Subject: Cultural SD

Posted by Richard Turnock on 12/2/2008
In Reply To:Cultural SD Posted by Lees N. Stuntz on 12/2/2008

Message:

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During a discussion at WPI, Jay suggested a concept for a semester course which would start to teach the lessons of SD without teaching modeling. He suggested exploration of various classic models and also using games and simulations.
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Is this one of those reverse psychology tricks that I try to use on my granddaughter?
Teaching the lessons of SD without teaching modeling on the surface sounds like a quest of quixotic proportions.

Seriously, one approach might be to assume that incoming students already have mental models of how the world works. Depending on the traditional subject area or covering multiple subjects (physics, biology, history, social issues, etc.) the course might have as an objective the unlearning of mental models that lead to incorrect conclusions and actions with unintended consequences that make things worse. Step one would be to have the students exercise their mental models with problems as a pre-test. Like the FCI for physics or the John Sterman/ Linda Booth Sweeney inventory for SD concepts.

Pre-test
Make a mental model visible- make assumptions transparent
Exercises to use one mental model and show it doesn’t work
Unlearn incorrect mental model
Learn new mental model
Exercise new mental model and show how it works well
Post-test
Repeat for each mental model/subject area

Richard