to analyze it and find the possible points for intervention.

Richard also is relating the modeling to the curriculum but without an example from the curriculum. Perhaps this would strengthen the essay.
How would one model a topic in a specific curriculum?

Japanese teachers as explained in The Learning Gap: by Stevenson and Stigler, work in teams on specific lessons each year. That's one lesson each year. Understanding fractions, for example. Then these are collected and printed in booklets for other teachers.

I would think this might be a good example for teachers here, not necessarily working in teams since many are isolated, but to do the lessons and post them here for discussion and suggestions, and sharing.

Sharon