JANUARY
January 14: Course Overview and Introduction - Introduction to Systems Thinking
Course structure, syllabus review, reading assignments, projects and mentoring, grading,
expectations (students and faculty)
January 19: A Systems View of the World (1)
Looking at the world as a system of systems; systems science and complexity science;
system thinking; methods of decision making; simple, complicated, and complex systems
HW Assignment:
- Read: Chapter 1 in the book by E. Laszlo (distributed in class on Jan 14)
- Study: Habits course 1 from the Waters Center Foundation
PPT Pres1
January 21: A Systems View of the World (2)
Looking at the world as a system of systems; systems science and complexity science;
system thinking; methods of decision making; simple, complicated, and complex systems
HW Assignment:
- Read Chapter 2 in the book by E. Laszlo (distributed in class on Jan 14)
- Read: Systems Science, Systems Thinking, Complex Systems, System Dynamics
- Study: Habits course 2 from the Waters Center Foundation
PPT Pres2
January 26: Introduction to System Dynamics (1)
Components of system dynamics; system dynamics modeling; STELLA Architect software
HW Assignment:
- Purchase the 6-month STELLA Architect v.8.x and upload it on your own computer.
Click here to purchase. A perpetual student license is also available.
You will need to open an account on the isee systems web site
- Read "A leader's framework for decision making" by D. Snowden and M. Boone (2007)
- Study: Habits course 3 from the Waters Center Foundation
PPT Pres2
January 28: Introduction to System Dynamics (2)
Components of system dynamics; system dynamics modeling; STELLA Architect software
HW Assignment
- Browse "An introduction to systems thinking - STELLA software" by B. Richmond (2004)
- Start studying on your own the SD tutorial on isee system web site.
- Study: Habits course 4 from the Waters Center Foundation
- Read pp. 14-27 in my book
PPT Pres2
FEBRUARY
February 2: Introduction to System Dynamics (3)
Components of system dynamics; system dynamics modeling; STELLA Architect software
HW Assignment
- Browse through "An introduction to systems thinking - STELLA software" by B. Richmond (2004)
- Study SD tutorials (Tutorials 1-4) on isee system web site
- Leverage Points: Places to intervene in a system by D. Meadows. Be ready to
present examples of leverage points in class.
- Study: Habits course 5 from the Waters Center Foundation
February 4: Introduction to System Dynamics (4)
Components of system dynamics; system dynamics modeling; STELLA Architect software
Reading and HW Assignment
- Browse "An introduction to systems thinking - STELLA software" by B. Richmond (2004)
- Study SD tutorials (Tutorials 1-6) on isee system website
- Study: Habits course 6 from the Waters Center Foundation
February 9: Introduction to System Dynamics (5)
Bass diffusion model of epidemics
- Study: Habits course 7 from the Waters Center Foundation
HW: Create an SD model of acceleration, speed, and position for the following dynamic:
An object is launched in the vertical direction at a height Ho with a velocity Vo.
Model the trajectory of the object using STELLA. Gravity effect only.
For graduate students: consider an x-y trajectory.
February 11: A Systems Approach to Human Development (1)
Concepts and models of development, Development Challenges, the SDGs
- Study: Habits course 8 from the Waters Center Foundation
- Read article on systems approach to the SDGs
- Select two SDG goals from the 17 SDGs.
Be ready to introduce to the rest of the class the two goals and their targets
HW: Complete version 1.0 of basic SD diffusion model discussed in class on Feb 9
February 16: The Water-Energy-Land-Food Nexus (1)
Nexus components and representations
Study: Habits course 9 from the Waters Center Foundation
Reading Assignment: Understanding the Nexus (Hoff, 2011)
HW: Read article on SD and Covid-19 and turn in version 2.0 of the diffusion model
February 18: The Water-Energy-Land-Food Nexus (2)
Nexus components and representations
Study: Habits course 10 from the Waters Center Foundation
Reading Assignment: Mitigating Risks and Vulnerabilities in the EFW Nexus....
February 23: The Water-Energy-Land-Food Nexus (3)
TERM PROJECTS ARE SELECTED
SD Modeling of the nexus (the WELF modules)
Study: Habits course 11 from the Waters Center Foundation
The Pardee RAND Report on the FEW nexus
HW: Complete population chain SD model started in class on Feb 18
February 25: The Water-Energy-Land-Food Nexus (4)
Study: Habits course 12 from the Waters Center Foundation
Analyzing the components of a case study and modeling
HW Assignment: Watch the video "The Water of Ayole" at https://vimeo.com/6281949
As you watch the video, answer a series of questions distributed in class (due on March 2)
MARCH
March 2: A Systems Approach to Human Development (4)
Sensitivity analysis in STELLA
Study: Habits course 13 from the Waters Center Foundation
The Pardee RAND FEW Secuity Model (see section 6.5 in my book)
Finish reading the Pardee RAND Report on the FEW nexus
Due on March 2:
- Answers to Water of Ayole questions
- One page write-up describing your term group project
- 4 x 4 double causality WELF matrix (detailed version)
March 4: Introduction to the Architect interface in STELLA
Study: Habits course 14 &15 from the Waters Center Foundation
Due: Paper summarizing the 15 habits discussed in class. One pragraph per habit.
March 9: Modeling human system archetypes (see section 5.4.4 in my book)
Read "System Archetypes " by Braun (2002).
Study: Archetypes 1 and 2 from the Waters Center Foundation
HW: Improve the Pardee RAND model discussed in class on March 2. Must include an Architect
nterface and a simple sensitivity analysis showing the variation of the FEW index for the
following values of the basic rate of water, energy, and food: 0.025, 0.05, 0.075 and 0.1.
March 11: System Dynamics Modeling and Nexus Models
(Chapter 6 and section 5.4.4 in my book)
Read "System Archetypes " by Braun (2002).
Study: Archetypes 3 and 4 from the Waters Center Foundation
March 16: Collecting and Analyzing Data for System Dynamics Modeling
PAR methods of primary and second data collection and analysis.
Integration of data analysis in individual and group decision system modeling.
Explore: The WELFG Model (pp. 85-118 in my book)
Read "System Archetypes " by Braun (2002).
Study: Archetype 5 from the Waters Center Foundation
March 18: Systems Approach to Management of Development Projects
Project Design and Planning
Study: Archetype 6 from the Waters Center Foundation
Explore: The WELFG Model (pp. 85-118 in my book)
March 23: Capacity assessment and development - The UVC approach to
Municipal Sanitation Systems (MSS)
Reading: Document
Study: Archetype 7 from the Waters Center Foundation
PPT Presentation
March 25: No class
APRIL - MAY
March 30: Systems Approach to Management of Development Projects
Capacity assessment and development - The UVC approach to
Municipal Sanitation Systems (MSS)
Study: Archetype 8 from the Waters Center Foundation
Read ICRISAT case study and complete HW assignment (distributed on March 16)
Reading: Document
HW: Create a stock and flow diagram illustrating the tragedy of the commons
April 1 & 6: Term projects progress evaluation
Presentation of version 1.0 of term projects
HW due on April 6: A summary of all 9 archetypes with one small example per archetype
April 8: Sustainability and Sustainable Development (1)
Human footprint; Definitions of sustainability: A systems approach to sustainability
Reading assignment:
- The five core principles of sustainability according to M. Ben-Eli (2011)
- The cybernetics of sustainability, M. Ben-Eli (2012)
HW Assignment
- Take the footprint quiz and submit results to instructor
April 13 (8-9:30 am MT): Regsiter for USIP lecture at
The Nexus of Climate Change, Fragility, and Peacebuilding | United States Institute of Peace (usip.org)
April 15: Sustainability and Sustainable Development (2)
Integrating sustainability in engineering projects (The Envision Framework)
HW Assignment:
- Read the Martina Bustos Case Study
- The Envision Framework. Browse through this document.
April 20: Agent Based Modeling (ABM)
Download AnyLogic (personal learning edition)
HW Assignment: Martino Bustos case study. Questions sent to class on April 7
PPT Presentation
April 22: ABM and Network Analysis
PPT Presentation
April 27: Final presentations (Part 1)
April 29. Final presentations (Part 2)
Case study reports due no later than April 29
May 1: Final presentations (Part 3) 7:30-10 pm