Systems Thinking for Research
Master the art of mapping hidden connections and feedback loops to solve complex puzzles. This course bridges academic rigor with practical frameworks to decode how the world really works. * **Identify hidden patterns** and feedback loops in research data * **Map complex interdependencies** within technical and social systems * **Apply holistic frameworks** to solve engineering and academic challenges * **Predict unintended consequences** of specific research interventions
6 sections ยท 24 lessons
Course outline
System Fundamentals
- System Definition
- System Components
- System Fundamentals
Stocks and Flows
- Stocks
- Flows
Feedback Loops
- Balancing Loops
- Reinforcing Loops
- Delays
System Properties
- Bounded Rationality
- Resilience
- Self-Organization
- Hierarchy
- Nonlinearity
Common System Traps
- Policy Resistance
- Commons Tragedy
- Drift
- Escalation
- Success Spiral
- Shifting the Burden
Creating Change
- Parameters
- Information & Rules
- Goals & Paradigms
- Observe First
- Boundaries
- Complexity