2014|Student Guide

SYSTEMS THINKING

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SEAOHUN One Health Course - Student Guide

Module: Systems Thinking

This module provides students with the skills necessary to take a systems thinking approach to emerging pandemic diseases. Key outcomes of this module are the ability to:

Use systems thinking to create maps of complex and complicated systems that include human, animal, environment and ecological components.

Operate as part of a One Health team that uses systems maps to integrate information from multiple disciplines and sectors, to develop strategies to address One Health challenges, and to anticipate and mitigate potential unintended consequences.

There are seven sessions in this module:

Time Topic30 Minutes Introduction to Systems Thinking Module

60 Minutes What is Systems Thinking?: The Learning Challenge

180 Minutes What is Systems Thinking?: The Exploration

60 Minutes What is Systems Thinking?: Sharing the Learning

90 Minutes Wicked Problems: Finding Solutions to One Health Problems through Systems Thinking

60 Minutes Wicked One Health Problems: Sharing Solutions

60 Minutes Learning Reflections and Evaluation

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SEAOHUN One Health Course - Student Guide

Module Competencies

Competency #1 Learning Objectives to Develop CompetencyDescribe the elements of complex problems and systems thinking.

Understand core concepts of systems thinking and their application in One Health interventions by:

Accurately describing key systems concepts (e.g., complex, complicated and adaptive systems).

Understanding what is distinctive about systems thinking as opposed to other forms of thinking (e.g., logical, causal, etc.).

Evaluating the advantages and implications of taking a systems approach to understanding One Health problems.

Competency #2 Learning Objectives to Develop CompetencyCreate and use systems mapping to deepen understanding of One Health problems.

Create systems maps of One Health problems by: Identifying the essential elements of the One

Health problem. Identifying the interconnections among the

elements with humans, animals and the environment.

Mapping the integration points where individual system elements (e.g., social networks, organizations, government, communities, ecosystems) interact.

Competency #3 Learning Objectives to Develop CompetencyPartner with One Health team members to develop solutions to complex One Health problems using systems thinking and tools.

Contribute as a One Health team member to developing solutions to One Health problems by:

Using concepts from “wicked” problem/“super wicked” problem theory to better understand how to formulate and approach One Health problems.

Integrating information and actions across disciplines and sectors using systems thinking tools.

Identifying leverage points for maximum impact.

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Module: Systems Thinking

Determining and mitigating potential unintended consequences of planned interventions.

Creating essential feedback and feed-forward loops.

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SEAOHUN One Health Course - Student Guide

INTRODUCTION

Learning Objective:

Provide an overview of the module and learning objectives.

Inage Source: www.permanentculturenow.com

Notes

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Notes:

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Module: Systems Thinking

WHAT IS SYSTEMS THINKING?The Learning Challenge

Learning Objective:

Create a learning plan to learn about systems thinking.

Reading Assignm

ent

Read “Systems Thinking- Key Concepts” (ICRA Learning Resources)

Notes:

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SEAOHUN One Health Course - Student Guide

Creating a Learning Plan to Learn about Systems Thinking

Individual

Activity

Complete the table below:

Things we know about systems thinking

Things we do not know about

systems thinking

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Module: Systems Thinking

Small GroupTask

Find two or three other students with whom you feel you can successfully learn about systems thinking. As a team, take 25 minutes to create a plan to learn more about systems thinking. Begin by discussing:

What do you need to know about systems thinking in order to use a systems thinking approach in addressing One Health problems?

In what order should you research the items identified in the previous question?

What are the primary resources that you will use? What will you do when you cannot find the information

that you want? What will you do when you have questions? How will you know when you have enough information?

After considering these questions, complete the table on the following page.

Notes:

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Module: Systems Thinking

OUR PLAN TO LEARN ABOUT SYSTEMS THINKING

Things we know about systems thinking Things we do not know Plan for learning more

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Two references to get you started in learning about systems thinking are the ICRA Learning Resources on “Systems Thinking Guidelines” and “Systems Thinking Approaches.” These are included in the resource section at the end of this module.

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Module: Systems Thinking

Poster from http://wizzyschool.com/cosmiceducation/environsustainabilitycurriculum.php

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Module: Systems Thinking

Notes:

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SEAOHUN One Health Course - Student Guide

WHAT IS SYSTEMS THINKING?The Exploration

Learning Objective:

Understand core concepts of systems thinking and their application in One Health interventions by:

Describing accurately key systems concepts (e.g., complex, complicated and adaptive systems).

Understanding what is distinctive about systems thinking as opposed to other forms of thinking (e.g., logical, causal, etc.).

Evaluating the advantages and implications of taking a systems approach to understanding One Health problems.

Pre-work

Read “Systems Diagrams Guidelines” (ICRA Learning Resources)

Read “Systems Thinking: Approaches” (ICRA Learning Resources)

Creating a Systems Thinking Map

Small Group

Activity

Create a poster using systems mapping techniques to: Define systems thinking. Summarize key systems thinking concepts. Explain the distinctive elements of systems thinking as

opposed to other forms of thinking. Demonstrate how to create a systems map. Evaluate the advantages and implications of taking a systems

approach to understanding One Health problems.

Examples of Systems Maps

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SEAOHUN One Health Course - Student Guide

SYSTEMS THINKINGSpace to plan your systems thinking poster about systems thinking.

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Notes:

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Module: Systems Thinking

WHAT IS SYSTEMS THINKING?Sharing the Learning

Learning Objective:

Understand core concepts of systems thinking and their application in One Health interventions by:

Describing accurately key systems concepts (e.g., complex, complicated, and adaptive systems, etc.).

Understanding what is distinctive about systems thinking as opposed to other forms of thinking (e.g., logical, causal, etc.).

Evaluating the advantages and implications of taking a systems approach to understanding One Health problems.

New Learning

Large Group

Exercise

What did other groups have in their posters about systems thinking that you want to add to yours?

Notes:

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SEAOHUN One Health Course - Student Guide

SYSTEMS THINKING Sketch or write notes here on the final class poster about systems thinking.

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Module: Systems Thinking

WICKED PROBLEMS:Finding Solutions to One Health Problems Through Systems Thinking

Learning Objective:

Create systems maps of One Health problems by: Identifying the essential elements of the One Health

problem. Identifying the interconnections among the elements

with humans, animals and the environment. Mapping the integration points where individual system

elements (e.g., social networks, organizations, government, communities, ecosystems) interact.

Contribute as a One Health team member to developing solutions to One Health problems by:

Using concepts from “wicked” problem/“super wicked” problem theory to better understand how to formulate and approach One Health problems.

Integrating information and actions across disciplines and sectors using systems thinking tools.

Identifying leverage points for maximum impact. Determining and mitigating potential unintended

consequences of planned interventions. Creating essential feedback and feed-forward loops.

Wicked Problems

Lecture

A wicked problem is a social or cultural problem that is difficult or impossible to solve for as many as four reasons: incomplete or contradictory knowledge, the number of people and opinions involved, the large economic burden, and the interconnected nature of these problems with other problems.

Notes:

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Module: Systems Thinking

Three One Health Challenges - Solve Using Systems Thinking

Small Group

Activity

Challenge #1

There is an outbreak of influenza-like illness among people and animals in a small town in Thailand.

Challenge #2

Fifty (50) chickens die before the TET holiday in one village in Vietnam.

Challenge #3

Three individuals come to a health station showing signs and symptoms of dengue fever in a small town in Indonesia.

Challenge Directions:

Use systems thinking to explore the challenge you selected, answering the following questions:

Who? Who has the disease? Who else does the disease impact? Who should be on a One Health team?

Where? Where was the first case discovered? Where has it spread?

When? When was the first case discovered? How quickly is it spreading?

How? How is the disease transmitted? How serious is it? How can the disease be managed and controlled?

What? What are the implications for human, animal and ecological health?

Why? Why did the outbreak occur?

Then propose solutions to the challenge.

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SEAOHUN One Health Course - Student Guide

Create a poster and be prepared to present your ideas to the class.

Space to plan your poster.

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Module: Systems Thinking

Notes:

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SEAOHUN One Health Course - Student Guide

LEARNING REFLECTIONS AND EVALUATION

Learning Objective:

Reflect on your learning in the Systems Thinking Module.

Provide feedback on what were the strengths of the module and areas that the module could be improved.

Self-Evaluation

Individual Learning

Assessment

How would you rate your level of the following

Systems Thinking Module competencies: Und

erst

and

Appl

y

Eva

luat

e/C

reat

e

Describe the elements of complex problems and systems thinking.

Create and use systems mapping to deepen understanding of One Health problems.

Partner with One Health team members to develop solutions to complex One Health problems using systems thinking and tools.

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Module: Systems Thinking

Write down two or three things that you learned from the session. Think about: What did you learn in this module that was new to you? Have the lessons in this module led you to change any previously held

beliefs? What are you still unsure about? Do you have any questions that still need

to be answered? What was interesting to you/what would you like to study in more detail? Are there new behaviors that you will try based on this class? What topics from the class will you share with others?

Notes:

Sharing the Learning

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Small Group

Dsicussion

In a small group, share: Your key learnings from the module. How you will apply the concepts, knowledge, skills you gained

from the module.

Notes:

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RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS

Referenced in this Module

Horst, W.J. Rittel, and Melvin M. Webber, “Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning,” Policy Sciences 4, (1973), (pp. 155-169). Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01405730.

International Centre for Development Oriented Research in Agriculture. (n.d). Systems Diagrams Guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.icra-edu.org/objects/anglolearn/Systems_Diagrams-Guidelines1.pdf.

International Centre for Development Oriented Research in Agriculture. (n.d), Systems Thinking- Approaches. Retrieved from http://www.icra-edu.org/objects/anglolearn/Systems_Thinking-Approaches.pdf.

International Centre for Development Oriented Research in Agriculture. (n.d). Systems Thinking Key Concepts. Retrieved from http://www.icra-edu.org/objects/anglolearn/Systems_Thinking-Key_Concepts1.pdf.

Additional Resources

The Open University. Various courses and modules on Systems Thinking and Practice. www.open.ac.uk.

Senge, Peter M. (2006). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. New York: Doubleday Business.

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