Teaching systems thinking to general education1 students

This paper provides anecdotal evidence that systems theory naïve students were able to successfully build a model (in teams) but also were able to apply systems thinking to aspects of their own lives as demonstrated in essays (individuals). Many students reported “seeing the world differently” as a result of the course, particularly seeing how different aspects of the world are connected through various relations. As a result of these successes the course was upgraded to be a little more advanced for upper division students.