[ExI] systems thinking

[Emlyn]

2009/7/13 BillK <pharos at gmail.com>:
> On 7/13/09, ben wrote:
> <snip>
>>  If children actually take any notice of their education, they _are_ taught
>> 'systems thinking', it seems to me.  It's just not called that, it's
>> distributed among many bits and pieces of the curriculum.
>>
>>  I thought there was something new to learn, but it seems not.
>>
>
> In the UK schools, you can get an A-Level course on Critical Thinking.
> (A-Level certificates count towards university entrance qualifications).
>
>    *  AS Unit 1: Credibility of Evidence
>    * AS Unit 2: Assessing and Developing Argument
>    * A2 Unit 3: Resolution of Dilemmas
>    * A2 Unit 4: Critical Reasoning
> <http://www.criticalthinking.org.uk/unit1/>
>
> Although this course teaches pupils how to think clearly,
> unfortunately, many universities do not accept this as a 'proper'
> course, like History or Physics, and will not accept this certificate
> as part of your university entrance qualification.
>
> BillK

While invaluable, critical thinking is in no way systems thinking. To
me, critical thinking (synonymous with analytical thinking?) is about
deconstructing and critiquing what exists, not so much about building,
except perhaps in the area of building an argument.

System thinking is at heart I think about being able to mentally model
complex systems. You can very explicitly use it (in engineering for
example), but I think it's also what is less intentionally used by all
people who work hands on with technology, it's how we can "feel" how
things work, why something is malfunctioning. The knack. The guy who
can whack the old TV just so to make it work properly, might just be
using systems thinking.

It's in no way integral to being intelligent (many very bright people
are hopeless with this, eg: positive rights :-) ), and I think it is
taught poorly or not at all at school, maybe at least partly because
there is no part of being a school teacher that requires this skill.

Back to the original question, I'd say numeracy is probably important,
serious maths not so much.

Actually, one of the ways kids get good system thinking nowadays is in
the land of computer games. Not so much in playing them, but there's a
class of creative tools in / around games which are excellent. The
strategy game map building tools are great, where you can build your
own scenarios (my son dabbles in warcraft III maps, and is just
starting to hassle me to help him with the bits that require
scripting). Little Big Planet looks great for it, you build what are
essentially crazy machines in a simulator. There are lots of other
things like this. I'm starting to think that the answer to the "how to
start kids programming" dilemma is, don't, just encourage them to be
creative, they'll discover code on their own soon enough.

-- 
Emlyn

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