INTRODUCING SYSTEMS THINKING AND SYSTEMS PRACTICE TOPICS INTO UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS

Abstract

The aim here is to describe the development ofa set of courses on systems thinking and systems practice atIzmir University, in Turkey. This is an ongoing project,involving the design of at least three (elective) courses. Thefirst course in the sequence is titled Systems Thinking,Systems Practice, and it is being taught at present at IzmirUniversity. This particular course is designed to introducethe fundamental concepts in systems thinking and systemspractice, and it is offered to students of natural sciences,social sciences, and engineering. The objectives here are: (1)to present a historical perspective of holistic thinking orsystems thinking; (2) to discuss basic ideas of GeneralSystems Theory; (3) to overview the main strands in systemsthinking and systems practice. It is hoped that, through thissecond year course, students will be encouraged to see allaspects of reality from a holistic perspective.Index Terms - Systems thinking, systems practice, systemsengineering, system dynamics, undergraduate education.