A competence development framework for learning and teaching system dynamics

The approaching decline in the U.S. college-age population, sometimes referred to as a "demographic storm," has been identified as an existential threat to the future of American colleges and universities. This article conducts a model-driven analysis of three plausible college-level responses to declining applications. It draws on systems theory to conceptualize a tuition-dependent college as a complex service system and to develop a system dynamics model that captures key causal interrelationships and multiple feedback effects between faculty, facilities, tuition revenue, financials, reputation, and outcomes. Simulations with the college model suggest that common solutions such as reducing faculty or adding campus facilities may improve the college's short-term financial position, but they are insufficient to ensure its long-term viability. This model contributes to the research literature on the economics of higher education, and model-driven academic management and strategy. It also provides useful implications and insights that can inform policy-makers and college leaders.

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“…[47,48]). Many universities worldwide offer courses and academic programs in system dynamics [49][50][51][52].…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Will colleges survive the storm of declining enrollments? A computational model

Pavlov

Katsamakas

2020

PLoS ONE

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“…The content of the learning environment has been reorganized based on the recommendation of "best practices in modeling" by Martinez-Moyano and Richardson's (2013) and Richardson's (2014a, b, c) "canonical sequence" framework that help to lead learners seamlessly from problem identification and conceptualization to model testing and evaluation. The objectives at each stage of the learning and the intended learning outcomes were formulated with the help of frameworks provided by Munoz and Pepper (2016) and Schaffernicht and Groesser (2016).…”

Section: Identify Authentic Learning Tasksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Framework to support personalized learning in complex systems

Tadesse

Davidsen

2019

JARHE

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Purpose Numerous studies document that students struggle to comprehend complex dynamic systems (CDS). The purpose of this paper is to describe a design framework applied to the creation of a personalized and adaptive online interactive learning environment (OILE) to support students in their study of CDS. Design/methodology/approach A holistic instructional design is applied in five steps to create the OILE. The OILE has the following characteristics: first, it presents a complex, dynamic problem that learners should address in its entirety. It then allows learners to progress through a sequence of learning tasks from easy to complex. Second, after completion of each learning task, the OILE provides learners with supportive information based on their individual performance. The support fades away as learners gain expertise. Third, the OILE tracks and collects information on learners’ progress and generates learning analytics. The OILE was tested on 57 system dynamics students. Findings This paper provides evidence that supports the theoretical design framework from the literature. It also provides a sample from students’ progress logs to demonstrate how the OILE practically facilitated students’ cognitive development. In addition, it provides empirical evidence regarding students’ attitudes toward the OILE that was obtained from administering two questionnaires. Originality/value In light of supportive evidence from the literature, students’ progress in the cognitive domain, and confirmative response in the affective domain, the use of personalized and adaptive OILE to support learning about CDS is considered promising.

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“…15-16;Größler et al, 2008). Now, system dynamics is an academic discipline with an academic society, conferences, a peer-reviewed publication (System Dynamics Review), and graduate academic programs (Davidsen et al, 2014;Pavlov et al, 2014;Schaffernicht and Groesser, 2016).…”

Section: Game-based Structural Debriefingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Game-based structural debriefing

Kim

Pavlov

2019

ILS

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Purpose The authors developed a pedagogical framework called the game-based structural debriefing (GBSD) to leverage the affordances of video games for teaching systems thinking. By integrating system dynamics visualization tools within a set of debriefing activities, GBSD helps teachers make systems thinking an explicit goal of the gameplay and learning when they use available educational games in the classroom. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a design-based research methodology with the goals of validating GBSD and investigating the utility of GBSD across different contexts as a design source to develop game-based curriculum. Over the course of 12 months, the authors conducted one focus group interview and three design workshops with participating teachers and master teachers. Between the workshops, the team rapidly iterated the framework, as well as curricular materials, in collaboration with the teachers. Findings The authors developed a curriculum unit that integrates systems dynamics visualization tools and a video game for middle school life science ecosystem curriculum. The unit was implemented by the three teachers who participated in the co-design. The implementations confirmed the flexibility of the unit because teachers created additional instructional materials that supplemented the GBSD protocol and addressed the unique limitations and needs of their classrooms. Originality/value GBSD builds on system dynamics, which is a distinct academic discipline and methodology, and it uses its visualization tools, which are not widely used in the systems thinking educational literature. GBSD is also unique, in that it applies these tools within the debriefing activities developed for an off-the-shelf educational game. This paper illustrates how a design framework can be used to support teachers’ thoughtful integration of games in curriculum development.

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A competence development framework for learning and teaching system dynamics

Cited by 30 publications

References 75 publications

Will colleges survive the storm of declining enrollments? A computational model

Will colleges survive the storm of declining enrollments? A computational model

Framework to support personalized learning in complex systems

Game-based structural debriefing

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