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Getting Started
Getting Started
Please note, you can not edit the google doc. You must follow the instructions below to get a copy of the document for your own use.
Use the Google doc "Building temperature systems map" as a guide to create your first systems map. While this is not a complex problem like a wicked problem, it will give you a chance to identify elements, interconnections, system purpose/function, feedback loops, and leverage points. There are examples provided throughout. Remember, the goal is not to create an identical systems map to the sample but to practice your ability to analyze systems.
How to get a copy of the google doc for your use:
If you would like to access the doc as a resource for you to fill in you can launch the document by selecting the arrow in the box. Then you can either choose File/Download to download a copy or make a copy of the document to keep in your own Google drive. You can also select the button below to copy the document to your own Google drive.
Please note, like the site, this resource is available with a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
Check out the link to Systems Mapping by Disrupt Design. The first type of map described in this post is the type that we are doing in SUST 201. This is a good starting point. Acaroglu has good tips on how to construct the systems map that will be useful as you start to develop your own maps.
Let's Get a Little More Complex
Let's Get a Little More Complex
Next, you are going to follow the steps identified in the Building temperature systems map document to guide you as you develop a map of a more complex system a university or organization that you are familiar with. As these systems are more complex, it is highly unlikely that your map will be identical to the sample. Therefore, you are looking for looking for differences or similarities in how they are set up, organized, and labelled. The example looks at MacEwan University which is where Sustainability 201 is run through.
And One More Level
And One More Level
For this final practice map, watch the video Systems thinking: A cautionary tale (cats in Borneo) by Sustainability Illustrated and see if you can apply what you have learned about systems mapping to create a map of the system described in the video. This is an excellent example because it describes a number of feedback loops and identifies different leverage points, although the video doesn't use that language so you will need to interpret it. Once you are done, check your map against the example.
If you would like to access the doc as a resource you can launch the document by selecting the arrow in the box. Then you can either choose File/Download to download a copy or make a copy of the document to keep in your own Google drive. You can also select the button below to copy the document to your own Google drive.
Please note, like the site, this resource is available with a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
Sust 201 students - I have layed out this document along the lines of what you need to do for your systems mapping assignment. You will find the details of this assignment in the course on Blackboard.
Think and reflect
Think and reflect
What benefits do you see for using systems mapping as an approach to understanding complex problems or relationships? Can you see areas in your own life where systems thinking could help you develop a clearer understanding of an issue?
SUST 201
You are now ready to start on your systems mapping assignment. You will find the details of this assignment under Assessments/Systems Mapping. Please reach out to me sooner rather than later if you have any questions.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. This Creative Commons license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as they credit us and indicate if changes were made. Use this citation format: Munro, T. (2021). Introduction to Systems Thinking. Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/view/intro-to-systems-thinking/home. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
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