This document is designed for lecturers at universities that want to introduce systems thinking in teachers eduction.
The target group (lectures or administration of institution for teacher education and teacher training) wants to introduce System Thinking in three steps:
alpha version (i.e. first version that needs further refinement and updates)
We derive the application of Open Educational Resources (OER) from the definition of risk
Risk = Probability x Impact
Human existence on earth is facing major risks. The education system in schools and universities can support capacity building for Risk Literacy. Risk literate citizens are aware of risks and know about methods to mitigate the risk. The educational system is a key element for global efforts on risk mitigation. OER and the concept of sharing and improving support this efforts.
To optimize risk mitigation, it is necessary to maximize the impact on risk mitigation activities. Application of Open Resources with a licensing model that allows not only the usage but also
reduces the financial constraints, speeds up developement and the option of adaptation of risk mitigation strategies to local and regional requirements and constraints improves the probality that a certain strategy will be picked up by citizens or communities. financial constraints, speeds up developement and the option of adaptation of risk mitigation strategies to local and regional requirements and constraints improves the probality that a certain strategy will be picked up by citizens or communities.
Open Educational Resources is Open Content, that is used for educuational purpose. Adaptation of learning material is often necessary to tailor the OER to local requirements and constraints. The Open Educational Resources are used to learn about systems behaviour and the impact of human activities or the risk of human activities from a systemic perspective.
The learning environments are design as OER to maximize impact of content
Models are used to learn about behaviour of systems. Learner interact with the models and analyse the consequences (risks, benefits) of human activities in a considered system.
Systems analysis and optimisation can be designed as "game" for accomplishing goals for the modeled system. The game design can be used as motivating element to learn about risk management and systems thinking.
Learners are expose concurrent goals (economic benefit, environmental and public health benefits, impact on climate change). Learner negotiate the priorities of goals in teams and the learner gets task to explain dependencies between parts of the system and concurrent goals.
Guiding framework for the modelling goals of the system are the Sustainable Developement Goals SDG[1].
Teachers should be able replication learning environments for systems thinking with e.g. modelling or risk management tasks with a minimum of financial constraints. Therefore the used software e.g. for modelling is Open Source Software.
Modelling in the context of Systems Thinking is used as a learning task to understand aspects of systemic behaviour and the assessment of human activities in the SDG framework. Students have to create life cycles of systems they can select based on their knowledge and expertise. The selected system must have a bundle of different options for interaction with the system.
Students approach Systems Thinking in the Bachelor degree bottom-up from the knowledge they have to first models of a system they select on their own according to their skills and background. They create a portfolio of documents, software models that explain and show the behaviour of the system. This software application, documentation, data and content and even hands-on material is collected during their analysis of a selected system as part of the portfolio.
During a seminar the group of students created models that involve at least 2 disciplines (e.g. Mathematics and Biology). The approach to systemic thinking is based on different models the students have chosen. Similarities and difference at identified (e.g. between an ecosystem and a financial system).
An oral assessment with tailored questions to their portfolio consists of two components:
Students can select their own system they want to model. The user-driven selection should facilitate a modelling task the students are really interested in (improve motivation to analyse the system). Linking new knowledge to existing knowledge is a more sustainable learning task.
Start learn systemic thinking by dealing with systems the students know. Teacher have two subjects and models should involve both subjects (e.g. Mathematics and Biology). This should assure that the students have better understanding of topics they studied already.
The Two-Subject Bachelor[2] Two-Subject Bachelor involves two subjects as well and the bottom-up concept for Systemic Thinking is applicable on the two-subject-bachelor as well (similar two the Teachers Education in Germany).
Students approach Systems Thinking in the Bachelor degree bottom-up from the knowledge they have to model of a system they select according to their skills and background. They create a portfolio of document, software models that explain and show the behaviour of the system and content and material they have collected during their analysis of a selected system.