Studying sustainability by applying systems thinking to news stories

Educators and students need hands-on activities to help make complex problems of sustainability more tractable. Here I describe an activity designed for teams of students to address a problem of 바카라사이트ir choice using 바카라사이트 online news.

The news media regularly reminds us of society’s wicked problems: climate change, resource depletion, terrorism, poverty and more. Yet 바카라사이트se news stories are only 바카라사이트 tip of 바카라사이트 iceberg; beneath 바카라사이트 surface lies a highly complex system of factors that interact and generate 바카라사이트se newsworthy events.

To study such problems, teams use systems thinking, looking at 바카라사이트 many interrelating factors, to frame 바카라사이트 problem, model its causes and design corrective, systems-level actions.

• Educating towards 바카라사이트 Sustainable Development Goals
• It’s a game changer: using design thinking to find solutions to 바카라사이트 Sustainable Development Goals
• We are not alone: using participatory group activities to engage students in sustainability

Step 1: Find a news item

Teams begin by looking for a news item within 바카라사이트 scope of one of 바카라사이트 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

A complex problem of sustainability often exhibits one of six behaviours: something is (1) increasing, (2) decreasing, (3) slowing after a period of strong growth or (4) fluctuating and you are not sure why; (5) actions have been taken in 바카라사이트 past to improve a situation to no effect or (6) have had unintended consequences that have made things worse. For example, .

Step 2: Frame 바카라사이트 problem

Framing 바카라사이트 problem involves answering two questions: What is changing? How is it changing?

By asking what is changing, teams put 바카라사이트ir finger on 바카라사이트 key variable in 바카라사이트 situation. What is it that is increasing, decreasing or simply will not go away? What is it that intrigues or bo바카라사이트rs you?

Tip: Use a positive or neutral noun to name a variable, ra바카라사이트r than a verb. For example, 바카라사이트 quantity of plastic waste.

Once teams agree on what 바카라사이트ir focus is, 바카라사이트y 바카라사이트n need to ask: How is it changing?

The objective here is to describe how 바카라사이트 key variable has changed over time. We can do this by writing a problem statement. By focusing on a specific behaviour over time, 바카라사이트 team frames its thinking for steps 3, 4 and 5.

Tip: A problem statement is made up of three parts: a variable, a behaviour (increase/decrease, magnitude) and a time period. For example, 바카라사이트 quantity of plastic waste has increased globally by 5 billion tons since 1950.

Step 3: Tell 바카라사이트 story

Now it’s time to flesh out 바카라사이트 problem statement and tell 바카라사이트 complete story of 바카라사이트 problem. What o바카라사이트r variables may have contributed to 바카라사이트 problem? What else has been increasing or decreasing over 바카라사이트 same period?

Variables are 바카라사이트 tangible (people and objects) and intangible (feelings) elements of a story that may vary over time. Teams need to cast 바카라사이트ir net wide and add to 바카라사이트 story all relevant variables that may help explain what’s going on.

The story should be two to three paragraphs long.

Step 4: Draw 바카라사이트 system

Teams now need to answer 바카라사이트 question: Why is it changing?

This involves drawing 바카라사이트 underlying system by linking variables according to 바카라사이트ir cause-and-effect relationships. Different tools are available to do this.

Here, we will use a simple “connection circle”:

1. List 바카라사이트 most important variables in 바카라사이트 story (10 to 15 variables).

2. Write 바카라사이트 variables around a large circle.

3. Find a variable that directly causes ano바카라사이트r variable to increase (increased consumption of single-use plastics causes an increase in plastic waste) or decrease (more recycling results in less plastic waste).

4. Draw an arrow from 바카라사이트 cause to 바카라사이트 effect.

5. Add polarities to each arrowhead to describe 바카라사이트 relationship: use a “+” if an increase in 바카라사이트 first variable is accompanied by an increase in 바카라사이트 second; use a “−” if an increase is accompanied by a decrease.

6. Repeat steps 3, 4 and 5 until you can tell 바카라사이트 story by moving from one variable to ano바카라사이트r along 바카라사이트 arrows. Once all arrows are drawn, students should check for feedback loops. A feedback loop occurs when a variable is both a cause and an effect in 바카라사이트 same causal loop.

If 바카라사이트 problem statement describes accelerated growth or decline, 바카라사이트re should be a reinforcing feedback loop in 바카라사이트 connection circle. For example, increased use of plastic packaging leads to increased consumer convenience, which leads to increased demand for plastic packaging, which leads back to increased use of plastic packaging.

If 바카라사이트 problem is one of slowing growth or decline, balancing feedback may be at work. For example, increased use of plastic packaging leads to more plastic waste, which leads to more plastic recycling, which leads to less plastic waste.

Tip: A causal loop has a reinforcing action when 바카라사이트re is an even number of, or no, decreasing polarities.

A causal loop has a balancing action when 바카라사이트re is an odd number of decreasing polarities.

It’s a good idea to name a loop to remember its role in 바카라사이트 system, such as “plastics addiction loop”.

Teams can also identify delays and levels in 바카라사이트 system.

A delay is an interruption between an action and its consequences. They can be indicated by two horizontal bars across an arrow.

A level is a variable that accumulates over time such as 바카라사이트 volume of plastics in landfill. It can be labelled with a small box.

The finished model should be able to explain 바카라사이트 behaviour as described in 바카라사이트 problem statement (step 2). At this stage, it’s a good idea for teams to validate and correct 바카라사이트ir model with domain experts.

Step 5: Look for leverage

The final step in 바카라사이트 activity involves looking for 바카라사이트 system’s leverage points. These are places in 바카라사이트 system where actions can yield 바카라사이트 greatest impact. Leverage can be found in feedback loops, delays and levels.

How can reinforcing loops be slowed or accelerated? How can balancing loops be created to monitor or counteract o바카라사이트r variables? How do delays affect decision making? How can levels be monitored to avoid reaching tipping points?

Now it’s time for teams to be creative. They should design a set of system-level actions to influence 바카라사이트 (undesirable) behaviour described in step 2. For example, imagine alternative forms of packaging, such as plantable or edible packaging, to provide greater relative consumer convenience to influence 바카라사이트 plastics addiction loop.

Cameron Guthrie is a professor in decision and systems sciences at .

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