Connecting the Dots: Systems Thinking at School

For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple… and wrong

H. L. Mencken

Why Think in Systems?

Our evolutionary success has benefited from our ability to fixate on what we need to survive and then apply our considerable brain power to get it: Woolly Mammoth steaks, a mate or the latest iPhone.

For millions of years, these linear and reductionist approaches have served us well… REALLY well! The ability to break down complex problems into simpler, smaller and more manageable chunks has fostered our collective capacity for problem-solving, fuelling our societal and industrial evolutions in the process.

However, such thinking has its limitations. An over-focus on individual elements rather than the interconnections between them can make it difficult to ‘step back’ and see the bigger picture, the repercussions of which are now all too apparent as children growing up in the world today will increasingly find themselves grappling with the complex adaptive challenges that they have inherited from previous generations.

Climate change, poverty and inequality. Reductionist and linear thinking fail to address these problems because they lead to a flawed and incomplete understanding of their complexity, resulting in often ineffective or even harmful repercussions from even the most well-intended interventions.

This is why, more than ever, we must learn to ‘think in systems’. Systems thinking needs to become a staple part of our students’ educational diet.

What is Systems Thinking??

A system is a set of interconnected elements (stocks) that work together to achieve a common purpose. They are characterised by the interactions and interdependencies between these elements (flows). Feedback loops are the mechanism through which a system output is fed back into the system as an input, influencing its ongoing behaviour.

Now, put simply: Imagine you have a fluffle of rabbits (stock). They ‘get it on’, increasing the birth rate (flow). This results in more rabbits which, in turn, means more kittens (a positive feedback loop). Over time, some rabbits make their way to bunny heaven (death rate: another flow). The more rabbits die, the less there are to reproduce: therefore less kittens… (a negative feedback loop).

Systems thinking is a way of understanding these connections and relationships; helping us to recognize how changes in one part of the system can have ripple effects elsewhere. It supports increasingly informed decision making by encouraging us to consider the long-term and unintended consequences of our actions.

The Benefits of Systems Thinking in Education

The benefits of encouraging students to think in systems are significant. Here I have outlined just a few:

Connecting the Dots

Systems thinking is by necessity, an authentically interdisciplinary approach. To understand a problem’s complexity, it is necessary to first understand and draw on concepts, tools and skills from a variety of different fields. This develops students’ appreciation for how the concepts learnt in different disciplines are connected, and that they can be used together to solve complex problems.

Breeding Critical Thinkers

Competent system thinkers recognise that changes to any single element can cause ripple effects throughout the entire system. That is why they think critically about the interventions they propose, considering the consequences of any action - or inaction - that they take; objectively analysing the potential after-effects to identify both the potential positive and harmful influences on the system as a whole. This critical lens means that systems thinkers are more likely to make informed and well-reasoned decisions.?

Fostering Creative Behaviour

Analysing a problem using a systems perspective reveals complexity... But this is not necessarily a bad thing. With more ‘moving parts’ comes increased opportunity for innovation. Systems thinkers identify multiple leverage points in a system - including those that others overlook - and then generate novel ideas for how small changes at these points could have significant impacts on that systems’ behaviour. This mode of thinking encourages creative behaviours; including lateral thinking, iterative design and risk-taking.

How to Introduce Systems Thinking into your Classrooms:

So, you have made it this far, have persevered through my ramblings and want to know how to take action and breed the next generation of system thinking superheroes. Here is a selection of tools and resources that I have used with some success to introduce system thinking into the classroom.

LOOPY - A Tool for Thinking in Systems

This digital tool does not look like a million dollars, but what it lacks in looks, it makes up for in substance. LOOPY helps to bring systems to life. Using this tool your students can build systems models, draw in the relationships between individual elements and then - critically - they can run simulations to see how the feedback loops in play affect the various stocks and flows. By making changes to individual elements, students can also see in real time the ripple effect that these changes have across the whole system.

Powerful stuff!

Systems Modelling

Models and frameworks make it easier to visualise systems. These models can also make systems more accessible to your students; particularly if they are relatively new to the concept.

The ‘Waters Center for Systems Thinking’ has produced the outstanding ‘Habits of a Systems Thinker’ card deck - a resource that anyone interested in the topic should immediately bookmark! Scattered amongst these habits are a collection of systems thinking frameworks that are worth their weight in gold when introducing systems thinking to the classroom.

You can also encourage your students to build their own systems models. LEGO is a great mechanism for this due to its inherent connectivity, but you can use plasticine or paper prototypes just as easily. If LEGO is easy to come by, you can explore how LEGO Serious Play can be used to build and animate interactive systems with dynamic and memorable results*

*For more information on how LEGO Serious Play can be used in Education, please check out my new book on the subject!?

The HIVE

An example of systems modelling, the HIVE is a simple framework that I developed as a Design and Technology teacher in Singapore. It was originally designed to support revision in preparation for exams. The intention was to show how different topics within the syllabus are connected. It proved such a successful tool for showcasing connections that I now use it regularly as an accessible tool for systems mapping.?

Using hexagonal tiles, students are able to tangibly represent the interconnectedness of different system elements. With simple counters or LEGO bricks, it is even possible to articulate stocks and flows to better visualise feedback loops and identify key leverage points within a system.

And Finally…

Linear and reductionist thinking are not in themselves bad. They are just not appropriate for every situation. In trying to apply these approaches to complex adaptive problems, they have contributed to our collective trajectory up the proverbial creek. We must adapt the way we educate our students to equip them with a paddle.

Encouraging systems thinking, empowering them to see the big picture, and making sure that they understand the ripple effects of their decisions; these golden threads must be woven into the fabric of education 4.0. A heightened appreciation of the complex systems within which we all exist will build societies collective capacity for making better informed, equitable and considered choices.

So let’s start connecting the dots today.

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References

Meadows, D. H. (2008). Thinking in systems: A primer. chelsea green publishing.

MacArthur, E. (2013). Towards the circular economy. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 2(1), 23-44.

Thornton, B., Peltier, G., & Perreault, G. (2004). Systems thinking: A skill to improve student achievement. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 77(5), 222-230.

Waters Center for Systems Thinking (Accessed 10th May, 2023). Available at: https://waterscenterst.org/.