D-4501-5 1 Road Maps 1 A Guide to Learning System Dynamics System Dynamics in Education Project2 A Guide to Learning System Dynamics D-4501-5 Road Maps 1 System Dynamics in Education Project System Dynamics Group Sloan School of Management Massachusetts Institute of Technology August 21, 1992 November 10,1997 Latest Revision: December 20, 2002 Copyright © 1994 by MIT Permission granted to copy for non-commercial educational purposes Compiled under the direction of Professor Jay W. Forrester3 D-4501-5 Road Maps 1 Welcome to Road Maps One! Road Maps is a self-study guide to learning the principles and practice of system dynamics. Road Maps One is the first in the series of chapters in Road Maps and serves as a general introduction to the field of system dynamics and its applications. We include readings that explain what a ‘system’ is and show how the concept of ‘feedback’ is critical to understanding how the components of a system are interconnected. We explore the use of system dynamics in K-12 education, and provide an example from the classroom. Finally, we illustrate the use of system dynamics in understanding the behavior of social systems. Topics Covered in Road Maps One An Introduction to Systems • System Dynamics and K-12 Teachers (D-4665-4) by Jay W. Forrester System Dynamics in Education • System Dynamics and Learner-Centered Learning in Kindergarten through 12th Grade Education (D-4337) by Jay W. Forrester • Simulating Hamlet in the Classroom (D-4540-1) by Pamela L. Hopkins System Dynamics and the Media • System Dynamics Meets the Press, (D-4143-1) an excerpt from The Global Citizen by Donella H. Meadows Policy Analysis in Social Systems • Counterintuitive Behavior of Social Systems (D-4468-1) by Jay W. Forrester4 A Guide to Learning System Dynamics D-4501-5 Things You’ll Need for Road Maps One Books All five introductory papers to read to complete Road One Maps are included in the chapter materials to download from the web site. There are no books to purchase. How to Use Road Maps One Road Maps One explores several topics in system dynamics through selected readings and exercises. Before each reading or exercise is a short description of the reading and its most important ideas. After each reading or exercise, we highlight the main ideas before moving on. Each chapter in Road Maps contains readings that introduce and strengthen some of the basic concepts of system dynamics. Other readings focus on practicing the acquired skills through various exercises or simulation games. Most of the chapters conclude with a prominent paper from the literature in the system dynamics field. We present the fundamental concepts of system dynamics as System Principles in Road Maps. These principles are enclosed in boxes that highlight them from the rest of the text to emphasize their importance. The progression of system principles in Road Maps allows you to revisit each principle several times. Each time a principle is revised in Road Maps, you will build upon your previous understanding of the principle by learning something new about the principle. The system principles are the core of Road Maps around which the readings, exercises, and papers are built. As part of the spiral learning approach that we use in Road Maps, many concepts will be briefly introduced early on and then explained later in greater detail. Road Maps contains a number of series of papers that are spread out over successive chapters. Each of these series focuses on a specific topic in system dynamics or the developing of a particular skill. The series start out with a simple paper, and progress to further develop the idea in subsequent chapters. Now let's get started!5 D-4501-5 Road Maps 1 An Introduction to Systems The idea of circular feedback in systems is one of the most basic concepts in system dynamics. Systems are built from interlocking feedback loops. The first reading in Road Maps One provides a good introduction to these concepts written by the founder of the field of systemn dynamics.. - System Dynamics and K-12 Teachers by Jay W. Forrester System Dynamics and K-12 Teachers introduces systems and feedback loops, two important ideas which will be further developed in more readings throughout Road Maps. A strong grasp of systems and feedback loops will build a good foundation for learning more advanced principles in system dynamics. Secton 4 discusses feedback loops while Section 7 gives some important examples of different kinds of complex systems. Section 13 explains the importance of generic structures to the study and understanding of system dynamics. Throughout the paper, Professor Forrester quotes grade school, middle school and high school teachers with how they use system dynamics to teach children. Please read System Dynamics and K-12 Teachers now. After reading System Dynamics and K-12 Teacher: Many of the diagrams used in early systems study are known as causal loops diagrams or influence diagrams. We will see causal loops fairly often during the first few chapters of Road Maps. However, causal loop diagrams are not the only way to represent systems, and in later Road Maps, we will introduce the more powerful method of representing systems through the use of stocks and flows shown on page 7. Now it's time to introduce our first System Principle. Basic concepts in system dynamics are organized as System Principles in Road Maps. We will be revisiting this system principle later in Road Maps.6 A Guide to Learning System Dynamics D-4501-5 System Principle #1: The feedback loop is the basic structural element of systems. A simple system is composed of a positive and a negative feedback loop. Notice the circular structure of the feedback loops. Feedback loops are the building blocks of systems that are linked together to build more complex systems. Let's move on to some of the applications of system dynamics. System Dynamics in Education System dynamics is now extensively used in education. System dynamics and learner-centered learning motivate children to become actively involved in their own education. The next two readings illustrate the use of system dynamics in the classroom. • System Dynamics and Learner-Centered Learning in Kindergarten through 12th-Grade Education1 by Jay W. Forrester In this paper, pre-college education has been described as "poorly serving the needs of society." Most students are resistant to the