A brief account 

of a system dynamics course 

for high school students and teachers, and

for community sustainability activists

 

Paul Newton
University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
paulnewton@attglobal.net

Larry Smith
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
SMITHL@uwgb.edu

Abstract

 

Over the 1999-2000 academic year, an introductory evening and weekend course in system dynamics was held at the high school in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, USA.The students consisted of high school students, high school teachers, and community members.In the hope that our story may benefit others interested in attempting something similar, this paper discusses three aspects of our experience, including:
 

-                      How the course got started

-                      Curriculum materials

-                      Some initiatives undertaken by the students on their own volition
 

1.0    How the course got started… illustrating how community sustainability can be a mechanism for introducing system dynamics in a community
 

The course came about primarily because of the accidental coming-together of two independent multi-faceted initiatives. In one initiative, Larry Smith, Susan Gullion, and Roy Aiken had been taking several paths toward developing public and government awareness of, and action on, sustainability/stewardship in Door County and its communities, and the larger region of Northeastern Wisconsin. The other initiative had been Paul Newton's efforts at promoting system dynamics in K-12 education in nearby Green Bay, WI. Larry, Susan, and Roy had, independently of Paul, decided that the tools that they would promote toward their community sustainability agenda were 1) sustainability principles, 2) system dynamics, and 3) dialogue. Simultaneously, one of Paul's initiatives had been the formation of a system dynamics study group for educators, which, somehow, Susan became aware of and joined. Learning of one another's initiatives through Susan, Larry, Susan, and Roy saw Paul as a system dynamics knowledge resource, and Paul saw community sustainability as a mechanism for introducing system dynamics in K-12 education. Thus, the two initiatives were joined…
 

Some months later, while Paul was home in Wisconsin for the Christmas holidays from his system dynamics studies at Norway, he and Roy met with the Sturgeon Bay Superintendent, High School Principal, and District Curriculum Director, and proposed a high school/community system dynamics course. The idea was to find a high school teacher who would be interested in learning and teaching system dynamics. The teacher would get started learning system dynamics at Trinity College during the summer, and Paul and the teacher would then teach the first course together in the fall. The course would be funded by local business, government, and charitable organizations, which, in return for their funding, would also be offered seats in the course along with the high school students. Further, the course would be advertised to other K-12 teachers who might be interested and would be held either the first or last period of the day to facilitate participation by the adult students.
 

Despite some communication snafus it all came together. After playing a bit with Stella® on the computer in his basement, Don Ziegelbauer, a high school social studies teacher, became very interested in co-teaching the class with Paul. In July, he and Paul attended Course 1 of the Waters' Center's 5 course sequence for teachers at Trinity College in Burlington, Vermont.Don recruited three other teachers (1 biology, 1 economics, and 1 social studies) to take the course, as well as five high school sophomores. Four adults enrolled in the course, including Roy Aiken (director of the Door Property Owners Association, Larry Smith (a social sciences professor at the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay), Pat Miller (a retiree who is very active in Door County community issues), and John Jessup (a business process modeling consultant). The high school students would receive normal elective credit for the course, with Don being responsible for grading their work. The class decided to meet each week for two hours on Monday evenings and three hours on Saturday mornings, for a total of five hours per week.

 

2.0          Curricular materials
 

More detail on the curriculum and teaching process is available from the authors. The materials we used, in approximate order of use were:
 

Introduction to Systems Thinking and Tools and Introduction to Dynamic Modeling, Courses 1 (Fall) and 2 (Spring) respectively, from the Waters' Center for Systems Thinking and Dynamic Modeling in K-12 Education, described at http://www.trinityvt.edu/waters/Services/GradCert/GradCert.htm
 

Sterman, John (2000) Business Dynamics: Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World, McGraw-Hill, Boston. Chapters 1, 3, and 4-8. For titles & description, see http://web.mit.edu/jsterman/www/BusDyn2.html
 

Fisher, Diana (1999) Lessons For a First Course in System Dynamics Modeling Using the STELLA Software, Summer Creek Press, Tigard, OR.
 

Forrester, Jay W. (1968) Principles of Systems, Pegasus Communications, Waltham, MA. Some readings and exercises
 
 

Richmond, Barry (1997) "Systems Thinking and ithink: Tools for meeting the needs of an ever more complex, ever more rapidly changing business environment," Introduction to Systems Thinking, (ithink manual) High Performance Systems.
 

Richmond, Barry et al. An Introduction to Systems Thinking. High Performance Systems, Inc. 1997. (Stella software manual) Chapter 2.
 

Meadows, Donella. (1997)"Places to Intervene in a System (in increasing order of effectiveness). Whole Earth Catalog. Winter, 1997.
 

Kim, Daniel H.(1999) Introduction to Systems Thinking. Pegasus Communications, Inc. Waltham, MA.
 

Richardson, George and Alexander Pugh (1981) Introduction to System Dynamics Modeling, Pegasus Communications, Waltham, MA. "The System Dynamics Approach" and "Problem Identification and System Conceptualization," Chapters 1 and 2 respectively, 
 

Goodman, Michael, Richard Karash, Colleen Lannon, Kellie Wardman O'Reilly, & Don Seville.(1997) Designing a Systems Thinking Intervention Pegasus Communications, Inc. Waltham, MA.
 

Randers, Jorgen (ed.) (1980) Elements of the System Dynamics Method. Pegasus Communications, Waltham, MA. Paper - "Guidelines for Model Conceptualization"
 

Forrester, Jay W. (1975) Collected Papers of Jay W. Forrester, Pegasus Communications, Waltham, MA "Market Growth as Influenced by Capital Investment" and "Industrial Dynamics - After the First Decade"
 

Forrester, Jay W. "Learning through System Dynamics as Preparation for the 21st Century" (1994) & "System Dynamics and Learner-Centered-Learning in Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade Education" (1992), Road Maps Chapters 8 & 1, downloadable from http://sysdyn.mit.edu/
 

Alfeld, Louis Edward and Alan K. Graham (1976) Introduction to Urban Dynamics, Pegasus Communications, Waltham, MA
 

Richardson, George (1986) Problems with causal loop diagrams, System Dynamics Review 2(2), 158-170.
 

Richardson, George (1997) Problems in causal loop diagrams revisited, System Dynamics Review 13(3), 247-252.
 

Shibley, John (1998) Some Notes on Door County. Unpublished. Available from Roy Aiken, Sturgeon Bay, WI.
 

A significant portion of the first semester curriculum consisted of readings from the above curriculum, for the purpose of studying the following questions and topics:
 

-                      Why systems thinking?

-                      What is system dynamics?

-                      What does system dynamics have to do with learning?

-                      How do I use system dynamics?

-                      How do I get started?

-                      Why are model purpose and boundaries so important?

-                      Looking for leverage in a system.

-                      System dynamics' value to people and society.

-                      System dynamics' value to education
 

3.0          Initiatives undertaken by the students on their own volition
 

3.1          Teaching a system dynamics course next school year
 

Don Ziegelbauer was so enthralled by his introduction to systems that he not only wanted to use it as a tool in his social studies classes, but he also wanted to teach a course in system dynamics as a high school elective. In early December he and several of the high school students taking the first semester's course presented system dynamics to the Sturgeon Bay School Board, and requested and received approval for Don to teach a 9 week course beginning in the 2000-2001 school year. Don anticipates that one or more of the sophomores (or perhaps even the adult) students in our class this year will be interested in assisting him in teaching the new system dynamics course.
 

3.2          Using systems thinking in their teaching
 

3.2.1       Steve Schmelzer
 

Steve Schmelzer, a high school economics teacher in the class, has used systems tools in several contexts in his class, including:
 

-               Demand-side fiscal policy: Steve used causal loop and stock-flow diagrams as communication tools. As an aside, he indicates that his students more readily understood stock-flow than causal loop diagrams.
 

-               Financial planning: Steve showed his students how to build a simple, first order financial planning model where inflow was income, outflow was spending, with budget items feeding expenditures. The students built the model in a lab and used it to test budgets they had developed prior to the lab.
 

-               Understanding savings and credit: On the board, Steve showed his students a savings account stock-flow diagram, then modified the variable names on the diagram to create a credit stock-flow diagram, illustrating transferability of structure. He then had the students run experiments in the lab using the retirement/credit/inflation model from Waters Center's Demo Dozen.
 

-               Steve had the students study exponential growth in the lab using the Lily Pad model from Waters Center's Demo Dozen.
 

-               Steve is planning on attending the Systems Thinking and Modeling in K12 Education this summer in Oregon.
 

3.2.2       Don Ziegelbauer
 

Don Ziegelbauer has used systems tools in several contexts, both in and out of the classroom, including:
 

-               Population studies: Don developed a Mexico to U.S. immigration model that he used both in class and with the School Board to sell the idea of teaching a systems class. Both with his classes, and with the School Board, he posited some system assumptions, and then asked the students/School Board to predict population behaviors, followed by testing the behavior-over-time resulting from those assumptions.
 

-               Population studies curriculum development:  Don has developed a population model for local fish populations. He is improving his model in collaboration with local state DNR (Department of Natural Resources) personnel, and hopes to use the model as a discussion mechanism between DNR personnel and his students.
 

-               Prison overcrowding:          One of Don's students, with Steve Schmelzer's help, developed systems diagrams to illustrate her prison-crowding project for Don's class.
 

-               Biology presentation:          Don is working with three of the four sophomores who took our first semester course to help them develop a simple biology model to present to a biology class.
 

-               Curriculum for his systems course:   Don is choosing/developing a curriculum for his 9 week systems elective that he will be teaching this next academic year.
 

-               Don is continually introducing other teachers and students to system dynamics applications in education. He is recruiting teachers throughout Door County to take Waters Center's Course 1 this summer, and he is also recruiting students for his upcoming system dynamics class.
 

3.2.3       Jim Adams
 

Jim Adams, a history and social studies teacher at Sevastopol High School (another Door County town, near Sturgeon Bay), responded to my request for initiatives he had undertaken with the following (taken from his email to me):
 

"Most of what I am doing is subtle rather than full-blown S/D [system dynamics] instruction. I have found myself introducing BOTGs [Behavior-over-time graphs] and some stock-flow diagrams in my instruction as we go through various units.
 

"Last week one of my freshmen students did a report on Easter Island in our anthropology unit. After her report I began asking the students questions to get their responses re: what happened. After a brief discussion we went to the computer lab and I took them through the Easter Island model. Unfortunately, we didn't get very far with time constraints but I will be taking them back to the lab on Monday to continue our discussion.
 

"In the American History class (juniors) I have used BOTGs for civil rights and immigration. I had the students draw BOTGs expressing what they thought has happened re: civil rights. They came up with BOTGs showing: an increase in black voting, changing levels of KKK activity, more black participation in athletics, etc. I was pleasantly surprised to see their reaction to using BOTGs. They took to it right away & it stimulated a lot of good discussion. They would ask why things happened and some of the students that participate the least in class came up with some rather perceptive explanations of behaviors.
 

"I used BOTGs similarly in my unit on immigration.
 

"I am not as comfortable with the use of CLDs yet. I have used some of the ones that we have used in class but I am not ready to create one 'on the fly' in the class.
 

"I also have used the population model from the Demo Dozen in class.
 

"Outside of the classroom I have been trying to 'infect' other teachers & my principal. I gave the 'Flying a Cell' CD [a learning environment demonstration from High Performance Systems, Inc.] to the science teacher & have tried recruiting him for the summer class. Dale Carlson(Ag teacher: animal science, forestry, etc.) plans on taking it, Ade Webber (Econ, World Hist, Geography) is a possible as is Roy Raynier (Earth Science). Mike Zittlow (Math) has not committed & I plan on sharing some math models from the CLE with him. Hopefully he will get infected.
 

"We are just starting the Wars Unit that I submitted for Course 1 that you, Jeff, & John reviewed. I shared that with my principal, Randy Watermolen in my professional growth plan review. All teachers are required to prepare a PGP at the beginning of the year and I chose to incorporate my S/D class work in my wars unit. The teachers are also required to have a unit constructed by the end of the year that ties in their standards & benchmarks. So I killed several birds with one model!
 

"Next year I have a new assignment (Current Issues) so I plan on incorporating much of what I have learned in these courses. This will let me 'test drive' a possible course for the following school year. After using S/D in Current Issues first semester I plan on proposing a S/D course for the following school year (2001-2002). Hopefully Don Ziegelbauer and I can get together this summer to work on it. He is getting paid to do curriculum work and Randy wants me to put in time this summer for the Current Issues course so we should be able to dovetail our work."
 

3.2.4           Larry Smith
 

Larry Smith (co-author of this paper) is also selecting system dynamics curriculum to use in his undergraduate economics, global studies, and sustainability courses at the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. He is currently looking at some sustainability curriculum produced by John Heinbokel and Jeff Potash at The Waters' Center. He will also look at Professor Khalid Saeed's sustainability and development economics work and software, as well as Decision Dynamics' "Rural Community Modeler" software (http://www.decisiondynamics.com) as potential resources. While choices about materials to use in these courses are not yet firm, available resources like those mentioned above could clearly enhance several of Larry’s courses in both the lower-level general education program and at the upper-level in both economics and in the interdisciplinary undergraduate degree program in social change which he chairs.
 

3.3              Introducing system dynamics at a seminar for other teachers
 

Every spring the teachers in all of the school districts in Door County gather for a day they call T3 ("Teach the Teachers").Don Ziegelbauer and Jim Adams, with Steve Schmelzer's support, took it on themselves to offer a 1-hour introduction to system dynamics in education as part of this day. Fifteen teachers attended their session, and, as a result, several teachers have expressed interest in learning more about system dynamics.
 

3.4              Recruiting other teachers to take Waters' Center's Course 1 this summer
 

Don and several of the other students are promoting the idea of inviting The Waters' Center teach their Course 1 this summer (2000) in Door County. Don believes that he can recruit 15 teachers (probably half of whom heard about system dynamics at the T3 discussed above) who would be very interested in taking this weeklong full-time course. This is seen as critical to continuing Door County's momentum into next year, because, the teachers who complete Course 1 in the summer will be able to take Course 2 over the internet in the fall, enabling Door County to have a group of ten to twenty teachers who are simultaneously learning to use system dynamics for learning.
 

3.5              Beginning to use systems thinking on community initiatives
 

Larry Smith (co-author of this paper) lives in the township of Nasewaupee which is adjacent to Sturgeon Bay in the heavily recreational and problematically attractive Door County, Wisconsin on the western shore of Lake Michigan. The Nasewaupee Land-Use Planning Committee, which Larry chairs, now works with a consulting firm to find creative approaches to land-use planning and management for the town. But the town can’t manage its fate alone, and Larry hopes that tools like systems dynamics will help the committee and town develop meaningful partnerships with other entities in Door County and, perhaps the larger region, to find or create useful approaches to evolving problems of sprawl. Larry hopes to use system dynamics alongside the consulting teams' efforts for the purpose of better understanding and evaluating their policy recommendations and to provide visual models of likely outcomes of implementation of land use tools in the Town. He also hopes that use of system dynamics in conjunction with land use visualization tools as in the package offered by the Prescott College/NASA (Arizona) program described at http://www.prescott.edu/nasa/pnf_contents.htm will help further this effort.
 

3.6              Doing sessions on system dynamics at an annual Wisconsin-wide education conference
 

The GWETC (Governor's Wisconsin Educational Technology Conference) is held every year in a different location in Wisconsin. It will be held in October 2000 in Madison. Members of the class have proposed to do three different presentations at this conference; we hope their applications will be approved. The titles of their presentations are:
 

-               "System Thinking and Computer Modeling as tools in Grades 7-12 Classrooms"

-               "Computer Simulations: From Student Education to Learning Communities"

-               "Sustainable Development and Global Studies Utilizing System Dynamics"
 

4.0    Summary and Further Information
 

We have briefly described three aspects of a continuing community system dynamics course: how the course got started, curriculum materials used, and some initiatives undertaken by the students on their own volition. A more comprehensive paper is available at http://www.arme.cornell.edu/paulnewton/home.htm, including more on the curriculum, educational process, use of distance education tools, and some reflections on our experience. Our reflections address three questions: the viability of community sustainability as a mechanism for introducing system dynamics in a community; the roles and value to the effort of a 'citizen-advocate' and a 'teacher-advocate'; and the degree to which our curriculum meets its objectives.

 

(Prepared for presentation at the New England Complex System Institute's International Conference on Complex Systems, held May 21-26, 2000 in Nashua, New Hampshire, USA)