Postprint
This is the accepted version of a paper presented at OR60 The OR Society Annual Conference, 11-13 September, 2018, Lancaster.
Citation for the original published paper:
Elm, P., Iqbal, S., Mirijamdotter, A. (2018)
Exploring threshold concept when teaching Systems Thinking and Soft Systems Methodology
In: , OR60A3581 (pp. 202-202). Birmingham, UK: The Operational Research Society
N.B. When citing this work, cite the original published paper.
Permanent link to this version:
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-77806
Systems Thinking and Soft Systems Methodology
Patrik Elm Sarfraz Iqbal
Anita Mirijamdotter Dept. of Informatics,
Linnaeus University, Sweden
• Introduction
o What this is about – scope of presentation
o Why is this important, i.e., threshold concepts and systems thinking o Current situation in teaching ST & SSM (our problem with teaching
systems thinking)
• Definitions – threshold concept, characteristics, and why we think this is promising
• Threshold concept in Systems thinking and SSM – discussion of what we have experienced to be the main concepts
• What did we do to teach these concepts (adhering to the difficulties) – course structure
• Discussion of our finding related to our definition (threshold concept)
Content
A threshold concept: opening up a new and previously inaccessible way of thinking about something; represents a transformed way of understanding, or interpreting, or viewing something without which the learner cannot progress.
• Transformative
• Integrative
• Irreversible
• Potentially troublesome
Threshold concept (mainly from Meyer and Land 2003)
• Systems thinking, parts, whole, relations
• The difference between hard and soft (systems methodology)
• Thinking in models
• Worldview – Weltanschauung – purposeful action
• Human Activity Systems
• A learning system – no problem solving, just changes (structures, processes, mental models) that might be improvements for some.
Threshold Concepts and Systems Thinking
and SSM
Flipped classroom
The purpose of a flipped classroom pedagogy is to introduce students to course content outside of the classroom so that students can engage that content at a deeper level inside the classroom.
• benefits: students perform better on exams, are more engaged and take ownership of their learning, display highly developed team- based skills, the motivation of acquiring new knowledge increases,
• changed role for lectures: take the position of facilitators or
managers of the discussion rather than being the central point of the overall learning process; therefore design a learning environment that supports activating students and take responsibility for their own learning.
• on the other side: demand on instructor time, lack of institutional
funding and on-going support, student resistance to change, etc.
Flipped classroom and real world case that relates to own experience
• First, get to know the concepts (outside of classroom)
• Then, in class, work in groups on applying these on well known tasks
• What do you do when you find information for an assignment
• Teachers analyzed their answers in terms of technology, sources and processes
• Discussion of relationships between these facets of information and their systemicity, and discussion of different approaches
• Case study in groups, applying systems thinking and the SSM-process
• Reflection on their learning
Project carried out in groups of 4 and during class meetings
§ Scope:
• The University for Business and Technology Knowledge Center aim is making local knowledge visible for the purpose of creating more local knowledge, for the benefit of the university community, Kosovo society, and global inquiry.
§ Task:
• Build on the previous work as reported in papers by developing the internal work processes, and internal and external search processes, from the points of view of UBT professors, UBT administrators, UBT students, Kosovo citizens, and
worldwide researchers.
§ Process:
• Follow the phases of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM): Finding Out, Modeling, Comparing/Debating, and Taking Action
§ Examination and Assessment:
• Report of app. 4000 words or 8 A4 pages including references (Harvard Style)
Intermediary reports during class meetings
Case Assignment: UBT Knowledge Center
Course participant reflections
Course design
• “gave us a new spirit different from what we have been taught earlier”
• “good organization and coordination from professors helped us understanding,”
• “it is important to note that the professors created a learning environment where all student skills were represented and all students were able to succeed.”
• “Flipped learning certainly addresses some issues that professors and students face - time, resources, learning styles, etc. The concept of flipped learning can lead to us as students to learn easier, more efficient, engaging, and meaningful.”
Transformative Integrative
Irreversible
Potentially troublesome
Course participant reflections
Transformative, integrative, irreversible (past what used to be ‘troublesome’)
• “I learned how to learn.”
• “this will not only help me in my career but also in personal and academic life,”
• “learning is a process that never stops … learning is something as a universe, infinite and vast…”
• interdisciplinarity (Computer Science and Information Systems) - expansion of ideas and skills translated by tackling the problem from different perspective
• ‘near-peer mentor’ - both graduate and undergraduate students in group work
Irreversible
Potentially troublesome
§ Explore this area more, both threshold concepts and teaching systems thinking
§ Teach both ST and SSM and reflect on the course design
§ Explore threshold concepts in other courses and the design of these
§ Interdisciplinarity and near-peer mentoring – reflect on their importance
What next !!?
Boustedt J, Eckerdal A, McCartney R, Moström JE, Ratcliffe M. 2007. Threshold Concepts in Computer Sciecne: Do they exist and are they useful?. ACM SIGCSE’07. March 7-10, Covington, Kentucky, USA; 504-508.
Checkland P. 2011. Autobiographical Retrospectives: Learning your way to ‘action to improve’ – the development of soft systems thinking and soft thinking methodology. International Journal of General Systems 40(5): 487-512.
Checkland P, Poulter J. 2010. Soft Systems Methodology. In Systems Approaches to Managing Change: A Practical Guide, Reynolds M, Holwell S (eds). Springer: London, UK; 191-241.
Cope C, Staehr L. 2008. Improving Student Learning About a Threshold Concept in the IS Discipline.
Informing Science 11:349-364.
Nicola-Richmond K, Pépin G, Larkin H, Taylor C. 2017. Threshold concepts in higher education: a synthesis of the literature relating to measurement of threshold crossing. Higher Education Research &
Development, DOI: 10.1080/07294360.2017.1339181
Meyer JHF, Land R. 2003. Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge: linkages to ways of thinking and practising within the disciplines. In Rust C (ed). Improving Student Learning–Ten Years On. Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development (OCSLD): Oxford, UK; 412-424.
Reynolds M, Holwell S. 2010. Introducing Systems Approaches. In Systems Approaches to Managing Change: A Practical Guide, Reynolds M, Holwell S (eds). Springer: London, UK; 1–23.
Sandri OJ. 2013. Threshold concepts, systems and learning for sustainability. Environmental Education Research 19(6): 810-822, DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2012.753413
