The Art and Practice of Systems Thinking

Semester: 

Spring

Offered: 

2020
How we explore the challenges we face is often framed by the approaches and strategies we use to examine them. This course in systems thinking assesses system behaviors by examining the entire system—including human, political, community, resource, environmental, and social processes—to get a holistic view into how organizations and individuals often look at the world, assess problems, and invent solutions. And since the way systems are designed determines outcomes, we also look at the intended and unintended consequences of various actions. Using nonlinear thinking to complement our typical linear way of thinking can lead to deeper insight into problems and potential solutions, which is the focus of this course.