2025-02-13

Feburary 13 (the second Thursday of the month) is the 128th meeting for Systems Thinking Ontario. This will be an in-person session. The registration is available on Eventbrite at: https://evolving-learning-systems.eventbrite.ca or at https://guild.host/st-on/events .

Evolving Styles for Learning Systems Thinking

Systems thinking is an approach with a long history and a large legacy of knowledge. Much of the educational material has roots in the 1970s-1990s, incrementally improved. For learners at a higher education level in 2025, what has changed so that the pedagogical style should be altered?

The Understanding Systems course in the master's program in Strategic Foresight and Innovation at OCADU was originally developed in 2008.  This predates the founding of the 2012 first Relating System Thinking and Design symposium, through to an RSD14 scheduled for Toronto this October.

For the winter 2025 session of Understanding Systems, the opportunity was taken to update the approach to prioritize (i) artifacts, (ii) methods, and then (iii) theory.  The transition from the prior syllabus towards updated content includes reflection-in-action, not only of class participants, but also the instructors. 

About the session:

Some topics for consideration include:

(a) Technology changes:

• Remote online cohorts (multiple time zones) over the Internet, as compared to in-person multi-group immersion 

• Softcopy readings, with potential complements in rich media (e.g. videos on YouTube)

• Generative AI for absorption (e.g. literature review abstracts, podcast creation) and for collaborating (e.g. as editing assistant, as foil or as tutor)

(b) Learner changes:

• Pre-pandemic meetings vs. post-pandemic WfH

• Generations: Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, Gen Alpha

• Training and experiences, with undergraduate majors, work and career shifts

(c) Social and economic changes:

• M.Des, MBA, or other certifications (e.g. EdX, Coursera)

• Domestic and international learners (with fees, part time or full time) 

• Pressures on faculty (provincial funding, departmental changes)

Session Leaders

The panel for this session includes:

• Stephen Davies, instructor of the Understanding Systems course at OCADU, and 

• David Ing, a previous instructor at OCADU in 2020, and the author of prior courses at Aalto University and University of Toronto.

This session will be moderated by Zaid Khan, a graduate of the SFI program.

Venue & Registration

This meeting will be conducted in person at OCADU Graduate Programs, 205 Richmond Street West, Room 510. 

• 6:30pm to 8:15pm

• Optional conversation over dinner, afterwards.

• Option to register here: https://evolving-learning-systems.eventbrite.ca

Suggested pre-readings / audio / video

• Jones, Peter H., and Jeremy Bowes. 2016. “Synthesis Maps: Systemic Design Pedagogy, Narrative, and Intervention.” In Proceedings of RSD5 Symposium. Toronto, Ontario: Systemic Design Research Network. https://systemic-design.net/rsd-symposia/rsd5-2016/rsd5-theory-method/.

• David Ing, "Systems Thinking Courses in the Master's Programme on Creative Sustainability at Aalto University: Reflections on Design and Delivery of the 2010-2011 Sessions", Proceedings of the 55th Annual Meeting of the International Society for the Systems Sciences, Hull, UK, July 17-22 2011.  https://coevolving.com/commons/201107-systems-thinking-creative-sustainability

Agenda

Post-meeting artifacts

Bloggers are encouraged to write about their learning and experiences at the meeting. Links will be added to this page.