Safety leadership and systems thinking: application and evaluation of a Risk Management Framework in the mining industry.

PubMed

Donovan, Sarah-Louise; Salmon, Paul M; Lenné, Michael G; Horberry, Tim

2017-10-01

Safety leadership is an important factor in supporting safety in high-risk industries. This article contends that applying systems-thinking methods to examine safety leadership can support improved learning from incidents. A case study analysis was undertaken of a large-scale mining landslide incident in which no injuries or fatalities were incurred. A multi-method approach was adopted, in which the Critical Decision Method, Rasmussen's Risk Management Framework and Accimap method were applied to examine the safety leadership decisions and actions which enabled the safe outcome. The approach enabled Rasmussen's predictions regarding safety and performance to be examined in the safety leadership context, with findings demonstrating the distribution of safety leadership across leader and system levels, and the presence of vertical integration as key to supporting the successful safety outcome. In doing so, the findings also demonstrate the usefulness of applying systems-thinking methods to examine and learn from incidents in terms of what 'went right'. The implications, including future research directions, are discussed. Practitioner Summary: This paper presents a case study analysis, in which systems-thinking methods are applied to the examination of safety leadership decisions and actions during a large-scale mining landslide incident. The findings establish safety leadership as a systems phenomenon, and furthermore, demonstrate the usefulness of applying systems-thinking methods to learn from incidents in terms of what 'went right'. Implications, including future research directions, are discussed.

An Integrated Approach to Disability Policy Development, Implementation, and Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shogren, Karrie A.; Luckasson, Ruth; Schalock, Robert L.

2017-01-01

This article provides a framework for an integrated approach to disability policy development, implementation, and evaluation. The article discusses how a framework that combines systems thinking and valued outcomes can be used by coalition partners across ecological systems to implement disability policy, promote the effective use of resources,…

A Systems Approach to Rapid School Improvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCauley, Carlas

2018-01-01

To support systemic thinking about school improvement, the Center on School Turnaround at WestEd developed a framework to assist states, districts, and schools in leading and managing rapid improvement efforts. The framework, which is presented in this article, has four domains that have proved central to rapid, significant improvement: (1)…

Quantum Physics and Mental Health Counseling: The Time Is...!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerstein, Lawrence H.; Bennett, Matt

1999-01-01

Introduces a new framework of mental health counseling based on quantum physics. The framework stresses systemic thinking and intervention, interdependence, and the importance of adopting a novel perspective about time, space, reality, and change. This framework has the potential of modifying mental health counseling practice and training. Offers…

An Experience-Based Learning Framework: Activities for the Initial Development of Sustainability Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caniglia, Guido; John, Beatrice; Kohler, Martin; Bellina, Leonie; Wiek, Arnim; Rojas, Christopher; Laubichler, Manfred D.; Lang, Daniel

2016-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to present an experience-based learning framework that provides a bottom-up, student-centered entrance point for the development of systems thinking, normative and collaborative competencies in sustainability. Design/methodology/approach: The framework combines mental mapping with exploratory walking. It interweaves…

The Analysing Children's Creative Thinking Framework: Development of an Observation-Led Approach to Identifying and Analysing Young Children's Creative Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robson, Sue

2014-01-01

Increased international recognition of the value of supporting creative thinking suggests the value of development of approaches to its identification in children. Development of an observation-led framework, the Analysing Children's Creative Thinking (ACCT) framework, is described, and a case made for the validity of inferring creative thinking…

Creativity: Creativity in Complex Military Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-25

generation later in the problem-solving process. The design process is an alternative problem-solving framework individuals or groups use to orient...no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control ...the potential of their formations. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Creativity, Divergent Thinking, Design , Systems Thinking, Operational Art 16. SECURITY

A Framework for Guiding Future Citizens to Think Critically about Nature of Science and Socioscientific Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yacoubian, Hagop A.

2015-01-01

In this article, I introduce a framework for guiding future citizens to think critically about nature of science (NOS) and "with" NOS as they engage in socioscientific decision making. The framework, referred to as the critical thinking--nature of science (CT-NOS) framework, explicates and targets both NOS as a learning objective and NOS…

A taxonomy of prospection: Introducing an organizational framework for future-oriented cognition

PubMed Central

Szpunar, Karl K.; Spreng, R. Nathan; Schacter, Daniel L.

2014-01-01

Prospection—the ability to represent what might happen in the future—is a broad concept that has been used to characterize a wide variety of future-oriented cognitions, including affective forecasting, prospective memory, temporal discounting, episodic simulation, and autobiographical planning. In this article, we propose a taxonomy of prospection to initiate the important and necessary process of teasing apart the various forms of future thinking that constitute the landscape of prospective cognition. The organizational framework that we propose delineates episodic and semantic forms of four modes of future thinking: simulation, prediction, intention, and planning. We show how this framework can be used to draw attention to the ways in which various modes of future thinking interact with one another, generate new questions about prospective cognition, and illuminate our understanding of disorders of future thinking. We conclude by considering basic cognitive processes that give rise to prospective cognitions, cognitive operations and emotional/motivational states relevant to future-oriented cognition, and the possible role of procedural or motor systems in future-oriented behavior. PMID:25416592

Promoting Reflective Physics Teaching Through the Use of Collaborative Learning Annotation System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milner-Bolotin, Marina

2018-05-01

Effective physics teaching requires extensive knowledge of physics, relevant pedagogies, and modern educational technologies that can support student learning. Acquiring this knowledge is a challenging task, considering how fast modern technologies and expectations of student learning outcomes and of teaching practices are changing Therefore 21st-century physics teachers should be supported in developing a different way of thinking about technology-enhanced physics teaching and learning. We call it Deliberate Pedagogical Thinking with Technology, and base it on the original Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge frameworks. However, unlike the two aforementioned frameworks, the Deliberate Pedagogical Thinking with Technology emphasizes not only teachers' knowledge, but also their attitudes and dispositions about using digital tools in order to support student learning. This paper examines how an online system that allows an ongoing discussion of videos uploaded on it by the students can support reflection in physics teacher education. Examples of using such a system in physics teacher education and teacher-candidates' feedback on their experiences with it are also discussed.

Developing seventh grade students' systems thinking skills in the context of the human circulatory system.

PubMed

Raved, Lena; Yarden, Anat

2014-01-01

Developing systems thinking skills in school can provide useful tools to deal with a vast amount of medical and health information that may help learners in decision making in their future lives as citizen. Thus, there is a need to develop effective tools that will allow learners to analyze biological systems and organize their knowledge. Here, we examine junior high school students' systems thinking skills in the context of the human circulatory system. A model was formulated for developing teaching and learning materials and for characterizing students' systems thinking skills. Specifically, we asked whether seventh grade students, who studied about the human circulatory system, acquired systems thinking skills, and what are the characteristics of those skills? Concept maps were used to characterize students' systems thinking components and examine possible changes in the students' knowledge structure. These maps were composed by the students before and following the learning process. The study findings indicate a significant improvement in the students' ability to recognize the system components and the processes that occur within the system, as well as the relationships between different levels of organization of the system, following the learning process. Thus, following learning students were able to organize the systems' components and its processes within a framework of relationships, namely the students' systems thinking skills were improved in the course of learning using the teaching and learning materials.

Toward a Pedagogy of Border Thinking: Building on Latin@ Students' Subaltern Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cervantes-Soon, Claudia G.; Carrillo, Juan F.

2016-01-01

Based on Walter Mignolo's (2000) notion of border thinking, that is, the subaltern knowledge generated from the exterior borders of the modern/colonial world system, this article extends current conceptual frameworks for the implementation of a decolonizing border pedagogy with Latin@ students in secondary schools. In particular, Cervantes-Soon…

Developing Seventh Grade Students’ Systems Thinking Skills in the Context of the Human Circulatory System

PubMed Central

Raved, Lena; Yarden, Anat

2014-01-01

Developing systems thinking skills in school can provide useful tools to deal with a vast amount of medical and health information that may help learners in decision making in their future lives as citizen. Thus, there is a need to develop effective tools that will allow learners to analyze biological systems and organize their knowledge. Here, we examine junior high school students’ systems thinking skills in the context of the human circulatory system. A model was formulated for developing teaching and learning materials and for characterizing students’ systems thinking skills. Specifically, we asked whether seventh grade students, who studied about the human circulatory system, acquired systems thinking skills, and what are the characteristics of those skills? Concept maps were used to characterize students’ systems thinking components and examine possible changes in the students’ knowledge structure. These maps were composed by the students before and following the learning process. The study findings indicate a significant improvement in the students’ ability to recognize the system components and the processes that occur within the system, as well as the relationships between different levels of organization of the system, following the learning process. Thus, following learning students were able to organize the systems’ components and its processes within a framework of relationships, namely the students’ systems thinking skills were improved in the course of learning using the teaching and learning materials. PMID:25520948

Systems Thinking and Systems-Based Practice Across the Health Professions: An Inquiry Into Definitions, Teaching Practices, and Assessment.

PubMed

Plack, Margaret M; Goldman, Ellen F; Scott, Andrea R; Pintz, Christine; Herrmann, Debra; Kline, Kathleen; Thompson, Tracey; Brundage, Shelley B

2018-01-01

Phenomenon: Systems thinking is the cornerstone of systems-based practice (SBP) and a core competency in medicine and health sciences. Literature regarding how to teach or apply systems thinking in practice is limited. This study aimed to understand how educators in medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant, nursing, and speech-language pathology education programs teach and assess systems thinking and SBP. Twenty-six educators from seven different degree programs across the five professions were interviewed and program descriptions and relevant course syllabi were reviewed. Qualitative analysis was iterative and incorporated inductive and deductive methods as well as a constant comparison of units of data to identify patterns and themes. Six themes were identified: 1) participants described systems thinking as ranging across four major levels of healthcare (i.e., patient, care team, organization, and external environment); 2) participants associated systems thinking with a wide range of activities across the curriculum including quality improvement, Inter-professional education (IPE), error mitigation, and advocacy; 3) the need for healthcare professionals to understand systems thinking was primarily externally driven; 4) participants perceived that learning systems thinking occurred mainly informally and experientially rather than through formal didactic instruction; 5) participants characterized systems thinking content as interspersed across the curriculum and described a variety of strategies for teaching and assessing it; 6) participants indicated a structured framework and inter-professional approach may enhance teaching and assessment of systems thinking. Insights: Systems thinking means different things to different health professionals. Teaching and assessing systems thinking across the health professions will require further training and practice. Tools, techniques, taxonomies and expertise outside of healthcare may be used to enhance the teaching, assessment, and application of systems thinking and SBP to clinical practice; however, these would need to be adapted and refined for use in healthcare.

Cognitive Frames of Reference and Strategic Thinking

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-04-05

Elliot Jaques and T. 0. Jacobs, whose Stratified Systems Theory (SST) links leadership requirements to organizational functions. SST emphasizes the...reverse if necessary and identify by block number) Using Stratified Systems Theory and the research on expertise as a conceptual framework, this study...Stratified Systems Theory and the research on expertise as a conceptual framework, this study explored the differences in the structure and content of the

Systems thinking for assistive technology: a commentary on the GREAT summit.

PubMed

MacLachlan, Malcolm; Scherer, Marcia J

2018-07-01

The area of assistive technology has a long history of technological ingenuity and innovation. In order to ensure that the benefits of assistive technology are equitably distributed across the population and life course, it is necessary to adopt a systemic approach to the area. We describe examples of systems thinking and non-systems thinking across 10 Ps. These Ps are People (or users, as the primary beneficiaries of assistive technology), Policy, Products, Personnel, Provision (as key strategic drivers at systems level); and Procurement, Place, Pace, Promotion and Partnership (as key situational factors for systems). Together these Ps should constitute a framework for an "open" system that can evolve and adapt, that empowers users, inter-connects key components and locates these in the reality of differing contexts. The adoption of a stronger systems thinking perspective within the assistive technology field should allow for more equitable, more resilient and more sustainable assistive technology across high, middle- and low-income contexts and countries. Implications for Rehabilitation The progress of assistive technology provison has been hampered by disconnected initiatives and activities and this needs to be corrected. Systems thinking is a way of thinking about the connections between things and how these are influenced by contextual and other factors. By encouraging the providers and users of assitive technology to think more systemically we can provide a more cohesive and resilient systems. The user experience is the central component of systems thinking in assistive technologies.

Development of Scientific Thinking Facilitated by Reflective Self-Assessment in a Communication-Intensive Food Science and Human Nutrition Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendrich, Suzanne; Licklider, Barbara; Thompson, Katherine; Thompson, Janette; Haynes, Cynthia; Wiersema, Jan

2018-01-01

A one-credit seminar on controversies in food science and human nutrition was a platform to introduce students to learning frameworks for thinking-like-a-scientist. We hypothesized that explicitly engaging students in thinking about their thinking abilities within these frameworks would enhance their self-perception of scientific thinking, an…

Solving Homeland Security’s Wicked Problems: A Design Thinking Approach

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

spur solutions. This thesis provides a framework for how S&T can incorporate design- thinking principles that are working well in other domains to...to spur solutions. This thesis provides a framework for how S&T can incorporate design-thinking principles that are working well in other domains to...Galbraith’s Star Model was used to analyze how DHS S&T, MindLab, and DARPA apply design-thinking principles to inform the framework to apply and

Authentic scientific data collection in support of an integrative model-based class: A framework for student engagement in the classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorensen, A. E.; Dauer, J. M.; Corral, L.; Fontaine, J. J.

2017-12-01

A core component of public scientific literacy, and thereby informed decision-making, is the ability of individuals to reason about complex systems. In response to students having difficulty learning about complex systems, educational research suggests that conceptual representations, or mental models, may help orient student thinking. Mental models provide a framework to support students in organizing and developing ideas. The PMC-2E model is a productive tool in teaching ideas of modeling complex systems in the classroom because the conceptual representation framework allows for self-directed learning where students can externalize systems thinking. Beyond mental models, recent work emphasizes the importance of facilitating integration of authentic science into the formal classroom. To align these ideas, a university class was developed around the theme of carnivore ecology, founded on PMC-2E framework and authentic scientific data collection. Students were asked to develop a protocol, collect, and analyze data around a scientific question in partnership with a scientist, and then use data to inform their own learning about the system through the mental model process. We identified two beneficial outcomes (1) scientific data is collected to address real scientific questions at a larger scale and (2) positive outcomes for student learning and views of science. After participating in the class, students report enjoying class structure, increased support for public understanding of science, and shifts in nature of science and interest in pursuing science metrics on post-assessments. Further work is ongoing investigating the linkages between engaging in authentic scientific practices that inform student mental models, and how it might promote students' systems-thinking skills, implications for student views of nature of science, and development of student epistemic practices.

Watch your language: Power words at the human-nature interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norgaard, Richard B.

2016-02-01

Words are integral to thinking and communicating. Words also carry old baggage. The Anthropocene necessitates new thinking and communication at the human-nature interface. Words like progress, natural, and thresholds are pervasive in both scientific and policy discourse, but carry baggage that will likely slow understanding of the Anthropocene and appropriate adaptation. The dynamic systems thinking with emergent properties of ecology needs to replace the efficiency and growth framework of economics. Diversity and resilience are productive and less historically burdened words.

Seeping Deficit Thinking Assumptions Maintain the Neoliberal Education Agenda: Exploring Three Conceptual Frameworks of Deficit Thinking in Inner-City Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharma, Manu

2018-01-01

This article draws awareness to the subtle and seeping "common sense" mentality of neoliberalism and deficit thinking assumptions about racially marginalized students in inner-city schools. From a literature review conducted on deficit thinking and deficit practices in schools, I developed three different frameworks for understanding the…

Critical Thinking: Frameworks and Models for Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fahim, Mansoor; Eslamdoost, Samaneh

2014-01-01

Developing critical thinking since the educational revolution gave rise to flourishing movements toward embedding critical thinking (CT henceforth) stimulating classroom activities in educational settings. Nevertheless the process faced with complications such as teachability potentiality, lack of practical frameworks concerning actualization of…

System Constellations as a Tool Supporting Organisational Learning and Change Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birkenkrahe, Marcus

2008-01-01

Originally developed in the context of family therapy, system constellations are introduced using an organisational learning and system theoretical framework. Constellations are systemic group interventions using a spatial representation of the system elements. They correspond to deutero-learning processes and use higher-order systemic thinking.…

Fostering Undergraduate Research Experiences in Management Information Systems through the "Research Group" Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartkus, Ken; Mills, Robert; Olsen, David

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to propose an innovative approach to engaged learning. Founded on the principles of a scholarly think-tank and administered along the lines of a consulting organization, the proposed "Research Group" framework is designed to facilitate effective and efficient undergraduate research experiences in Management…

Knowledge Management for School Leaders: An Ecological Framework for Thinking Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petrides, Lisa A.; Guiney, Susan Zahra

2002-01-01

Using examples from schools, this paper illustrates how knowledge management can enable schools to examine the plethora of data they collect and how an ecological framework can be used to transform these data into meaningful information. The paper highlights: the history of management information systems; shifts from information management to…

Chaordic Systems Thinking: Some Suggestions for a Complexity Framework to Inform a Learning Organization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Eijnatten, Frans M.

2004-01-01

This contribution suggests a conceptual framework for using complexity to understand human interactions in learning organizations. The particular lens adopted for this purpose is that of the Chaos perspective. The following general concepts are described: discontinuous growth, attractors: their basins and landscapes, the chaordic properties of…

Complexity Framework for Sustainability: An Analysis of Five Papers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Putnik, Goran D.

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present an examination of the concepts and mechanisms of complexity and learning usability and applicability for management in turbulent environments as well as their examination through the Chaordic system thinking (CST) lenses and framework. Contributing to awareness of how different mechanisms could be…

Critical thinking: a two-phase framework.

PubMed

Edwards, Sharon L

2007-09-01

This article provides a comprehensive review of how a two-phase framework can promote and engage nurses in the concepts of critical thinking. Nurse education is required to integrate critical thinking in their teaching strategies, as it is widely recognised as an important part of student nurses becoming analytical qualified practitioners. The two-phase framework can be incorporated in the classroom using enquiry-based scenarios or used to investigate situations that arise from practice, for reflection, analysis, theorising or to explore issues. This paper proposes a two-phase framework for incorporation in the classroom and practice to promote critical thinking. Phase 1 attempts to make it easier for nurses to organise and expound often complex and abstract ideas that arise when using critical thinking, identify more than one solution to the problem by using a variety of cues to facilitate action. Phase 2 encourages nurses to be accountable and responsible, to justify a decision, be creative and innovative in implementing change.

Higher Order Thinking Skills: Challenging All Students to Achieve

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, R. Bruce

2007-01-01

Explicit instruction in thinking skills must be a priority goal of all teachers. In this book, the author presents a framework of the five Rs: Relevancy, Richness, Relatedness, Rigor, and Recursiveness. The framework serves to illuminate instruction in critical and creative thinking skills for K-12 teachers across content areas. Each chapter…

Conceptual Models, Choices, and Benchmarks for Building Quality Work Cultures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acker-Hocevar, Michele

1996-01-01

The two models in Florida's Educational Quality Benchmark System represent a new way of thinking about developing schools' work culture. The Quality Performance System Model identifies nine dimensions of work within a quality system. The Change Process Model provides a theoretical framework for changing existing beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors…

Model-based reasoning in the physics laboratory: Framework and initial results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwickl, Benjamin M.; Hu, Dehui; Finkelstein, Noah; Lewandowski, H. J.

2015-12-01

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Upper Division Physics Courses.] We review and extend existing frameworks on modeling to develop a new framework that describes model-based reasoning in introductory and upper-division physics laboratories. Constructing and using models are core scientific practices that have gained significant attention within K-12 and higher education. Although modeling is a broadly applicable process, within physics education, it has been preferentially applied to the iterative development of broadly applicable principles (e.g., Newton's laws of motion in introductory mechanics). A significant feature of the new framework is that measurement tools (in addition to the physical system being studied) are subjected to the process of modeling. Think-aloud interviews were used to refine the framework and demonstrate its utility by documenting examples of model-based reasoning in the laboratory. When applied to the think-aloud interviews, the framework captures and differentiates students' model-based reasoning and helps identify areas of future research. The interviews showed how students productively applied similar facets of modeling to the physical system and measurement tools: construction, prediction, interpretation of data, identification of model limitations, and revision. Finally, we document students' challenges in explicitly articulating assumptions when constructing models of experimental systems and further challenges in model construction due to students' insufficient prior conceptual understanding. A modeling perspective reframes many of the seemingly arbitrary technical details of measurement tools and apparatus as an opportunity for authentic and engaging scientific sense making.

Applying Structural Systems Thinking to Frame Perspectives on Social Work Innovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stringfellow, Erin J.

2017-01-01

Objective: Innovation will be key to the success of the Grand Challenges Initiative in social work. A structural systems framework based in system dynamics could be useful for considering how to advance innovation. Method: Diagrams using system dynamics conventions were developed to link common themes across concept papers written by social work…

Analogy, higher order thinking, and education.

PubMed

Richland, Lindsey Engle; Simms, Nina

2015-01-01

Analogical reasoning, the ability to understand phenomena as systems of structured relationships that can be aligned, compared, and mapped together, plays a fundamental role in the technology rich, increasingly globalized educational climate of the 21st century. Flexible, conceptual thinking is prioritized in this view of education, and schools are emphasizing 'higher order thinking', rather than memorization of a cannon of key topics. The lack of a cognitively grounded definition for higher order thinking, however, has led to a field of research and practice with little coherence across domains or connection to the large body of cognitive science research on thinking. We review literature on analogy and disciplinary higher order thinking to propose that relational reasoning can be productively considered the cognitive underpinning of higher order thinking. We highlight the utility of this framework for developing insights into practice through a review of mathematics, science, and history educational contexts. In these disciplines, analogy is essential to developing expert-like disciplinary knowledge in which concepts are understood to be systems of relationships that can be connected and flexibly manipulated. At the same time, analogies in education require explicit support to ensure that learners notice the relevance of relational thinking, have adequate processing resources available to mentally hold and manipulate relations, and are able to recognize both the similarities and differences when drawing analogies between systems of relationships. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Leveraging design thinking to build sustainable mobile health systems.

PubMed

Eckman, Molly; Gorski, Irena; Mehta, Khanjan

Mobile health, or mHealth, technology has the potential to improve health care access in the developing world. However, the majority of mHealth projects do not expand beyond the pilot stage. A core reason why is because they do not account for the individual needs and wants of those involved. A collaborative approach is needed to integrate the perspectives of all stakeholders into the design and operation of mHealth endeavours. Design thinking is a methodology used to develop and evaluate novel concepts for systems. With roots in participatory processes and self-determined pathways, design thinking provides a compelling framework to understand and apply the needs of diverse stakeholders to mHealth project development through a highly iterative process. The methodology presented in this article provides a structured approach to apply design thinking principles to assess the feasibility of novel mHealth endeavours during early conceptualisation.

Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Gilbert F.

1980-01-01

Presented are perspectives on the emergence of environmental problems. Six major trends in scientific thinking are identified including: holistic approaches to examining environments, life support systems, resource management, risk assessment, streamlined methods for monitoring environmental change, and emphasis on the global framework. (Author/SA)

Like grandparents, like parents: Empirical evidence and psychoanalytic thinking on the transmission of parenting styles.

PubMed

De Carli, Pietro; Tagini, Angela; Sarracino, Diego; Santona, Alessandra; Bonalda, Valentina; Cesari, Paola Elena; Parolin, Laura

2018-01-01

The authors discuss the issue of intergenerational transmission of parenting from an empirical and psychoanalytic perspective. After presenting a framework to explain their conception of parenting, they describe intergenerational transmission of parenting as a key to interpreting and eventually changing parenting behaviors. Then they present (1) the empirical approach aimed at determining if there is actually a stability across generations that contributes to harsh parenting and eventually maltreatment and (2) the psyphoanalytic thinking that seeks to explain the continuity in terms of representations and clinical phenomena. The authors also discuss the relationship between the attachment and the caregiving systems and hypothesize a common base for the two systems in childhood experience. Finally, they propose the psychoanalytic perspective as a fruitful theoretical framework to integrate the evidence for the neurophysiological mediators and moderators of intergenerational transmission. Psychoanalytically informed research can provide clinically relevant insights and hypotheses to be tested.

Learning within the Worlds of Reifications, Selves, and Phenomena: Expanding on the Thinking of Vygotsky and Popper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hung, David Wei Loong; Chen, Der-Thanq

2008-01-01

A framework, termed the RSP, is proposed. It is mainly for analyzing and explaining how learning occurs. This framework is grounded in the social-cultural perspective, in particular, in the thinking of both Vygotsky and Popper. Although the thinking of Popper is generally not referred to as having a social-cultural orientation, mostly due to…

A Macro Analysis of DoD Logistics Systems. Volume 3. A Framework for Policy-Level Logistics Management

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-12-01

prioritization. 5 (We have chosen to use a variation of Saaty’s method in our hierarchical analysis, discussed in chapter 5, but for a purpose different ...the word "framework" to refer to an abstract structure for think- ing through policy-tieel management problems. This structure raises method - ological...readiness and logistics system performance, and we relied heavily on "structural" and trend analysis. By structural analysis, we meant a formal method for

Using the DPSIR Framework to Develop a Conceptual Model: Technical Support Document

EPA Science Inventory

Modern problems (e.g., pollution, urban sprawl, environmental equity) are complex and often transcend spatial and temporal scales. Systems thinking is an approach to problem solving that is based on the belief that the component parts of a system are best understood in the contex...

An Ecological Approach to the On-Line Assessment of Problem-Solving Paths: Principles and Applications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Robert E.; And Others

1997-01-01

Proposes a theoretical framework for designing online-situated assessment tools for multimedia instructional systems. Uses a graphic method based on ecological psychology to monitor student performance through a learning activity. Explores the method's feasibility in case studies describing instructional systems teaching critical-thinking and…

Health systems frameworks in their political context: framing divergent agendas

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Despite the mounting attention for health systems and health systems theories, there is a persisting lack of consensus on their conceptualisation and strengthening. This paper contributes to structuring the debate, presenting landmarks in the development of health systems thinking against the backdrop of the policy context and its dominant actors. We argue that frameworks on health systems are products of their time, emerging from specific discourses. They are purposive, not neutrally descriptive, and are shaped by the agendas of their authors. Discussion The evolution of thinking over time does not reflect a progressive accumulation of insights. Instead, theories and frameworks seem to develop in reaction to one another, partly in line with prevailing paradigms and partly as a response to the very different needs of their developers. The reform perspective considering health systems as projects to be engineered is fundamentally different from the organic view that considers a health system as a mirror of society. The co-existence of health systems and disease-focused approaches indicates that different frameworks are complementary but not synthetic. The contestation of theories and methods for health systems relates almost exclusively to low income countries. At the global level, health system strengthening is largely narrowed down to its instrumental dimension, whereby well-targeted and specific interventions are supposed to strengthen health services and systems or, more selectively, specific core functions essential to programmes. This is in contrast to a broader conceptualization of health systems as social institutions. Summary Health systems theories and frameworks frame health, health systems and policies in particular political and public health paradigms. While there is a clear trend to try to understand the complexity of and dynamic relationships between elements of health systems, there is also a demand to provide frameworks that distinguish between health system interventions, and that allow mapping with a view of analysing their returns. The choice for a particular health system model to guide discussions and work should fit the purpose. The understanding of the underlying rationale of a chosen model facilitates an open dialogue about purpose and strategy. PMID:22971107

The Role of System Thinking Development and Experiential Learning on Enterprise Transformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez, Gabriel

The recent economic downturn has had global repercussions in all businesses alike. Competition is fierce and a survival of the fittest model is always present; fast delivery times and innovative designs ultimately translate into the enterprises' bottom line. In such market conditions, enterprises have to find ways to develop and train their workforce in a manner that enhances the innovative capabilities of the enterprise. Additionally, if companies are to stay competitive, they have to ensure critical skills in their workforce are transferred from generation to generation. This study builds on recent research on system-thinking development via experiential learning methodologies. First, a conceptual framework model was developed. This conceptual model captures a methodology to construct a system-thinking apprenticeship program suitable for system engineers. Secondly, a survey of system engineering professionals was conducted in order to assess and refine the proposed conceptual model. This dissertation captures the findings of the conceptual model and the implications of the study for enterprises and for system engineering organizations.

Applying systems thinking to task shifting for mental health using lay providers: a review of the evidence.

PubMed

Javadi, D; Feldhaus, I; Mancuso, A; Ghaffar, A

2017-01-01

This paper seeks to review the available evidence to determine whether a systems approach is employed in the implementation and evaluation of task shifting for mental health using lay providers in low- and middle-income countries, and to highlight system-wide effects of task-shifting strategies in order to better inform efforts to strength community mental health systems. Pubmed, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases were searched. Articles were screened by two independent reviewers with a third reviewer resolving discrepancies. Two stages of screens were done to ensure sensitivity. Studies were analysed using the World Health Organization's building blocks framework with the addition of a community building block, and systems thinking characteristics to determine the extent to which system-wide effects had been considered. Thirty studies were included. Almost all studies displayed positive findings on mental health using task shifting. One study showed no effect. No studies explicitly employed systems thinking tools, but some demonstrated systems thinking characteristics, such as exploring various stakeholder perspectives, capturing unintended consequences, and looking across sectors for system-wide impact. Twenty-five of the 30 studies captured elements other than the most directly relevant building blocks of service delivery and health workforce. There is a lack of systematic approaches to exploring complexity in the evaluation of task-shifting interventions. Systems thinking tools should support evidence-informed decision making for a more complete understanding of community-based systems strengthening interventions for mental health.

Complexity leadership: a healthcare imperative.

PubMed

Weberg, Dan

2012-01-01

The healthcare system is plagued with increasing cost and poor quality outcomes. A major contributing factor for these issues is that outdated leadership practices, such as leader-centricity, linear thinking, and poor readiness for innovation, are being used in healthcare organizations. Complexity leadership theory provides a new framework with which healthcare leaders may practice leadership. Complexity leadership theory conceptualizes leadership as a continual process that stems from collaboration, complex systems thinking, and innovation mindsets. Compared to transactional and transformational leadership concepts, complexity leadership practices hold promise to improve cost and quality in health care. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

New ARCH: Future Generation Internet Architecture

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-08-01

a vocabulary to talk about a system . This provides a framework ( a “reference model ...layered model Modularity and abstraction are central tenets of Computer Science thinking. Modularity breaks a system into parts, normally to permit...this complexity is hidden. Abstraction suggests a structure for the system . A popular and simple structure is a layered model : lower layer

Envision and Observe: Using the Studio Thinking Framework for Learning and Teaching in Digital Arts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheridan, Kimberly M.

2011-01-01

The Studio Thinking Framework (STF) focuses on habits of mind taught through studio arts rather than disciplinary content or media-specific techniques. It is well suited to integrate studies of arts learning and teaching in a range of contexts, and it provides a framework for understanding how visual arts participation is dramatically changing…

An illustration of whole systems thinking.

PubMed

Kalim, Kanwal; Carson, Ewart; Cramp, Derek

2006-08-01

The complexity of policy-making in the NHS is such that systemic, holistic thinking is needed if the current government's plans are to be realized. This paper describes systems thinking and illustrates its value in understanding the complexity of the diabetes National Service Framework (NSF); its role in identifying problems and barriers previously not predicted; and in reaching conclusions as to how it should be implemented. The approach adopted makes use of soft systems methodology (SSM) devised by Peter Checkland. This analysis reveals issues relating to human communication, information provision and resource allocation needing to be addressed. From this, desirable and feasible changes are explored as means of achieving a more effective NSF, examining possible changes from technical, organizational, economic and cultural perspectives. As well as testing current health policies and plans, SSM can be used to test the feasibility of new health policies. This is achieved by providing a greater understanding and appreciation of what is happening in the real world and how people work. Soft systems thinking is the best approach, given the complexity of health care. It is a flexible, cost-effective solution, which should be a prerequisite before any new health policy is launched.

How system designers think: a study of design thinking in human factors engineering.

PubMed

Papantonopoulos, Sotiris

2004-11-01

The paper presents a descriptive study of design thinking in human factors engineering. The objective of the study is to analyse the role of interpretation in design thinking and the role of design practice in guiding interpretation. The study involved 10 system designers undertaking the allocation of cognitive functions in three production planning and control task scenarios. Allocation decisions were recorded and verbal protocols of the design process were collected to elicit the subjects' thought processes. Verbal protocol analysis showed that subjects carried out the design of cognitive task allocation as a problem of applying a selected automation technology from their initial design deliberations. This design strategy stands in contrast to the predominant view of system design that stipulates that user requirements should be thoroughly analysed prior to making any decisions about technology. Theoretical frameworks from design research and ontological design showed that the system design process may be better understood by recognizing the role of design hypotheses in system design, as well as the diverse interactions between interpretation and practice, means and ends, and design practice and the designer's pre-understanding which shape the design process. Ways to balance the bias exerted on the design process were discussed.

Developing Thinking Skills in Malaysian Science Students via an Analogical Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salih, Maria

2010-01-01

Teaching thinking skills to students is often associated with a thinking strategy or a specific thinking technique. The strategy or technique may refer to a series of steps that is systematically drawn up to ensure that the teaching of thinking skills takes place effectively. In the case of Malaysia, a conceptual framework of Thinking Skill…

Linking a Conceptual Framework on Systems Thinking with Experiential Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garavito-Bermúdez, Diana; Lundholm, Cecilia; Crona, Beatrice

2016-01-01

This paper addresses a systemic approach for the study of fishers' ecological knowledge in order to describe fishers' ways of knowing and dealing with complexity in ecosystems, and discusses how knowledge is generated through, e.g. apprenticeship, experiential knowledge, and testing of hypotheses. The description and analysis of fishers'…

A Complex Systems Framework for Research on Leadership and Organizational Dynamics in Academic Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilstrap, Donald L.

2009-01-01

This article provides a historiographical analysis of major leadership and organizational development theories that have shaped our thinking about how we lead and administrate academic libraries. Drawing from behavioral, cognitive, systems, and complexity theories, this article discusses major theorists and research studies appearing over the past…

Collective Learning: A Way over the Ridge to a New Organizational Attractor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Backstrom, Tomas

2004-01-01

A theoretical model of collective learning has been developed based on complex systems theory. The need for collective learning is illustrated by an empirical study of an "unsuccessful" organizational-renewal project in a Swedish Telecom firm. The conclusion, using chaordic systems thinking as a diagnostic framework, is that its interior…

Systems Thinking Tools as Applied to Community-Based Participatory Research: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BeLue, Rhonda; Carmack, Chakema; Myers, Kyle R.; Weinreb-Welch, Laurie; Lengerich, Eugene J.

2012-01-01

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is being used increasingly to address health disparities and complex health issues. The authors propose that CBPR can benefit from a systems science framework to represent the complex and dynamic characteristics of a community and identify intervention points and potential "tipping points."…

Some New Theoretical Issues in Systems Thinking Relevant for Modelling Corporate Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minati, Gianfranco

2007-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe fundamental concepts and theoretical challenges with regard to systems, and to build on these in proposing new theoretical frameworks relevant to learning, for example in so-called learning organizations. Design/methodology/approach: The paper focuses on some crucial fundamental aspects introduced…

A Framework For Analyzing And Mitigating The Vulnerabilities Of Complex Systems Via Attack And Protection Trees

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

Systems, Ciudad Real, Spain, 2002. [Ame00] "Metamorphosis," in American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth ed: Houghton Mifflin Company...Beyond Fear: Thinking Sensibly About Security in an Uncertain World. New York: Copernicus Books, 2003. [Sch99] Schneier, B. "Modeling Security

A Framework for Thinking about Informal Statistical Inference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makar, Katie; Rubin, Andee

2009-01-01

Informal inferential reasoning has shown some promise in developing students' deeper understanding of statistical processes. This paper presents a framework to think about three key principles of informal inference--generalizations "beyond the data," probabilistic language, and data as evidence. The authors use primary school classroom…

Advancing the application of systems thinking in health: sustainability evaluation as learning and sense-making in a complex urban health system in Northern Bangladesh.

PubMed

Sarriot, Eric G; Kouletio, Michelle; Jahan, Dr Shamim; Rasul, Izaz; Musha, Akm

2014-08-26

Starting in 1999, Concern Worldwide Inc. (Concern) worked with two Bangladeshi municipal health departments to support delivery of maternal and child health preventive services. A mid-term evaluation identified sustainability challenges. Concern relied on systems thinking implicitly to re-prioritize sustainability, but stakeholders also required a method, an explicit set of processes, to guide their decisions and choices during and after the project. Concern chose the Sustainability Framework method to generate creative thinking from stakeholders, create a common vision, and monitor progress. The Framework is based on participatory and iterative steps: defining (mapping) the local system and articulating a long-term vision, describing scenarios for achieving the vision, defining the elements of the model, and selecting corresponding indicators, setting and executing an assessment plan,, and repeated stakeholder engagement in analysis and decisions . Formal assessments took place up to 5 years post-project (2009). Strategic choices for the project were guided by articulating a collective vision for sustainable health, mapping the system of actors required to effect and sustain change, and defining different components of analysis. Municipal authorities oriented health teams toward equity-oriented service delivery efforts, strengthening of the functionality of Ward Health Committees, resource leveraging between municipalities and the Ministry of Health, and mitigation of contextual risks. Regular reference to a vision (and set of metrics (population health, organizational and community capacity) mitigated political factors. Key structures and processes were maintained following elections and political changes. Post-project achievements included the maintenance or improvement 5 years post-project (2009) in 9 of the 11 health indicator gains realized during the project (1999-2004). Some elements of performance and capacity weakened, but reductions in the equity gap achieved during the project were largely maintained post-project. Sustainability is dynamic and results from local systems processes, which can be strengthened through both implicit and explicit systems thinking steps applied with constancy of purpose.

The services-oriented architecture: ecosystem services as a framework for diagnosing change in social ecological systems

Treesearch

Philip A. Loring; F. Stuart Chapin; S. Craig Gerlach

2008-01-01

Computational thinking (CT) is a way to solve problems and understand complex systems that draws on concepts fundamental to computer science and is well suited to the challenges that face researchers of complex, linked social-ecological systems. This paper explores CT's usefulness to sustainability science through the application of the services-oriented...

Framework Thinking, Subject Thinking and "Taiwan-"ness"" in Environmental Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yueh, Mei-Chun Michelle; Barker, Miles

2011-01-01

In the 1998 Taiwanese national curriculum revision, environmental education was one of six new "Important Issues". To some early observers, the generic "framework" sections of this 1998 curriculum (Aims, Goals, Core Competences) resonated well with the integrative and transdisciplinary nature of environmental education. This…

Health economics and health policy: experiences from New Zealand.

PubMed

Cumming, Jacqueline

2015-06-01

Health economics has had a significant impact on the New Zealand health system over the past 30 years. In this paper, I set out a framework for thinking about health economics, give some historical background to New Zealand and the New Zealand health system, and discuss examples of how health economics has influenced thinking about the organisation of the health sector and priority setting. I conclude the paper with overall observations about the role of health economics in health policy in New Zealand, also identifying where health economics has not made the contribution it could and where further influence might be beneficial.

The Alignment of Global Management Strategies, International Communication Approaches, and Individual Rhetorical Choices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leininger, Carol

1997-01-01

Suggests that thinking about international communication within a framework that aligns an organization's global management strategies with international communication practices enhances not only consulting practice but teaching as well. Describes the framework, and argues it introduces ways of thinking about global management strategies and their…

The Curriculum Innovation Canvas: A Design Thinking Framework for the Engaged Educational Entrepreneur

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willness, Chelsea; Bruni-Bossio, Vince

2017-01-01

Integrating literature on entrepreneurial business models and community-based experiential learning, we propose a new framework to advance the practice of curriculum innovation. Grounded in principles of design thinking, the curriculum innovation canvas provides a human-centered, collaborative, and holistic platform for instructors, curriculum…

Assessing Quality of Critical Thought in Online Discussion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weltzer-Ward, Lisa; Baltes, Beate; Lynn, Laura Knight

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe a theoretically based coding framework for an integrated analysis and assessment of critical thinking in online discussion. Design/methodology/approach: The critical thinking assessment framework (TAF) is developed through review of theory and previous research, verified by comparing results to…

Design Patterns for Learning and Assessment: Facilitating the Introduction of a Complex Simulation-Based Learning Environment into a Community of Instructors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frezzo, Dennis C.; Behrens, John T.; Mislevy, Robert J.

2010-04-01

Simulation environments make it possible for science and engineering students to learn to interact with complex systems. Putting these capabilities to effective use for learning, and assessing learning, requires more than a simulation environment alone. It requires a conceptual framework for the knowledge, skills, and ways of thinking that are meant to be developed, in order to design activities that target these capabilities. The challenges of using simulation environments effectively are especially daunting in dispersed social systems. This article describes how these challenges were addressed in the context of the Cisco Networking Academies with a simulation tool for computer networks called Packet Tracer. The focus is on a conceptual support framework for instructors in over 9,000 institutions around the world for using Packet Tracer in instruction and assessment, by learning to create problem-solving scenarios that are at once tuned to the local needs of their students and consistent with the epistemic frame of "thinking like a network engineer." We describe a layered framework of tools and interfaces above the network simulator that supports the use of Packet Tracer in the distributed community of instructors and students.

The Bilingual Academic Services and Integrated Career Systems Program, BASICS 1988-1989. OREA Evaluation Section Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berney, Tomi D.; Barrera, Marbella

In its second year, the Bilingual Academic Services and Integrated Career Systems (BASICS) Program served 104 limited-English-proficient students at Bayside High School in Queens (New York City). Project goals were to develop English literacy skills, produce an organizing framework of thinking and language skills across the curriculum, generate a…

Diagnosing Disaster Resilience of Communities as Multi-scale Complex Socio-ecological Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wei; Mochizuki, Junko; Keating, Adriana; Mechler, Reinhard; Williges, Keith; Hochrainer, Stefan

2014-05-01

Global environmental change, growing anthropogenic influence, and increasing globalisation of society have made it clear that disaster vulnerability and resilience of communities cannot be understood without knowledge on the broader social-ecological system in which they are embedded. We propose a framework for diagnosing community resilience to disasters, as a form of disturbance to social-ecological systems, with feedbacks from the local to the global scale. Inspired by iterative multi-scale analysis employed by Resilience Alliance, the related socio-ecological systems framework of Ostrom, and the sustainable livelihood framework, we developed a multi-tier framework for thinking of communities as multi-scale social-ecological systems and analyzing communities' disaster resilience and also general resilience. We highlight the cross-scale influences and feedbacks on communities that exist from lower (e.g., household) to higher (e.g., regional, national) scales. The conceptual framework is then applied to a real-world resilience assessment situation, to illustrate how key components of socio-ecological systems, including natural hazards, natural and man-made environment, and community capacities can be delineated and analyzed.

Thinking as the control of imagination: a conceptual framework for goal-directed systems.

PubMed

Pezzulo, Giovanni; Castelfranchi, Cristiano

2009-07-01

This paper offers a conceptual framework which (re)integrates goal-directed control, motivational processes, and executive functions, and suggests a developmental pathway from situated action to higher level cognition. We first illustrate a basic computational (control-theoretic) model of goal-directed action that makes use of internal modeling. We then show that by adding the problem of selection among multiple action alternatives motivation enters the scene, and that the basic mechanisms of executive functions such as inhibition, the monitoring of progresses, and working memory, are required for this system to work. Further, we elaborate on the idea that the off-line re-enactment of anticipatory mechanisms used for action control gives rise to (embodied) mental simulations, and propose that thinking consists essentially in controlling mental simulations rather than directly controlling behavior and perceptions. We conclude by sketching an evolutionary perspective of this process, proposing that anticipation leveraged cognition, and by highlighting specific predictions of our model.

The transition to formal thinking in mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tall, David

2008-09-01

This paper focuses on the changes in thinking involved in the transition from school mathematics to formal proof in pure mathematics at university. School mathematics is seen as a combination of visual representations, including geometry and graphs, together with symbolic calculations and manipulations. Pure mathematics in university shifts towards a formal framework of axiomatic systems and mathematical proof. In this paper, the transition in thinking is formulated within a framework of `three worlds of mathematics'- the `conceptual-embodied' world based on perception, action and thought experiment, the `proceptual-symbolic' world of calculation and algebraic manipulation compressing processes such as counting into concepts such as number, and the `axiomatic-formal' world of set-theoretic concept definitions and mathematical proof. Each `world' has its own sequence of development and its own forms of proof that may be blended together to give a rich variety of ways of thinking mathematically. This reveals mathematical thinking as a blend of differing knowledge structures; for instance, the real numbers blend together the embodied number line, symbolic decimal arithmetic and the formal theory of a complete ordered field. Theoretical constructs are introduced to describe how genetic structures set before birth enable the development of mathematical thinking, and how experiences that the individual has met before affect their personal growth. These constructs are used to consider how students negotiate the transition from school to university mathematics as embodiment and symbolism are blended with formalism. At a higher level, structure theorems proved in axiomatic theories link back to more sophisticated forms of embodiment and symbolism, revealing the intimate relationship between the three worlds.

Students' Thinking Process in Solving Combination Problems Considered from Assimilation and Accommodation Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jalan, Sukoriyanto; Nusantara, Toto; Subanji, Subanji; Chandra, Tjang Daniel

2016-01-01

This study aims to explain the thinking process of students in solving combination problems considered from assimilation and accommodation frameworks. This research used a case study approach by classifying students into three categories of capabilities namely high, medium and low capabilities. From each of the ability categories, one student was…

The current and ideal state of anatomic pathology patient safety.

PubMed

Raab, Stephen Spencer

2014-01-01

An anatomic pathology diagnostic error may be secondary to a number of active and latent technical and/or cognitive components, which may occur anywhere along the total testing process in clinical and/or laboratory domains. For the pathologist interpretive steps of diagnosis, we examine Kahneman's framework of slow and fast thinking to explain different causes of error in precision (agreement) and in accuracy (truth). The pathologist cognitive diagnostic process involves image pattern recognition and a slow thinking error may be caused by the application of different rationally-constructed mental maps of image criteria/patterns by different pathologists. This type of error is partly related to a system failure in standardizing the application of these maps. A fast thinking error involves the flawed leap from image pattern to incorrect diagnosis. In the ideal state, anatomic pathology systems would target these cognitive error causes as well as the technical latent factors that lead to error.

Making sense of the emerging conversation in evaluation about systems thinking and complexity science.

PubMed

Gates, Emily F

2016-12-01

In the last twenty years, a conversation has emerged in the evaluation field about the potential of systems thinking and complexity science (STCS) to transform the practice of evaluating social interventions. Documenting and interpreting this conversation are necessary to advance our understanding of the significance of using STCS in planning, implementing, and evaluating social interventions. Guided by a generic framework for evaluation practice, this paper reports on an inter-disciplinary literature review and argues that STCS raises some new ways of thinking about and carrying out the following six activities: 1) supporting social problem solving; 2) framing interventions and contexts; 3) selecting and using methods; 4) engaging in valuing; 5) producing and justifying knowledge; and 6) facilitating use. Following a discussion of these issues, future directions for research and practice are suggested. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implementing systems thinking for infection prevention: The cessation of repeated scabies outbreaks in a respiratory care ward.

PubMed

Chuang, Sheuwen; Howley, Peter P; Lin, Shih-Hua

2015-05-01

Root cause analysis (RCA) is often adopted to complement epidemiologic investigation for outbreaks and infection-related adverse events in hospitals; however, RCA has been argued to have limited effectiveness in preventing such events. We describe how an innovative systems analysis approach halted repeated scabies outbreaks, and highlight the importance of systems thinking for outbreaks analysis and sustaining effective infection prevention and control. Following RCA for a third successive outbreak of scabies over a 17-month period in a 60-bed respiratory care ward of a Taiwan hospital, a systems-oriented event analysis (SOEA) model was used to reanalyze the outbreak. Both approaches and the recommendations were compared. No nosocomial scabies have been reported for more than 1975 days since implementation of the SOEA. Previous intervals between seeming eradication and repeat outbreaks following RCA were 270 days and 180 days. Achieving a sustainable positive resolution relied on applying systems thinking and the holistic analysis of the system, not merely looking for root causes of events. To improve the effectiveness of outbreaks analysis and infection control, an emphasis on systems thinking is critical, along with a practical approach to ensure its effective implementation. The SOEA model provides the necessary framework and is a viable complementary approach, or alternative, to RCA. Copyright © 2015 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the Knowledge of the Decimal Number System Exhibited by Students with Down Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noda, Aurelia; Bruno, Alicia

2017-01-01

This paper presents an assessment of the understanding of the decimal numeral system in students with Down Syndrome (DS). We followed a methodology based on a descriptive case study involving six students with DS. We used a framework of four constructs (counting, grouping, partitioning and numerical relationships) and five levels of thinking for…

The Potential of Systems Thinking in Teacher Reform as Theorized for the Teaching Brain Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Vanessa

2013-01-01

The teaching brain is a dynamic system that is in constant interaction with the learning brain. If we fail to explore the teaching brain we will continue to design educational reform policies that ignore the most important lens in the classroom: the teachers'. Master teachers recognize their perspective and leverage their teaching brains to embody…

[Peculiarities of research of flying thinking].

PubMed

Kovalenko, P A; Chulaevskiĭ, A O

2011-01-01

New approach to the research of flying thinking is offered. This approach is based on principals of stage-by-stage approach (research of the reflection of every parameter of flight, than its aggregate in figured and conceptual framework), on the usage of the methods of registration of inner and external characteristics of activity of the air staff with the priority of research of content area and mechanisms of flying thinking, typology of content area and mechanisms of flying thinking. This approach is also based on the effectiveness of reflection by means of correlation of the detected figured and conceptual framework with time and correctness of decisions of test flight tasks and with different psychophysiological characteristics.

Supporting productive thinking: The semiotic context for Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE).

PubMed

Flach, John

2017-03-01

The central thesis of this paper is that Rasmussen framed his approach to Cognitive Systems Engineering from the perspective of a Triadic Semiotic Model. This frame became the context for integrating multiple intellectual threads including Control Theory, Information Theory, Ecological Psychology, and Gestalt Psychology into a coherent theoretical framework. The case is made that the triadic semiotic framework is essential for a complete appreciation of the constructs that were central to Rasmussen's approach: Abstraction Hierarchy, Skill-Rules-Knowledge Model, Ecological Interface Design, and Proactive Risk Management. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Towards a Philosophically and a Pedagogically Reasonable Nature of Science Curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yacoubian, Hagop Azad

This study, primarily theoretical in nature, explores a philosophically and pedagogically reasonable way of addressing nature of science (NOS) in school science. NOS encompasses what science is and how scientific knowledge develops. I critically evaluate consensus frameworks of NOS in school science, which converge contentious philosophical viewpoints into general NOS-related ideas. I argue that they (1) lack clarity in terms of how NOS-related ideas could be applied for various ends, (2) portray a distorted image of the substantive content of NOS and the process of its development, and (3) lack a developmental trajectory for how to address NOS at different grade levels. As a remedy to these problems, I envision a NOS curriculum that (1) explicates and targets both NOS as an educational end and NOS as a means for socioscientific decision making, (2) has critical thinking as its foundational pillar, and (3) provides a developmental pathway for NOS learning using critical thinking as a progression unit. Next, I illustrate a framework for addressing NOS in school science referred to as the critical thinking—nature of science (CT-NOS) framework. This framework brings together the first two of the three elements envisioned in the NOS curriculum. I address the third element by situating the CT-NOS framework in a developmental context, borrowing from the literature on learning progressions in science and using critical thinking as a progression unit. Finally, I present an empirical study of experienced secondary science teachers’ views of a NOS lesson prepared using the CT-NOS framework. The teachers attended a professional development workshop at which the lesson, and the characteristics of the CT-NOS framework, were presented. The analysis of the qualitative data revealed that most teachers found the lesson to be somewhat feasible for a secondary science classroom, useful or somewhat useful to their students, and interesting. The teachers focused on 14 features of the lesson in their judgments and recommendations. The study revealed a number of teacher challenges generally related to critical thinking and its teaching as well as to the distinction between critical thinking about NOS and critical thinking with NOS.

A K-6 Computational Thinking Curriculum Framework: Implications for Teacher Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angeli, Charoula; Voogt, Joke; Fluck, Andrew; Webb, Mary; Cox, Margaret; Malyn-Smith, Joyce; Zagami, Jason

2016-01-01

Adding computer science as a separate school subject to the core K-6 curriculum is a complex issue with educational challenges. The authors herein address two of these challenges: (1) the design of the curriculum based on a generic computational thinking framework, and (2) the knowledge teachers need to teach the curriculum. The first issue is…

Effects of a case-based interactive e-learning course on knowledge and attitudes about patient safety: a quasi-experimental study with third-year medical students.

PubMed

Gaupp, Rainer; Körner, Mirjam; Fabry, Götz

2016-07-11

Patient safety (PS) is influenced by a set of factors on various levels of the healthcare system. Therefore, a systems-level approach and systems thinking is required to understand and improve PS. The use of e-learning may help to develop a systems thinking approach in medical students, as case studies featuring audiovisual media can be used to visualize systemic relationships in organizations. The goal of this quasi-experimental study was to determine if an e-learning can be utilized to improve systems thinking, knowledge, and attitudes towards PS. A quasi-experimental, longitudinal within- subjects design was employed. Participants were 321 third-year medical students who received online surveys before and after they participated in an e-learning course on PS. Primary outcome measures where levels of systems thinking and attitudes towards PS. Secondary outcome measures were the improvement of PS specific knowledge through the e-learning course. Levels of systems thinking showed significant improvement (58.72 vs. 61.27; p < .001) after the e-learning. Student's attitudes towards patient safety improved in several dimensions: After the course, students rated the influence of fatigue on safety higher (6.23 vs. 6.42, p < .01), considered patient empowerment more important (5.16 vs. 5.93, p < .001) and realized more often that human error is inevitable (5.75 vs. 5.97, p < .05). Knowledge on PS improved from 36.27 % correct answers before to 76.45 % after the e-learning (p < .001). Our results suggest that e-learning can be used to teach PS. Attitudes towards PS improved on several dimensions. Furthermore, we were able to demonstrate that a specifically designed e-learning program can foster the development of conceptual frameworks such as systems thinking, which facilitates the understanding of complex socio-technical systems within healthcare organisations.

Putting the system back into systems change: a framework for understanding and changing organizational and community systems.

PubMed

Foster-Fishman, Pennie G; Nowell, Branda; Yang, Huilan

2007-06-01

Systems change has emerged as a dominant frame through which local, state, and national funders and practitioners across a wide array of fields approach their work. In most of these efforts, change agents and scholars strive to shift human services and community systems to create better and more just outcomes and improve the status quo. Despite this, there is a dearth of frameworks that scholars, practitioners, and funders can draw upon to aid them in understanding, designing, and assessing this process from a systemic perspective. This paper provides one framework--grounded in systems thinking and change literatures--for understanding and identifying the fundamental system parts and interdependencies that can help to explain system functioning and leverage systems change. The proposed framework highlights the importance of attending to both the deep and apparent structures within a system as well as the interactions and interdependencies among these system parts. This includes attending to the dominant normative, resource, regulative, and operational characteristics that dictate the behavior and lived experiences of system members. The value of engaging critical stakeholders in problem definition, boundary construction, and systems analysis are also discussed. The implications of this framework for systems change researchers and practitioners are discussed.

A Set of Web-based Tools for Integrating Scientific Research and Decision-Making through Systems Thinking

EPA Science Inventory

Currently, many policy and management decisions are made without considering the goods and services humans derive from ecosystems and the costs associated with protecting them. This approach is unlikely to be sustainable. Conceptual frameworks provide a tool for capturing, visual...

Sustainability Education's Gift: Learning Patterns and Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Dilafruz

2008-01-01

The crisis of sustainability can be linked to the traditional forms of schooling driven by mechanistic and technocratic worldviews. Progressing to a more sustainable world requires a fundamental shift in the framework of formal education--its structure, content and process--to include principles of systems thinking and holistic learning. A case…

Preventing Second-Generation Child Abuse: Applying Chaos Theory to Reframe Interventions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VanderVen, Karen

1994-01-01

Describes needs and characteristics of abused and neglected children; ideologies and interventions guiding the current human services system and contributing to second-generation child abuse; the linear thinking underlying these approaches; concepts of chaos theory that can provide a new framework for analyzing intervention issues; and…

Hospital charitable lotteries: taking a gamble on systems thinking.

PubMed

Reynolds, Jennifer

2013-12-01

The presence of lotteries can be witnessed worldwide. Charitable lotteries are often portrayed as 'good works', and recently, hospitals have utilized them as a popular fundraising vehicle to raise necessary funds to help achieve organizational goals and objectives. Research indicates that lotteries contribute to gambling-related harms; however, research into charitable lotteries has been underdeveloped. Both the gambling and the health care industries are complex and evolving, consisting of many interacting stakeholders with often different and competing interests. This article seeks to present systems thinking as a conceptual framework to help fill the gap in understanding the use of gambling within hospitals and its possible benefits and unforeseen negative consequences. Addressing the gap in knowledge is important to help inform decision making aimed at reducing gambling-related harms. This article proposes how the school of systems thinking, specifically framing hospitals as complex adaptive systems and system dynamics modelling, can be utilized to understand the policy implications of the adoption of lotteries as a revenue source for hospitals. Hospitals have a duty to care, inform and protect. Hospital charitable lotteries have become big business; however, its incorporation into critical funding strategies needs to be carefully understood. Systems thinking theory and methodologies provide an integrated approach to examine this dynamic and evolving fundraising initiative. Findings from this article can inform the development of action strategies, including policy development at multiple levels. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Purposely Teaching for the Promotion of Higher-Order Thinking Skills: A Case of Critical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miri, Barak; Ben-Chaim, David; Zoller, Uri

2007-01-01

This longitudinal case-study aimed at examining whether purposely teaching for the promotion of higher order thinking skills enhances students' critical thinking (CT), within the framework of science education. Within a pre-, post-, and post-post experimental design, high school students, were divided into three research groups. The experimental…

Argumentation, Critical Thinking, Nature of Science and Socioscientific Issues: A Dialogue between Two Researchers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yacoubian, Hagop A.; Khishfe, Rola

2018-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast between two theoretical frameworks for addressing nature of science (NOS) and socioscientific issues (SSI) in school science. These frameworks are critical thinking (CT) and argumentation (AR). For the past years, the first and second authors of this paper have pursued research in this area…

Cognitive Theory within the Framework of an Information Processing Model and Learning Hierarchy: Viable Alternative to the Bloom-Mager System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stahl, Robert J.

This review of the current status of the human information processing model presents the Stahl Perceptual Information Processing and Operations Model (SPInPrOM) as a model of how thinking, memory, and the processing of information take place within the individual learner. A related system, the Domain of Cognition, is presented as an alternative to…

Promoting Higher Order Thinking Skills via IPTEACES e-Learning Framework in the Learning of Information Systems Units

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isaias, Pedro; Issa, Tomayess; Pena, Nuno

2014-01-01

When developing and working with various types of devices from a supercomputer to an iPod Mini, it is essential to consider the issues of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Usability. Developers and designers must incorporate HCI, Usability and user satisfaction in their design plans to ensure that systems are easy to learn, effective,…

A Systems Thinking Framework for Assessing and Addressing Malaria Locally: An Alternative to the Globalization of Anti-Malaria Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willis, Derek W.

2010-01-01

This dissertation analyzes a decision system that was used in the early 1900s in the Federated Malay States (FMS) by Malcolm Watson in order to make anti-malaria program recommendations to decision makers in a wide range of ecological settings. Watson's recommendations to decision makers throughout the FMS led to a dramatic suppression of malaria…

Application of systems thinking: 12-month postintervention evaluation of a complex health system intervention in Zambia: the case of the BHOMA.

PubMed

Mutale, Wilbroad; Ayles, Helen; Bond, Virginia; Chintu, Namwinga; Chilengi, Roma; Mwanamwenge, Margaret Tembo; Taylor, Angela; Spicer, Neil; Balabanova, Dina

2017-04-01

Strong health systems are said to be paramount to achieving effective and equitable health care. The World Health Organization has been advocating for using system-wide approaches such as 'systems thinking' to guide intervention design and evaluation. In this paper we report the system-wide effects of a complex health system intervention in Zambia known as Better Health Outcome through Mentorship and Assessment (BHOMA) that aimed to improve service quality. We conducted a qualitative study in three target districts. We used a systems thinking conceptual framework to guide the analysis focusing on intended and unintended consequences of the intervention. NVivo version 10 was used for data analysis. The addressed community responded positively to the BHOMA intervention. The indications were that in the short term there was increased demand for services but the health worker capacity was not severely affected. This means that the prediction that service demand would increase with implementation of BHOMA was correct and the workload also increased, but the help of clinic lay supporters meant that some of the work of clinicians was transferred to these lay workers. However, from a systems perspective, unintended consequences also occurred during the implementation of the BHOMA. We applied an innovative approach to evaluate a complex intervention in low-income settings, exploring empirically how systems thinking can be applied in the context of health system strengthening. Although the intervention had some positive outcomes by employing system-wide approaches, we also noted unintended consequences. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Review and Discussion of Epistemological Commitments, Metacognition, and Critical Thinking with Suggestions on Their Enhancement in Internet-Assisted Chemistry Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Chin-Chung

2001-07-01

Recently, educators have focused on students' internal control of learning. Epistemological commitments, metacognition, and critical thinking are relevant considerations when addressing this topic. This paper explores the relationships among these domains as a theoretical framework for enhancing chemistry education. The framework shows that these domains share many commonalities. For example, they all focus on learners' self-reflection and they all are rooted in the constructivist theory. This paper further proposes a role for Internet technology in helping students develop appropriate epistemological commitments, metacognitive skills, and critical thinking.

Understanding Science: Frameworks for using stories to facilitate systems thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

ElShafie, S. J.; Bean, J. R.

2017-12-01

Studies indicate that using a narrative structure for teaching and learning helps audiences to process and recall new information. Stories also help audiences retain specific information, such as character names or plot points, in the context of a broader narrative. Stories can therefore facilitate high-context systems learning in addition to low-context declarative learning. Here we incorporate a framework for science storytelling, which we use in communication workshops, with the Understanding Science framework developed by the UC Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) to explore the application of storytelling to systems thinking. We translate portions of the Understanding Science flowchart into narrative terms. Placed side by side, the two charts illustrate the parallels between the scientific process and the story development process. They offer a roadmap for developing stories about scientific studies and concepts. We also created a series of worksheets for use with the flowcharts. These new tools can generate stories from any perspective, including a scientist conducting a study; a character that plays a role in a larger system (e.g., foraminifera or a carbon atom); an entire system that interacts with other systems (e.g., the carbon cycle). We will discuss exemplar stories about climate change from each of these perspectives, which we are developing for workshops using content and storyboard models from the new UCMP website Understanding Global Change. This conceptual framework and toolkit will help instructors to develop stories about scientific concepts for use in a classroom setting. It will also help students to analyze stories presented in class, and to create their own stories about new concepts. This approach facilitates student metacognition of the learning process, and can also be used as a form of evaluation. We are testing this flowchart and its use in systems teaching with focus groups, in preparation for use in teacher professional development workshops.

Disability Policy Evaluation: Combining Logic Models and Systems Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Claes, Claudia; Ferket, Neelke; Vandevelde, Stijn; Verlet, Dries; De Maeyer, Jessica

2017-01-01

Policy evaluation focuses on the assessment of policy-related personal, family, and societal changes or benefits that follow as a result of the interventions, services, and supports provided to those persons to whom the policy is directed. This article describes a systematic approach to policy evaluation based on an evaluation framework and an…

The Family of Adoption.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pavao, Joyce Maguire

This book aims to provide a broad framework within which to think about adoption as a whole system, so that everyone involved will learn to feel some empathy for the other members of the adoption process. The book, written by a family and adoption therapist who was adopted as an infant, describes predictable developmental stages and challenges for…

Summary and synthesis

Treesearch

V. Alaric Sample; Christopher Topik

2014-01-01

America’s forests are undergoing changes unlike any seen before in human history. The concept of the Anthropocene Era, a new geologic epoch characterized by anthropogenic dominance over the Earth’s systems, has become an important framework for thinking about the processes and consequences of worldwide environmental change, particularly global climate change,...

None but Ourselves Can Free Our Minds: Critical Computational Literacy as a Pedagogy of Resistance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Clifford H.; Soep, Elisabeth

2016-01-01

Critical computational literacy (CCL) is a new pedagogical and conceptual framework that combines the strengths of critical literacy and computational thinking. Through CCL, young people conceptualize, create, and disseminate digital projects that break silences, expose important truths, and challenge unjust systems, all the while building skills…

The Application of Architecture Frameworks to Modelling Exploration Operations Costs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shishko, Robert

2006-01-01

Developments in architectural frameworks and system-of-systems thinking have provided useful constructs for systems engineering. DoDAF concepts, language, and formalisms, in particular, provide a natural way of conceptualizing an operations cost model applicable to NASA's space exploration vision. Not all DoDAF products have meaning or apply to a DoDAF inspired operations cost model, but this paper describes how such DoDAF concepts as nodes, systems, and operational activities relate to the development of a model to estimate exploration operations costs. The paper discusses the specific implementation to the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) operational functions/activities currently being developed and presents an overview of how this powerful representation can apply to robotic space missions as well.

Developing critical thinking skills from clinical assignments: a pilot study on nursing students' self-reported perceptions.

PubMed

Marchigiano, Gail; Eduljee, Nina; Harvey, Kimberly

2011-01-01

Clinical assignments in nursing education provide opportunities for students to develop thinking skills vital to the effective delivery of patient care. The purpose of the present study was to examine students' perceived levels of confidence for using thinking skills when completing two types of clinical assignments. Clinical educators and managers are challenged to develop teaching and learning strategies that help students think critically and reflectively and transfer these skills into sound nursing practice. This study is based on the theoretical framework of critical thinking within the nursing process framework. Undergraduate nursing students (n=51) completed surveys indicating their confidence in using seven thinking skills for nursing care. Students indicated significantly more confidence when implementing the journal format as compared with the care plan format when analysing information, determining relevance, making connections, selecting appropriate information, applying relevant knowledge and evaluating outcomes. The findings of the present study propose a new approach for enhancing students' thinking skills. Journaling is an effective strategy for enhancing students' thinking skills. Nursing managers are in key organisational positions for supporting and promoting the use of the journal format and building supportive and collaborative learning environments for students to develop thinking skills for managing patient care. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

On the Interplay between Order Parameter Dynamics and System Parameter Dynamics in Human Perceptual-Cognitive-Behavioral Systems.

PubMed

Frank, T D

2015-04-01

Previous research has demonstrated that perceiving, thinking, and acting are human activities that correspond to self-organized patterns. The emergence of such patterns can be completely described in terms of the dynamics of the pattern amplitudes, which are referred to as order parameters. The patterns emerge at bifurcations points when certain system parameters internal and external to a human agent exceed critical values. At issue is how one might study the order parameter dynamics for sequences of consecutive, emergent perceptual, cognitive, or behavioral activities. In particular, these activities may in turn impact the system parameters that have led to the emergence of the activities in the first place. This interplay between order parameter dynamics and system parameter dynamics is discussed in general and formulated in mathematical terms. Previous work that has made use of this two-tiered framework of order parameter and system parameter dynamics are briefly addressed. As an application, a model for perception under functional fixedness is presented. Finally, it is argued that the phenomena that emerge in this framework and can be observed when human agents perceive, think, and act are just as likely to occur in pattern formation systems of the inanimate world. Consequently, these phenomena do not necessarily have a neurophysiological basis but should instead be understood from the perspective of the theory of self-organization.

What is health systems responsiveness? Review of existing knowledge and proposed conceptual framework.

PubMed

Mirzoev, Tolib; Kane, Sumit

2017-01-01

Responsiveness is a key objective of national health systems. Responsive health systems anticipate and adapt to existing and future health needs, thus contributing to better health outcomes. Of all the health systems objectives, responsiveness is the least studied, which perhaps reflects lack of comprehensive frameworks that go beyond the normative characteristics of responsive services. This paper contributes to a growing, yet limited, knowledge on this topic. Herewith, we review the current frameworks for understanding health systems responsiveness and drawing on these, as well as key frameworks from the wider public services literature, propose a comprehensive conceptual framework for health systems responsiveness. This paper should be of interest to different stakeholders who are engaged in analysing and improving health systems responsiveness. Our review shows that existing knowledge on health systems responsiveness can be extended along the three areas. First, responsiveness entails an actual experience of people's interaction with their health system, which confirms or disconfirms their initial expectations of the system. Second, the experience of interaction is shaped by both the people and the health systems sides of this interaction. Third, different influences shape people's interaction with their health system, ultimately affecting their resultant experiences. Therefore, recognition of both people and health systems sides of interaction and their key determinants would enhance the conceptualisations of responsiveness. Our proposed framework builds on, and advances, the core frameworks in the health systems literature. It positions the experience of interaction between people and health system as the centrepiece and recognises the determinants of responsiveness experience both from the health systems (eg, actors, processes) and the people (eg, initial expectations) sides. While we hope to trigger further thinking on the conceptualisation of health system responsiveness, the proposed framework can guide assessments of, and interventions to strengthen, health systems responsiveness.

What is health systems responsiveness? Review of existing knowledge and proposed conceptual framework

PubMed Central

Mirzoev, Tolib; Kane, Sumit

2017-01-01

Responsiveness is a key objective of national health systems. Responsive health systems anticipate and adapt to existing and future health needs, thus contributing to better health outcomes. Of all the health systems objectives, responsiveness is the least studied, which perhaps reflects lack of comprehensive frameworks that go beyond the normative characteristics of responsive services. This paper contributes to a growing, yet limited, knowledge on this topic. Herewith, we review the current frameworks for understanding health systems responsiveness and drawing on these, as well as key frameworks from the wider public services literature, propose a comprehensive conceptual framework for health systems responsiveness. This paper should be of interest to different stakeholders who are engaged in analysing and improving health systems responsiveness. Our review shows that existing knowledge on health systems responsiveness can be extended along the three areas. First, responsiveness entails an actual experience of people’s interaction with their health system, which confirms or disconfirms their initial expectations of the system. Second, the experience of interaction is shaped by both the people and the health systems sides of this interaction. Third, different influences shape people’s interaction with their health system, ultimately affecting their resultant experiences. Therefore, recognition of both people and health systems sides of interaction and their key determinants would enhance the conceptualisations of responsiveness. Our proposed framework builds on, and advances, the core frameworks in the health systems literature. It positions the experience of interaction between people and health system as the centrepiece and recognises the determinants of responsiveness experience both from the health systems (eg, actors, processes) and the people (eg, initial expectations) sides. While we hope to trigger further thinking on the conceptualisation of health system responsiveness, the proposed framework can guide assessments of, and interventions to strengthen, health systems responsiveness. PMID:29225953

Integrating human health and environmental health into the DPSIR framework: a tool to identify research opportunities for sustainable and healthy communities.

PubMed

Yee, Susan H; Bradley, Patricia; Fisher, William S; Perreault, Sally D; Quackenboss, James; Johnson, Eric D; Bousquin, Justin; Murphy, Patricia A

2012-12-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recently realigned its research enterprise around the concept of sustainability. Scientists from across multiple disciplines have a role to play in contributing the information, methods, and tools needed to more fully understand the long-term impacts of decisions on the social and economic sustainability of communities. Success will depend on a shift in thinking to integrate, organize, and prioritize research within a systems context. We used the Driving forces-Pressures-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework as a basis for integrating social, cultural, and economic aspects of environmental and human health into a single framework. To make the framework broadly applicable to sustainability research planning, we provide a hierarchical system of DPSIR keywords and guidelines for use as a communication tool. The applicability of the integrated framework was first tested on a public health issue (asthma disparities) for purposes of discussion. We then applied the framework at a science planning meeting to identify opportunities for sustainable and healthy communities research. We conclude that an integrated systems framework has many potential roles in science planning, including identifying key issues, visualizing interactions within the system, identifying research gaps, organizing information, developing computational models, and identifying indicators.

A Systems Approach to Biometrics in the Military Domain.

PubMed

Wilson, Lauren; Gahan, Michelle; Lennard, Chris; Robertson, James

2018-02-21

Forensic biometrics is the application of forensic science principles to physical and behavioral characteristics. Forensic biometrics is a secondary sub-system in the forensic science "system of systems," which describes forensic science as a sub-system in the larger criminal justice, law enforcement, intelligence, and military system. The purpose of this paper is to discuss biometrics in the military domain and integration into the wider forensic science system of systems. The holistic system thinking methodology was applied to the U.S. biometric system to map it to the system of systems framework. The U.S. biometric system is used as a case study to help guide other countries to develop military biometric systems that are integrated and interoperable at the whole-of-government level. The aim is to provide the system of systems framework for agencies to consider for proactive design of biometric systems. © 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Cultivating Peace through Design Thinking: Problem Solving with PAST Foundation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deaner, Kat; McCreery-Kellert, Heather

2018-01-01

Design thinking is a methodology that emphasizes reasoning and decision-making as part of the problem-solving process. It is a structured framework for identifying challenges, gathering information, generating potential solutions, refining ideas, and testing solutions. Design thinking offers valuable skills that will serve students well as they…

Critical Thinking & Lifelong Learning: An ADKAR Model-Based Framework for Managing a Change in Thinking & English Language Learning Styles at the Secondary Stage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdallah, Mahmoud M. S.; Mohammad, Marwa M. M.

2016-01-01

The general secondary stage in Egypt is a vital educational phase since it plays an essential role in developing students' thinking and learning styles to prepare them for life in general and higher education in particular. Accordingly, it has become urgent and persistent to develop secondary-stage students' critical thinking styles while…

An initial framework for the language of higher-order thinking mathematics practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staples, Megan E.; Truxaw, Mary P.

2012-09-01

This article presents an examination of the language demands of cognitively demanding tasks and proposes an initial framework for the language demands of higher-order mathematics thinking practices. We articulate four categories for this framework: language of generalisation, language of comparison, language of proportional reasoning, and language of analysing impact. These categories were developed out of our collaborative work to design and implement higher-order thinking tasks with a group of Grade 9 (14- and 15-year-olds) teachers teaching in a linguistically diverse setting; analyses of student work samples on these tasks; and our knowledge of the literature. We describe each type of language demand and then analyse student work in each category to reveal linguistic challenges facing students as they engage these mathematical tasks. Implications for teaching and professional development are discussed.

Patient-Clinician Encounter Information Modeling Through Web Based Intelligent 3D Visual Interface

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-09-01

system must allow immediate access to the lab data without the need to abort the evaluation process), and (5) must apply visual thinking principles. It... Systems Research, Incorporated For a period of five (5) years after completion of the project from which the data was generated, the Government’s rights...Report 3 Sigma Systems Research, Inc. List of Figures FIGURE 1. THE TWO MAJOR ELEMENTS OF THE DEVELOPED MEDICAL DATA VISUALIZATION FRAMEWORK ..... 7

Develop a Framework of Creative Thinking Teaching Mode for RN-BSN Students on the Basis of the Creative Process of Clinical Nurses in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ku, Ya-Lie; Kuo, Chien-Lin

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a framework of creative thinking teaching mode for RN-BSN students on the basis of the creative process of clinical nurses in Taiwan. Purposive samples have earned creativity awards recruited from the medical, surgical, maternity, paediatric, community and psychiatric departments in Taiwan. Semi-structured…

Oersted Lecture 2013: How should we think about how our students think?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redish, Edward F.

2014-06-01

Physics Education Research (PER) applies a scientific approach to the question, "How do our students think about and learn physics?" PER allows us to explore such intellectually engaging questions as "What does it mean to understand something in physics?" and "What skills and competencies do we want our students to learn from our physics classes?" To address questions like these, we need to do more than observe student difficulties and build curricula. We need a theoretical framework—a structure for talking about, making sense of, and modeling how one thinks about, learns, and understands physics. In this paper, I outline some aspects of the Resources Framework, a structure that some of us are using to create a phenomenology of physics learning that ties closely to modern developments in neuroscience, psychology, and linguistics. As an example of how this framework gives new insights, I discuss epistemological framing—the role of students' perceptions of the nature of the knowledge they are learning and what knowledge is appropriate to bring to bear on a given task. I discuss how this foothold idea fits into our theoretical framework, show some classroom data on how it plays out in the classroom, and give some examples of how my awareness of the resources framework influences my approach to teaching.

[Concept analysis of reflective thinking].

PubMed

Van Vuuren, M; Botes, A

1999-09-01

The nursing practice is described as a scientific practice, but also as a practice where caring is important. The purpose of nursing education is to provide competent nursing practitioners. This implies that future practitioners must have both critical analytical thinking abilities, as well as empathy and moral values. Reflective thinking could probably accommodate these thinking skills. It seems that the facilitation of reflective thinking skills is essential in nursing education. The research question that is relevant in this context is: "What is reflective thinking?" The purpose of this article is to report on the concept analysis of reflective thinking and in particular on the connotative meaning (critical attributes) thereof. The method used to perform the concept analysis is based on the original method of Wilson (1987) as described by Walker & Avant (1995). As part of the concept analysis the connotations (critical attributes) are identified, reduced and organized into three categories, namely pre-requisites, processes and outcomes. A model case is described which confirms the essential critical attributes of reflective thinking. Finally a theoretical definition of reflective thinking is derived and reads as follows: Reflective thinking is a cyclic, hierarchical and interactive construction process. It is initiated, extended and continued because of personal cognitive-affective interaction (individual dimension) as well as interaction with the social environment (social dimension). to realize reflective thinking, a level of internalization on the cognitive and affective domain is required. The result of reflective thinking is a integrated framework of knowledge (meaningful learning) and a internalized value system providing a new perspective on and better understanding of a problem. Reflective thinking further leads to more effective decision making- and problem solving skills.

Structured Case Analysis: Developing Critical Thinking Skills in a Marketing Case Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klebba, Joanne M.; Hamilton, Janet G.

2007-01-01

Structured case analysis is a hybrid pedagogy that flexibly combines diverse instructional methods with comprehensive case analysis as a mechanism to develop critical thinking skills. An incremental learning framework is proposed that allows instructors to develop and monitor content-specific theory and the corresponding critical thinking skills.…

Students' Use of Computational Thinking in Linear Algebra

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bagley, Spencer; Rabin, Jeffrey M.

2016-01-01

In this work, we examine students' ways of thinking when presented with a novel linear algebra problem. Our intent was to explore how students employ and coordinate three modes of thinking, which we call computational, abstract, and geometric, following similar frameworks proposed by Hillel (2000) and Sierpinska (2000). However, the undergraduate…

Thinking Critically about Difference: Analytical Tools for the 21st Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zamudio, Margaret; Rios, Francisco; Jaime, Angela M.

2008-01-01

This article examines a critical cultural thinking framework advanced to develop an analysis of difference as it pertains to race, gender, and sexuality. We examine student journals to document their use (or lack therein) of these critical cultural thinking concepts and how these concepts influence students' understanding of difference. While…

Enhancing Critical Thinking across the Undergraduate Experience: An Exemplar from Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ralston, Patricia A.; Bays, Cathy L.

2013-01-01

Faculty in a large, urban school of engineering designed a longitudinal study to assess the critical thinking skills of undergraduate students as they progressed through the engineering program. The Paul-Elder critical thinking framework was used to design course assignments and develop a holistic assessment rubric. The curriculum was re-designed…

Teaching Critical Thinking: Cultural Challenges and Strategies in Singapore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Charlene

2017-01-01

Among the challenges faced by educators in promoting critical thinking is that of cultural compatibility. Using Singapore as an illustrative case study, this paper explores the cultural challenges and recommended strategies for the teaching of critical thinking in schools. The research for this study is based on a theoretical framework that…

Teaching Critical Thinking: Sense-Making, Explanations, Language, and Habits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maloney, David

2015-01-01

The conjunction of three events has encouraged me to devote significant time to thinking about the pedagogical framework in my introductory courses. The three events were: doing a workshop addressing the Advanced Placement restructuring of the Physics B course with a stronger focus on critical thinking, finding out that "The Physics…

Thinking Interculturally: Decolonizing History and Citizenship Education in Québec

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DesRoches, Sarah J.

2016-01-01

The main objective of this article is to offer an alternative discursive framework for teaching history and citizenship education in Québec, Canada. Enabling a more inclusive discussion around how citizenship is constructed, thinking interculturally allows us begin thinking about practical ways in which citizenship and history education might…

Mathematics Teachers' Knowledge of Student Thinking and Its Evidences in Their Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çelik, Aytug Özaltun; Güzel, Esra Bukova

2017-01-01

The aim of this case study is to examine mathematics teachers' knowledge of students' thinking and its evidences in their teaching. The participants were three secondary mathematics teachers. Data were gathered from interviews and observations. While analyzing the data, the framework about teachers' knowledge of students' thinking was used. The…

Scaffolding Critical Thinking in the Zone of Proximal Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wass, Rob; Harland, Tony; Mercer, Alison

2011-01-01

This paper explores student experiences of learning to think critically. Twenty-six zoology undergraduates took part in the study for three years of their degree at the University of Otago, New Zealand. Vygotsky's developmental model of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) provided a framework as we examined how critical thinking was developed.…

Creating a Culture of Thinking. Project Plan. English II Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fluellen, Jerry E., Jr.; Fluellen, Ingrid

2006-01-01

150 students at McKinley Technology High School in Washington, DC have engaged the Harvard Model for creating a culture of thinking. This Tishman, Perkins, and Jay framework introduced them to four forces of enculturation and six dimensions of a thinking classroom in combination with African American Literature and Future Studies as specific…

Following Alice: Theories of Critical Thinking and Reflective Practice in Action at Postgraduate Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanwick, Ruth; Kitchen, Ruth; Jarvis, Joy; McCracken, Wendy; O'Neil, Rachel; Powers, Steve

2014-01-01

This paper presents a flexible framework of principles for teaching critical thinking and reflective practice skills at the postgraduate level. It reports on a collaborative project between four UK institutions providing postgraduate programmes in deaf education. Through a critical review of current theories of critical thinking and reflective…

Observing Young Children's Creative Thinking: Engagement, Involvement and Persistence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robson, Sue; Rowe, Victoria

2012-01-01

This paper looks at young children's creative thinking as inferred through observations of their activities. A total of 52 episodes of child-initiated and adult-initiated activities in 3- to 4-year-olds in an English Children's Centre were analysed using the Analysing Children's Creative Thinking (ACCT) Framework. Results showed that activities…

Leveraging Cognitive Science Underpinnings to Enhance NGSS Astronomy Concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Stephanie; Slater, Timothy F.

2014-06-01

National-scale science education reform efforts have been hampered by highly fragmented frameworks and standards that vary considerably from one state to the next. In an effort to improve the quality of science education across the nation’s K-12 schools, the 2013 Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have been designed to guide states in specifying the learning targets and performance expectations of all K-12 students. The NGSS is designed to reflect the 2011 Framework for K-12 Science Education developed by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences. As teachers, curriculum developers, and assessment experts begin to implement the NGSS in specific geographical and socio-economic contexts, moving beyond an examination of common student misconceptions and reasoning difficulties to delineate the specific cognitive sources of those difficulties, and the specific interventions that can serve as countermeasures, should be a fruitful next step. While astronomy education researchers have already documented challenges in teaching system processes that operate with the space system, solar system, and interconnected Earth science systems, we are far from a thorough understanding of student thinking in astronomy. Many of these ideas can be better taught-and tested-by carefully examining the underlying cognitive science including learners’ difficulties with spatial thinking and the prescribed astronomy and space science concepts. The NGSS may prove to be useful as a framework for next steps in the cognitive science within astronomy, and this work may benefit from deliberate collaborations between education researchers, curriculum developers, and those who engage in teacher professional development.

The Effect of Hyperventilation on the Ability To Hold One's Breath: Testing the Influence of Beliefs versus Physiology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Given, Mac F.

1997-01-01

Reports on a simple classroom exercise that investigates whether students' beliefs of what they think should happen influences their measurements. The exercise also provides a framework for discussing the challenges that human belief systems bring to the discipline of using the scientific process. Results suggest that students' preconceived…

Integrating the fundamentals of care framework in baccalaureate nursing education: An example from a nursing school in Denmark.

PubMed

Voldbjerg, Siri Lygum; Laugesen, Britt; Bahnsen, Iben Bøgh; Jørgensen, Lone; Sørensen, Ingrid Maria; Grønkjaer, Mette; Sørensen, Erik Elgaard

2018-06-01

To describe and discuss the process of integrating the Fundamentals of Care framework in a baccalaureate nursing education at a School of Nursing in Denmark. Nursing education plays an essential role in educating nurses to work within healthcare systems in which a demanding workload on nurses results in fundamental nursing care being left undone. Newly graduated nurses often lack knowledge and skills to meet the challenges of delivering fundamental care in clinical practice. To develop nursing students' understanding of fundamental nursing, the conceptual Fundamentals of Care framework has been integrated in nursing education at a School of Nursing in Denmark. Discursive paper using an adjusted descriptive case study design for describing and discussing the process of integrating the conceptual Fundamentals of Care Framework in nursing education. The process of integrating the Fundamentals of Care framework is illuminated through a description of the context, in which the process occurs including the faculty members, lectures, case-based work and simulation laboratory in nursing education. Based on this description, opportunities such as supporting a holistic approach to an evidence-based integrative patient care and challenges such as scepticism among the faculty are discussed. It is suggested how integration of Fundamentals of Care Framework in lectures, case-based work and simulation laboratory can make fundamental nursing care more explicit in nursing education, support critical thinking and underline the relevance of evidence-based practice. The process relies on a supportive context, a well-informed and engaged faculty, and continuous reflections on how the conceptual framework can be integrated. Integrating the Fundamentals of Care framework can support nursing students' critical thinking and reflection on what fundamental nursing care is and requires and eventually educate nurses in providing evidence-based fundamental nursing care. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Navigating Leadership Complexity Through Critical, Creative, and Practical Thinking.

PubMed

Pigza, Jennifer M

2015-01-01

Leadership education that intentionally addresses critical, creative, and practical thinking enhances significant learning for students and deepens the leadership practices of educators. This chapter explores specific applications in the areas of graduate leadership education, action research, service immersion program, and advising conversations. Additionally, it presents a framework of pathways to social change and suggests how such a framework can be useful to students and leadership educators. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Conceptual Model for Mitigating Human - Wildlife Conflict based on System Thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patana, Pindi; Mawengkang, Herman; Silvi Lydia, Maya

2018-01-01

In conservation process it is unavoidably that conflict incidents may occur among the people and wild-life in the surrounding of the conservation area. Mitigating conflict between wildlife and people is considered a top conservation priority, particularly in landscapes where high densities of people and wildlife co-occur. This conflict is also happened in Leuser conservation area located in the border of North Sumatra and Aceh province, Indonesia. Easing the conflict problem is very difficult. This paper proposes a conceptual model based on system thinking to explore factors that may have great influence on the conflict and to figure out mitigating the conflict. We show how this conceptual framework can be utilized to analyze the conflict occur and further how it could used to develop a multi- criteria decision model.

Knowledge Interaction Design for Creative Knowledge Work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakakoji, Kumiyo; Yamamoto, Yasuhiro

This paper describes our approach for the development of application systems for creative knowledge work, particularly for early stages of information design tasks. Being a cognitive tool serving as a means of externalization, an application system affects how the user is engaged in the creative process through its visual interaction design. Knowledge interaction design described in this paper is a framework where a set of application systems for different information design domains are developed based on an interaction model, which is designed for a particular model of a thinking process. We have developed two sets of application systems using the knowledge interaction design framework: one includes systems for linear information design, such as writing, movie-editing, and video-analysis; the other includes systems for network information design, such as file-system navigation and hypertext authoring. Our experience shows that the resulting systems encourage users to follow a certain cognitive path through graceful user experience.

Relationships between Conceptual Knowledge and Reasoning about Systems: Implications for Fostering Systems Thinking in Secondary Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyons, Cheryl

Reasoning about systems is necessary for understanding many modern issues that face society and is important for future scientists and all citizens. Systems thinking may allow students to make connections and identify common themes between seemingly different situations and phenomena, and is relevant to the focus on cross-cutting concepts in science emphasized in the Framework for K-12 Science Education Standards (NRC, 2011) and Next Generation Science Standards (Achieve, 2013). At the same time, there is emerging empirical and theoretical support in science education for fostering the development of science reasoning alongside content understanding, as opposed to the perspective that reasoning occurs after a certain threshold of content mastery has been achieved. However, existing research on systems thinking has treated this reasoning as a set of universal skills and neglected the role of content, or has conceptualized a progression in which content mastery precedes systems reasoning without consideration of rudimentary forms of reasoning. This study focused on describing individual variations in the ways that 8th and 9th grade students reason about changes in a system over time to identify characteristics of systems and pre-systems thinking and to investigate the relationship between this reasoning and the students' application of content. This study found a generally linear relationship between content and reasoning, with interesting deviations from this trend among students who demonstrated at least a moderate level of content understanding but had not yet achieved mastery. Four profiles of this relationship emerged which warrant different instructional support. Implications are presented for science educators and developers of curricula and assessments. This includes recommendations for learning objectives, the design of written curriculum materials, and the development of assessments that aim to promote and measure reasoning about systems in science.

Using Graffiti to Teach Students How to Think Like Historians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franco, Eric V.

2010-01-01

"Thinking Like a Historian" (TLH) is a tool for framing the past to teach students the elements of historical thinking while, at the same time, grounding students' knowledge of the past through inquiry and evidentiary support. The framework's design allows for a separation of the ways historians study the past from the ways historians organize…

Is State Assessment a Viable Tool for Reflection of Classroom Assessment?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Tony; Newsome, Kolouia

North Carolina uses Dimensions of Thinking (Marzano et al., 1988) as a framework to incorporate higher order thinking in their End-of- Course exams. The goal of this research was to explore whether this effort could also help facilitate the inclusion of higher order thinking in the classroom. Based on reviewing state EOC-related documents and…

Framework See-Think as a Tool for Crowdsourcing Support - Case Study on Crisis Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Netek, R.; Panek, J.

2016-06-01

See-Think-Do is a framework originally used as an approach focused on a service and product marketing on the Internet. Customers can be classified into three groups according to their involvement from potential users to real customers. The article presents an idea of public involvement in community mapping in three levels: "See"—almost any user; "Think"—potential contributors; and "Do"—interested users. The case study implements the See-Think-Do framework as an awareness-based approach used for The Crisis Map of the Czech Republic. It is an Ushahidi-based crowdsourcing platform for sharing spatial and multimedia information during crisis situations, e.g. disaster floods in 2013. While the current crisis projects use public mapping just at the onset of the disaster, according to See-Think-Do any user can be considered as a potential contributor even during the dormant period. The focus is put on the "See" and "Think" groups of contributors, which are currently ignored. The objective of this paper is to summarize approaches (social networks, mass-media, emailing, gamification, …) and tools (GIT/GIS, ICT, multimedia) for increasing the awareness about the project within the resting phase. That recruits a higher number of both active and passive users during the disaster. It allows the training in ICT, cartographical, spatial and GIS skills in a non-stressful way and the targeting on specific operators. Volunteers from the "Think" group may be used for data processing or rectification, GIS professionals from the "Do" group for data verification. The results refer that contributors with already established skills and required literacy (interface, data uploading) provide data faster and more accurate, the usability of the project increases based on users' comments.

Places to Intervene to Make Complex Food Systems More Healthy, Green, Fair, and Affordable

PubMed Central

Malhi, Luvdeep; Karanfil, Özge; Merth, Tommy; Acheson, Molly; Palmer, Amanda; Finegood, Diane T.

2009-01-01

A Food Systems and Public Health conference was convened in April 2009 to consider research supporting food systems that are healthy, green, fair, and affordable. We used a complex systems framework to examine the contents of background material provided to conference participants. Application of our intervention-level framework (paradigm, goals, system structure, feedback and delays, structural elements) enabled comparison of the conference themes of healthy, green, fair, and affordable. At the level of system structure suggested actions to achieve these goals are fairly compatible, including broad public discussion and implementation of policies and programs that support sustainable food production and distribution. At the level of paradigm and goals, the challenge of making healthy and green food affordable becomes apparent as some actions may be in conflict. Systems thinking can provide insight into the challenges and opportunities to act to make the food supply more healthy, green, fair, and affordable. PMID:23173029

"We Are Not as They Think about Us": Exploring Omani EFL Learners' "Selves" in Digital Social Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Little, Sabine; Al Wahaibi, Suad

2017-01-01

This paper reports a research study of Omani EFL learners' motivation to engage in social technologies through the medium of English, adopting Dörnyei's L2 Motivational Self System as the main theoretical framework, whilst exploring other emergent context-sensitive motivational driving forces. The purpose of the research study was to explore…

A Kairos of the Critical: Teaching Critically in a Time of Compliance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drabinski, Emily

2017-01-01

The promise of critical pedagogy lies in its capacity to change lives as librarians try new ways of thinking and teaching that challenge systems of power that privilege some and not others. In the last ten years, critical pedagogy has moved from the margins to the center, most clearly in its influence on the new "Framework for Information…

Resilience in Change: Positive Perspectives on the Dynamics of Change in Early Childhood Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Douglass, Anne

2016-01-01

Change is a central feature of the early care and education landscape today. Much of the research on educational change focuses on the negative or challenging aspects of change. This study employed a critical theory framework from the organizational sciences field, positive organizational scholarship, to offer a new way of thinking about change in…

Design Patterns for Learning and Assessment: Facilitating the Introduction of a Complex Simulation-Based Learning Environment into a Community of Instructors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frezzo, Dennis C.; Behrens, John T.; Mislevy, Robert J.

2010-01-01

Simulation environments make it possible for science and engineering students to learn to interact with complex systems. Putting these capabilities to effective use for learning, and assessing learning, requires more than a simulation environment alone. It requires a conceptual framework for the knowledge, skills, and ways of thinking that are…

Predicting change in epistemological beliefs, reflective thinking and learning styles: a longitudinal study.

PubMed

Phan, Huy P

2008-03-01

Although extensive research has examined epistemological beliefs, reflective thinking and learning approaches, very few studies have looked at these three theoretical frameworks in their totality. This research tested two separate structural models of epistemological beliefs, learning approaches, reflective thinking and academic performance among tertiary students over a period of 12 months. Participants were first-year Arts (N=616; 271 females, 345 males) and second-year Mathematics (N=581; 241 females, 341 males) university students. Students' epistemological beliefs were measured with the Schommer epistemological questionnaire (EQ, Schommer, 1990). Reflective thinking was measured with the reflective thinking questionnaire (RTQ, Kember et al., 2000). Student learning approaches were measured with the revised study process questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F, Biggs, Kember, & Leung, 2001). LISREL 8 was used to test two structural equation models - the cross-lag model and the causal-mediating model. In the cross-lag model involving Arts students, structural equation modelling showed that epistemological beliefs influenced student learning approaches rather than the contrary. In the causal-mediating model involving Mathematics students, the results indicate that both epistemological beliefs and learning approaches predicted reflective thinking and academic performance. Furthermore, learning approaches mediated the effect of epistemological beliefs on reflective thinking and academic performance. Results of this study are significant as they integrated the three theoretical frameworks within the one study.

Toward consensus on self-management support: the international chronic condition self-management support framework.

PubMed

Mills, Susan L; Brady, Teresa J; Jayanthan, Janaki; Ziabakhsh, Shabnam; Sargious, Peter M

2017-12-01

Self-management support (SMS) initiatives have been hampered by insufficient attention to underserved and disadvantaged populations, a lack of integration between health, personal and social domains, over emphasis on individual responsibility and insufficient attention to ethical issues. This paper describes a SMS framework that provides guidance in developing comprehensive and coordinated approaches to SMS that may address these gaps and provides direction for decision makers in developing and implementing SMS initiatives in key areas at local levels. The framework was developed by researchers, policy-makers, practitioners and consumers from 5 English-speaking countries and reviewed by 203 individuals in 16 countries using an e-survey process. While developments in SMS will inevitably reflect local and regional contexts and needs, the strategic framework provides an emerging consensus on how we need to move SMS conceptualization, planning and development forward. The framework provides definitions of self-management (SM) and SMS, a collective vision, eight guiding principles and seven strategic directions. The framework combines important and relevant SM issues into a strategic document that provides potential value to the SMS field by helping decision-makers plan SMS initiatives that reflect local and regional needs and by catalyzing and expanding our thinking about the SMS field in relation to system thinking; shared responsibility; health equity and ethical issues. The framework was developed with the understanding that our knowledge and experience of SMS is continually evolving and that it should be modified and adapted as more evidence is available, and approaches in SMS advance. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Culture, Transnational Education and Thinking: Case Studies in Global Schooling. Routledge Research in International and Comparative Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casinader, Niranjan

2014-01-01

The notion of thinking skills as a key component of a 21st century school education is now firmly entrenched in educational policy and curriculum frameworks in many parts of the world. However, there has been relatively little questioning of the manner in which educational globalisation has facilitated this diffusion of thinking skills, curriculum…

Framework of Assessment for the Evaluation of Thinking Skills of Tertiary Level Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heng, Chan Swee; Ziguang, Yan

2015-01-01

In the 21st century, students are required to master thinking skills in order to deal with many situations that arise in the tertiary environment which later would translate into the workplace. Nowadays, thinking skills play a vital role in tertiary education. To provide an approach for teachers, this paper identifies a 4-step model that can be…

Foundations of Formative Assessment: Introducing a Learning Progression to Guide Preservice Physics Teachers' Video-Based Interpretation of Student Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

von Aufschnaiter, Claudia; Alonzo, Alicia C.

2018-01-01

Establishing nuanced interpretations of student thinking is central to formative assessment but difficult, especially for preservice teachers. Learning progressions (LPs) have been proposed as a framework for promoting interpretations of students' thinking; however, research is needed to investigate whether and how an LP can be used to support…

Pathways to Thinking: Strategies for Developing Independent Learners K-8. Expanded Professional Version.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Elinor Parry

Learning how to think is essential for children to grow into responsible citizens and contribute to society. Schools need curricula that support a variety of thinking strategies as students read, write, and study content-area subjects, and learn to evaluate and manage what they do. This book for teachers provides a framework for creating a…

Constructing the Syllabus: Devising a Framework for Helping Students Learn to Think like Historians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Estes, Todd

2007-01-01

In this article, the author describes a syllabus which he designed in his United States history survey courses to help his students learn to think like historians. It contains important information about the way historians work and think, along with descriptions of the reading materials the student will use to further their practice of history.…

Going beyond Equations with Disciplinary Thinking in First-Year Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Syed, M. Qasim

2015-01-01

Students in first-year physics courses generally focus on hunting for suitable equations and formulas when tackling a variety of physical situations and physics problems. There is a need for a framework that can guide them to disciplinary ways of thinking and help them begin to think like physicists. To serve this end, in this study, a framework…

The Relationship between College Experience at a Historically Black College and Students' Critical Thinking Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Little, Irene Pruitt

2017-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between college experience at a HBCU and students' critical thinking skills. The theoretical framework included Astin's theory of involvement and Facione's taxonomy of critical thinking. The research site was a private four-year HBCU in the state of Alabama. The…

Problematizing the Critical Thinking Concept: Perspectives of Chinese Undergraduate Students and Their U.S. University Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Lei

2017-01-01

This qualitative study examined reflections of 12 Chinese students who studied in a U.S. college, and 10 of their U.S. faculty in terms of their conceptualization of critical thinking. Throughout the study, a situated cognitive framework was applied to analyze the interview data and explore the concept of critical thinking. The participants of…

Systems science and obesity policy: a novel framework for analyzing and rethinking population-level planning.

PubMed

Johnston, Lee M; Matteson, Carrie L; Finegood, Diane T

2014-07-01

We demonstrate the use of a systems-based framework to assess solutions to complex health problems such as obesity. We coded 12 documents published between 2004 and 2013 aimed at influencing obesity planning for complex systems design (9 reports from US and Canadian governmental or health authorities, 1 Cochrane review, and 2 Institute of Medicine reports). We sorted data using the intervention-level framework (ILF), a novel solutions-oriented approach to complex problems. An in-depth comparison of 3 documents provides further insight into complexity and systems design in obesity policy. The majority of strategies focused mainly on changing the determinants of energy imbalance (food intake and physical activity). ILF analysis brings to the surface actions aimed at higher levels of system function and points to a need for more innovative policy design. Although many policymakers acknowledge obesity as a complex problem, many strategies stem from the paradigm of individual choice and are limited in scope. The ILF provides a template to encourage natural systems thinking and more strategic policy design grounded in complexity science.

Evolution and resilience of the nuclear nonproliferation regime

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pregenzer, Arian L.

2014-05-09

This paper introduces the concept of systems resilience as a new framework for thinking about the future of the nonproliferation regime. Resilience refers to the ability of a system to maintain its vital functions in the face of continuous and unpredictable change. First, I make the case that the nonproliferation regime can be viewed as a complex system. Next, I discuss key themes from the literature on systems resilience and apply them to the nonproliferation system: the difference between resilience and stability; the need for evolution to maintain function; the importance of functional diversity; and the concept of the adaptivemore » cycle. I show that most existing nonproliferation strategies are aimed at stability rather than resilience and that the current nonproliferation system may be over-constrained by the cumulative evolution of strategies. According to the literature on systems resilience, this increases its vulnerability to collapse. I argue that the resilience of the nonproliferation system can be enhanced by increasing international participation in setting the nonproliferation agenda, developing general international response capabilities, focusing on non-coercive approaches to decreasing demand, and applying systems thinking more rigorously to nonproliferation.« less

The nature of thinking, shallow and deep

PubMed Central

Brase, Gary L.

2014-01-01

Because the criteria for success differ across various domains of life, no single normative standard will ever work for all types of thinking. One method for dealing with this apparent dilemma is to propose that the mind is made up of a large number of specialized modules. This review describes how this multi-modular framework for the mind overcomes several critical conceptual and theoretical challenges to our understanding of human thinking, and hopefully clarifies what are (and are not) some of the implications based on this framework. In particular, an evolutionarily informed “deep rationality” conception of human thinking can guide psychological research out of clusters of ad hoc models which currently occupy some fields. First, the idea of deep rationality helps theoretical frameworks in terms of orienting themselves with regard to time scale references, which can alter the nature of rationality assessments. Second, the functional domains of deep rationality can be hypothesized (non-exhaustively) to include the areas of self-protection, status, affiliation, mate acquisition, mate retention, kin care, and disease avoidance. Thus, although there is no single normative standard of rationality across all of human cognition, there are sensible and objective standards by which we can evaluate multiple, fundamental, domain-specific motives underlying human cognition and behavior. This review concludes with two examples to illustrate the implications of this framework. The first example, decisions about having a child, illustrates how competing models can be understood by realizing that different fundamental motives guiding people’s thinking can sometimes be in conflict. The second example is that of personifications within modern financial markets (e.g., in the form of corporations), which are entities specifically constructed to have just one fundamental motive. This single focus is the source of both the strengths and flaws in how such entities behave. PMID:24860542

The nature of thinking, shallow and deep.

PubMed

Brase, Gary L

2014-01-01

Because the criteria for success differ across various domains of life, no single normative standard will ever work for all types of thinking. One method for dealing with this apparent dilemma is to propose that the mind is made up of a large number of specialized modules. This review describes how this multi-modular framework for the mind overcomes several critical conceptual and theoretical challenges to our understanding of human thinking, and hopefully clarifies what are (and are not) some of the implications based on this framework. In particular, an evolutionarily informed "deep rationality" conception of human thinking can guide psychological research out of clusters of ad hoc models which currently occupy some fields. First, the idea of deep rationality helps theoretical frameworks in terms of orienting themselves with regard to time scale references, which can alter the nature of rationality assessments. Second, the functional domains of deep rationality can be hypothesized (non-exhaustively) to include the areas of self-protection, status, affiliation, mate acquisition, mate retention, kin care, and disease avoidance. Thus, although there is no single normative standard of rationality across all of human cognition, there are sensible and objective standards by which we can evaluate multiple, fundamental, domain-specific motives underlying human cognition and behavior. This review concludes with two examples to illustrate the implications of this framework. The first example, decisions about having a child, illustrates how competing models can be understood by realizing that different fundamental motives guiding people's thinking can sometimes be in conflict. The second example is that of personifications within modern financial markets (e.g., in the form of corporations), which are entities specifically constructed to have just one fundamental motive. This single focus is the source of both the strengths and flaws in how such entities behave.

Assessment of Critical-Analytic Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Nathaniel J.; Afflerbach, Peter P.; Croninger, Robert G.

2014-01-01

National policy and standards documents, including the National Assessment of Educational Progress frameworks, the "Common Core State Standards" and the "Next Generation Science Standards," assert the need to assess critical-analytic thinking (CAT) across subject areas. However, assessment of CAT poses several challenges for…

Teaching for Thinking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keefe, James W., Ed.; Walberg, Herbert J., Ed.

This volume represents a variety of current efforts to incorporate thought-provoking methods into teaching. There are three sections. "Curriculum Developments" defines key curricular terms and offers a framework and general examples of teaching tactics. In this section, Barbara Presseisen distinguishes thinking from other cognitive…

Teaching Strategy: Challenge and Response

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

students have learned in the classroom. Moreover, consultants learn to think multidimensionally, as success depends on their ability to test... think , not what to think . The College has never sought to have a single framework of analysis but to provide the students with the ability to analyze...roles as well as enforce seminar norms that promote quality learning . A fourth learning responsibility for students is the duty to

Structured decision making as a conceptual framework to identify thresholds for conservation and management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Martin, J.; Runge, M.C.; Nichols, J.D.; Lubow, B.C.; Kendall, W.L.

2009-01-01

Thresholds and their relevance to conservation have become a major topic of discussion in the ecological literature. Unfortunately, in many cases the lack of a clear conceptual framework for thinking about thresholds may have led to confusion in attempts to apply the concept of thresholds to conservation decisions. Here, we advocate a framework for thinking about thresholds in terms of a structured decision making process. The purpose of this framework is to promote a logical and transparent process for making informed decisions for conservation. Specification of such a framework leads naturally to consideration of definitions and roles of different kinds of thresholds in the process. We distinguish among three categories of thresholds. Ecological thresholds are values of system state variables at which small changes bring about substantial changes in system dynamics. Utility thresholds are components of management objectives (determined by human values) and are values of state or performance variables at which small changes yield substantial changes in the value of the management outcome. Decision thresholds are values of system state variables at which small changes prompt changes in management actions in order to reach specified management objectives. The approach that we present focuses directly on the objectives of management, with an aim to providing decisions that are optimal with respect to those objectives. This approach clearly distinguishes the components of the decision process that are inherently subjective (management objectives, potential management actions) from those that are more objective (system models, estimates of system state). Optimization based on these components then leads to decision matrices specifying optimal actions to be taken at various values of system state variables. Values of state variables separating different actions in such matrices are viewed as decision thresholds. Utility thresholds are included in the objectives component, and ecological thresholds may be embedded in models projecting consequences of management actions. Decision thresholds are determined by the above-listed components of a structured decision process. These components may themselves vary over time, inducing variation in the decision thresholds inherited from them. These dynamic decision thresholds can then be determined using adaptive management. We provide numerical examples (that are based on patch occupancy models) of structured decision processes that include all three kinds of thresholds. ?? 2009 by the Ecological Society of America.

Toward an Analytic Framework of Interdisciplinary Reasoning and Communication (IRC) Processes in Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Ji; Sung, Shannon; Zhang, Dongmei

2015-11-01

Students need to think and work across disciplinary boundaries in the twenty-first century. However, it is unclear what interdisciplinary thinking means and how to analyze interdisciplinary interactions in teamwork. In this paper, drawing on multiple theoretical perspectives and empirical analysis of discourse contents, we formulate a theoretical framework that helps analyze interdisciplinary reasoning and communication (IRC) processes in interdisciplinary collaboration. Specifically, we propose four interrelated IRC processes-integration, translation, transfer, and transformation, and develop a corresponding analytic framework. We apply the framework to analyze two meetings of a project that aims to develop interdisciplinary science assessment items. The results illustrate that the framework can help interpret the interdisciplinary meeting dynamics and patterns. Our coding process and results also suggest that these IRC processes can be further examined in terms of interconnected sub-processes. We also discuss the implications of using the framework in conceptualizing, practicing, and researching interdisciplinary learning and teaching in science education.

[A seminar for thinking?].

PubMed

Touzet, Patrick

2014-01-01

The sociopolitical context in which we carry out our caregiving profession influences our methods of working. In our world marked by rationalism, thinking about care, in the framework of a seminar, is a way of engaging ourselves and of not simply becoming a functionary of care.

Using systems thinking to identify workforce enablers for a whole systems approach to urgent and emergency care delivery: a multiple case study.

PubMed

Manley, Kim; Martin, Anne; Jackson, Carolyn; Wright, Toni

2016-08-09

Overcrowding in emergency departments is a global issue, which places pressure on the shrinking workforce and threatens the future of high quality, safe and effective care. Healthcare reforms aimed at tackling this crisis have focused primarily on structural changes, which alone do not deliver anticipated improvements in quality and performance. The purpose of this study was to identify workforce enablers for achieving whole systems urgent and emergency care delivery. A multiple case study design framed around systems thinking was conducted in South East England across one Trust consisting of five hospitals, one community healthcare trust and one ambulance trust. Data sources included 14 clinical settings where upstream or downstream pinch points are likely to occur including discharge planning and rapid response teams; ten regional stakeholder events (n = 102); a qualitative survey (n = 48); and a review of literature and analysis of policy documents including care pathways and protocols. The key workforce enablers for whole systems urgent and emergency care delivery identified were: clinical systems leadership, a single integrated career and competence framework and skilled facilitation of work based learning. In this study, participants agreed that whole systems urgent and emergency care allows for the design and implementation of care delivery models that meet complexity of population healthcare needs, reduce duplication and waste and improve healthcare outcomes and patients' experiences. For this to be achieved emphasis needs to be placed on holistic changes in structures, processes and patterns of the urgent and emergency care system. Often overlooked, patterns that drive the thinking and behavior in the workplace directly impact on staff recruitment and retention and the overall effectiveness of the organization. These also need to be attended to for transformational change to be achieved and sustained. Research to refine and validate a single integrated career and competence framework and to develop standards for an integrated approach to workplace facilitation to grow the capacity of facilitators that can use the workplace as a resource for learning is needed.

Intercultural Historical Learning: A Conceptual Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nordgren, Kenneth; Johansson, Maria

2015-01-01

This paper outlines a conceptual framework in order to systematically discuss the meaning of intercultural learning in history education and how it could be advanced. We do so by bringing together theories of historical consciousness, intercultural competence and postcolonial thinking. By combining these theories into one framework, we identify…

Navigating Complex Trade-Offs in Conservation and Development: An Integrative Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirsch, Paul D.; Brosius, J. Peter

2013-01-01

We present a framework that makes space for multiple perspectives and ways of thinking about complex trade-off problems in conservation and development. At the core of the framework are three "integrative lenses" designed to facilitate lines of inquiry according to three unique ways of perceiving complexity. The aim of the framework is…

Is Your Gut Conscious? Is an Extraterrestrial?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vos Post, Jonathan

2011-10-01

This paper speculates on questions intending to be taken scientifically rather than metaphysically: "Can the human gut (enteric nervous system) be conscious?"; "Can your immune system think?"; "Could consciousness be coded in DNA?"; "What do we mean when asserting that an Extraterrestrial is Thinking, or is Conscious? We explore through reference to theory, experiment, and computational models by Christof Koch (Caltech), Barbara Wold (Caltech), and Stuart Kauffman (University of Calgary, Tampere University of Technology, Santa Fe Institute). We use a tentative new definition of thinking, designed to be applicable for humans, cetecea, corvids, artificial intelligences, and extraterrestrial intelligences of any substrate (i.e. Life as We Do Not Know It): "Thinking is the occurrence, transformation, and storage in a mind or brain (or simulation thereof) of information-bearing structures (representations) of one kind or another, such as thoughts, concept, percepts, ideas, impressions, notions, rules, schemas, images, phantasms, or subpersonal representations." We use the framework for Consciousness developed by Francis Crick and Christof Koch. We try to describe scientific goals, but discuss Philosophy sufficient to avoid naïve philosophical category errors (thus are careful not to conflate thought, consciousness, and language) Penrose, Hameroff, and Kauffman speculate (differently) that CNS consciousness is a macroscopic quantum phenomenon. Might intestinal, immune system, or genetic regulatory network dynamics exhibit emergent cooperative quantum effects? The speculations are in the context of Evolution by Natural Selection, presumed to operate throughout the Cosmos, and recent work in the foundations of Computational Biology and Quantum Mechanics.

How Robust is Your System Resilience?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Homayounfar, M.; Muneepeerakul, R.

2017-12-01

Robustness and resilience are concepts in system thinking that have grown in importance and popularity. For many complex social-ecological systems, however, robustness and resilience are difficult to quantify and the connections and trade-offs between them difficult to study. Most studies have either focused on qualitative approaches to discuss their connections or considered only one of them under particular classes of disturbances. In this study, we present an analytical framework to address the linkage between robustness and resilience more systematically. Our analysis is based on a stylized dynamical model that operationalizes a widely used concept framework for social-ecological systems. The model enables us to rigorously define robustness and resilience and consequently investigate their connections. The results reveal the tradeoffs among performance, robustness, and resilience. They also show how the nature of the such tradeoffs varies with the choices of certain policies (e.g., taxation and investment in public infrastructure), internal stresses and external disturbances.

Neurocognitive mechanisms of perception-action coordination: a review and theoretical integration.

PubMed

Ridderinkhof, K Richard

2014-10-01

The present analysis aims at a theoretical integration of, and a systems-neuroscience perspective on, a variety of historical and contemporary views on perception-action coordination (PAC). We set out to determine the common principles or lawful linkages between sensory and motor systems that explain how perception is action-oriented and how action is perceptually guided. To this end, we analyze the key ingredients to such an integrated framework, examine the architecture of dual-system conjectures of PAC, and endeavor in an historical analysis of the key characteristics, mechanisms, and phenomena of PACs. This analysis will reveal that dual-systems views are in need of fundamental re-thinking, and its elements will be amalgamated with current views on action-oriented predictive processing into a novel integrative theoretical framework (IMPPACT: Impetus, Motivation, and Prediction in Perception-Action Coordination theory). From this framework and its neurocognitive architecture we derive a number of non-trivial predictions regarding conative, motive-driven PAC. We end by presenting a brief outlook on how IMPPACT might present novel insights into certain pathologies and into action expertise. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The transition from animal spirits to animal electricity: a neuroscience paradigm shift.

PubMed

Clower, W T

1998-12-01

The Animal Spirits Paradigm had been in place for over a thousand years as a general way of looking at the nervous system, and was completely ingrained into the fabric of scientific thinking. However, the community of researchers in the 17th and 18th centuries abandoned their long-held assumptions, and started anew with the novel assertion that the currency of nervous function was, instead of Animal Spirits, a uniquely amimal electricity. This conceptual rearrangement represented a scientific revolution in thinking, a change in absolute perspective that required the reinterpretation of old data within a completely novel framework. The manner in which this transition occurred followed the general form of scientific paradigm shifts as outlined by Thomas Kuhn (Kuhn, 1962)

Graduate Employability: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Employers' Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cai, Yuzhuo

2013-01-01

This study provides a conceptual framework for understanding what employers think about the value of graduates with similar educational credentials in the workplace (their employability), using insights from the new institutionalism. In this framework, the development of employers' beliefs about graduates' employability is broken into a number of…

Stability analysis of host dynamics for hiv

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geetha, V.; Balamuralitharan, S.

2018-04-01

The phenomenon of disease modeling can be easily accomplished through mathematical framework. In this paper the transmission of disease in human is represented mathematically as a nonlinear system. We think about the components of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) among the beginning periods of illness. Throughout this paper we have determined those logical representation of a three-compartmental HIV demonstrate for their stability evaluation. We tend to likewise explore the stimulating behavior of the model and acquire those Steady states for the disease-free and the endemic agreement. The framework can be evaluated by reproduction number R0. We additionally clarify the numerical recreation and their outcomes.

Continuum Thinking and the Contexts of Personal Information Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huvila, Isto; Eriksen, Jon; Häusner, Eva-Maria; Jansson, Ina-Maria

2014-01-01

Introduction: Recent personal information management literature has underlined the significance of the contextuality of personal information and its use. The present article discusses the applicability of the records continuum model and its generalisation, continuum thinking, as a theoretical framework for explicating the overlap and evolution of…

The Re-Think Tree.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gear, Jim

1993-01-01

The Re-Think Tree is a simple framework to help individuals assess and improve their behaviors related to environmental issues. The branches of the tree in order of priority are refuse, reduce, re-use, and recycle. Roots of the tree include such things as public opinion, education, and watchdog groups. (KS)

Using Technology to Support Teachers' Lesson Modifications during Lesson Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skultety, Lisa; Gonzalez, Gloriana; Vargas, Gabriela

2017-01-01

Lesson study is a professional development activity that increases teachers' attention to student thinking. However, coordinating teachers' live observations of a lesson can be challenging. Using the framework of "distributed cognition," we investigate whether technology supports teachers' examination of student thinking and aids the…

Thinking in Pictures as a Cognitive Account of Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kunda, Maithilee; Goel, Ashok K.

2011-01-01

We analyze the hypothesis that some individuals on the autism spectrum may use visual mental representations and processes to perform certain tasks that typically developing individuals perform verbally. We present a framework for interpreting empirical evidence related to this "Thinking in Pictures" hypothesis and then provide…

Teachers as Thinking Coaches: Creating Strategic Learners and Problem Solvers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaskins, Irene W.

1989-01-01

An across-the-curriculum program was developed to teach learning, thinking, and problem-solving skills to bright middle-school underachievers. This article describes the pilot program's theoretical basis, axioms of program development, guidelines for teaching metacognitive strategies, and a framework for strategy implementation. (Author/JDD)

Information-Theoretic Approach May Shed a Light to a Better Understanding and Sustaining the Integrity of Ecological-Societal Systems under Changing Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, J.

2016-12-01

Considering high levels of uncertainty, epistemological conflicts over facts and values, and a sense of urgency, normal paradigm-driven science will be insufficient to mobilize people and nation toward sustainability. The conceptual framework to bridge the societal system dynamics with that of natural ecosystems in which humanity operates remains deficient. The key to understanding their coevolution is to understand `self-organization.' Information-theoretic approach may shed a light to provide a potential framework which enables not only to bridge human and nature but also to generate useful knowledge for understanding and sustaining the integrity of ecological-societal systems. How can information theory help understand the interface between ecological systems and social systems? How to delineate self-organizing processes and ensure them to fulfil sustainability? How to evaluate the flow of information from data through models to decision-makers? These are the core questions posed by sustainability science in which visioneering (i.e., the engineering of vision) is an essential framework. Yet, visioneering has neither quantitative measure nor information theoretic framework to work with and teach. This presentation is an attempt to accommodate the framework of self-organizing hierarchical open systems with visioneering into a common information-theoretic framework. A case study is presented with the UN/FAO's communal vision of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) which pursues a trilemma of efficiency, mitigation, and resilience. Challenges of delineating and facilitating self-organizing systems are discussed using transdisciplinary toold such as complex systems thinking, dynamic process network analysis and multi-agent systems modeling. Acknowledgments: This study was supported by the Korea Meteorological Administration Research and Development Program under Grant KMA-2012-0001-A (WISE project).

Exploring the application of an evolutionary educational complex systems framework to teaching and learning about issues in the science and technology classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Susan Anne

Understanding the world through a complex systems lens has recently garnered a great deal of interest in many knowledge disciplines. In the educational arena, interactional studies, through their focus on understanding patterns of system behaviour including the dynamical processes and trajectories of learning, lend support for investigating how a complex systems approach can inform educational research. This study uses previously existing literature and tools for complex systems applications and seeks to extend this research base by exploring learning outcomes of a complex systems framework when applied to curriculum and instruction. It is argued that by applying the evolutionary dynamics of variation, interaction and selection, complexity may be harnessed to achieve growth in both the social and cognitive systems of the classroom. Furthermore, if the goal of education, i.e., the social system under investigation, is to teach for understanding, conceptual knowledge of the kind described in Popper's (1972; 1976) World 3, needs to evolve. Both the study of memetic processes and knowledge building pioneered by Bereiter (cf. Bereiter, 2002) draw on the World 3 notion of ideas existing as conceptual artifacts that can be investigated as products outside of the individual mind providing an educational lens from which to proceed. The curricular topic addressed is the development of an ethical understanding of the scientific and technological issues of genetic engineering. 11 grade 8 students are studied as they proceed through 40 hours of curricular instruction based on the complex systems evolutionary framework. Results demonstrate growth in both complex systems thinking and content knowledge of the topic of genetic engineering. Several memetic processes are hypothesized to have influenced how and why ideas change. Categorized by factors influencing either reflective or non-reflective selection, these processes appear to have exerted differential effects on students' abilities to think and act in complex ways at various points throughout the study. Finally, an analysis of winner and loser memes is offered that is intended to reveal information about the conceptual system---its strengths and deficiencies---that can help educators assess curricular goals and organize and construct additional educational activities.

Problem Solving for Volatilizing Situation in Nursing: Developing Thinking Process Supporting System using NursingNAVI® Contents.

PubMed

Tsuru, Satoko; Wako, Fumiko; Omori, Miho; Sudo, Kumiko

2015-01-01

We have identified three foci of the nursing observation and nursing action respectively. Using these frameworks, we have developed the structured knowledge model for a number of diseases and medical interventions. We developed this structure based NursingNAVI® contents collaborated with some quality centered hospitals. Authors analysed the nursing care documentations of post-gastrectomy patients in light of the standardized nursing care plan in the "NursingNAVI®" developed by ourselves and revealed the "failure to observe" and "failure to document", which leaded to the volatility of the patients' data, conditions and some situation. This phenomenon should have been avoided if nurses had employed a standardized nursing care plan. So, we developed thinking process support system for planning, delivering, recording and evaluating in daily nursing using NursingNAVI® contents. A hospital decided to use NursingNAVI® contents in HIS. It was suggested that the system has availability for nursing OJT and time reduction of planning and recording without volatilizing situation.

'Governance of' and 'Governance by': implementing a clinical governance framework in an area mental health service.

PubMed

O'Connor, Nick; Paton, Michael

2008-04-01

A framework developed to promote the understanding and application of clinical governance principles in an area mental health service is described. The framework is operationalized through systems, processes, roles and responsibilities. The development of an explicit and operationalizable framework for clinical governance arose from the authors' experiences in leading and managing mental health services. There is a particular emphasis on improvement of quality of care and patient safety. The framework is informed by recent developments in thinking about clinical governance, including key documents from Australia and the United Kingdom. The operational nature of the framework allows for key components of clinical governance to be described explicitly, communicated effectively, and continually tested and improved. Further consideration and assessment of the value of differing approaches to this task are required. For example, a general, illustrative approach to raise clinician awareness can be contrasted with prescriptive and specified approaches which progressively encompass the many functions and processes of a mental health service. Mental health clinicians and managers can be guided by a framework that will ensure safe, high quality and continually improving processes of care.

Reforming the road freight transportation system using systems thinking: An investigation of Coronial inquests in Australia.

PubMed

Newnam, Sharon; Goode, Natassia; Salmon, Paul; Stevenson, Mark

2017-04-01

Road freight transport is considered to be one of the most dangerous industries in Australia, accounting for over 30% of all work fatalities. Whilst system reform (i.e., change to policy and practice) is needed, it is not clear what this reform should be, or what approaches should be used to drive it. This article argues that road freight transportation reform should be underpinned by a systems thinking approach. Efforts to understand crash causation should be focused beyond the driver and identify contributing factors at other levels with the road freight system. Accordingly, we present the findings from a study that examined whether Australian Coronial investigations into road freight crashes reflect support appropriate system reform. Content analysis was used to identify the contributing factors and interrelations implicated in the road freight crashes described in publicly available Australian Coroner's inquest reports from the last 10 years (2004-2014; n=21). The results found evidence to suggest that the Coronial inquests provide some understanding of the complex system of factors influencing road freight transportation crashes in Australia. However, there was a lack of evidence to suggest an understanding of system-based reform based on the identification of reductionist-focused recommendations. It is concluded that researchers and practitioners (ie., government and industry) need to work together to develop prevention efforts focused on system reforms. Systems thinking based data collection and analysis frameworks are urgently required to help develop this understanding in road freight transportation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A sustainable system of systems approach: a new HFE paradigm.

PubMed

Thatcher, Andrew; Yeow, Paul H P

2016-01-01

Sustainability issues such as natural resource depletion, pollution and poor working conditions have no geographical boundaries in our interconnected world. To address these issues requires a paradigm shift within human factors and ergonomics (HFE), to think beyond a bounded, linear model understanding towards a broader systems framework. For this reason, we introduce a sustainable system of systems model that integrates the current hierarchical conceptualisation of possible interventions (i.e., micro-, meso- and macro-ergonomics) with important concepts from the sustainability literature, including the triple bottom line approach and the notion of time frames. Two practical examples from the HFE literature are presented to illustrate the model. The implications of this paradigm shift for HFE researchers and practitioners are discussed and include the long-term sustainability of the HFE community and comprehensive solutions to problems that consider the emergent issues that arise from this interconnected world. A sustainable world requires a broader systems thinking than that which currently exists in ergonomics. This study proposes a sustainable system of systems model that incorporates ideas from the ecological sciences, notably a nested hierarchy of systems and a hierarchical time dimension. The implications for sustainable design and the sustainability of the HFE community are considered.

Australia's personally controlled electronic health record and primary healthcare: generating a framework for implementation and evaluation.

PubMed

Almond, H; Cummings, E; Turner, P

2013-01-01

The Australian Government launched a personally controlled electronic health record (PCEHR) system in July 2012 committing $466.7m. Currently Australia lacks a clearly articulated implementation and evaluation framework and there remains limited detail on how this system's success will be determined. These problems are especially visible in primary healthcare. The UK and US, have been advocated as models, however they have started to report points of failure arising from their approaches. Evidence suggests that alternatives need to be considered, if mistakes are not to be replicated. Insights from e-health record implementation and evaluation approaches in Denmark and the Netherlands provide Australia with other approaches. The PCEHR requires different and radical thinking around the delivery of health services. Drawing on a range of English language articles identified between 1996 and 2012, the paper generates a conceptual framework for implementation and evaluation of the PCEHR. The generation of a grounded implementation and evaluation framework in primary healthcare will reduce provider scepticism and facilitate complex changes associated with PCEHR uptake.

Transportation Network Topologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holmes, Bruce J.; Scott, John M.

2004-01-01

A discomforting reality has materialized on the transportation scene: our existing air and ground infrastructures will not scale to meet our nation's 21st century demands and expectations for mobility, commerce, safety, and security. The consequence of inaction is diminished quality of life and economic opportunity in the 21st century. Clearly, new thinking is required for transportation that can scale to meet to the realities of a networked, knowledge-based economy in which the value of time is a new coin of the realm. This paper proposes a framework, or topology, for thinking about the problem of scalability of the system of networks that comprise the aviation system. This framework highlights the role of integrated communication-navigation-surveillance systems in enabling scalability of future air transportation networks. Scalability, in this vein, is a goal of the recently formed Joint Planning and Development Office for the Next Generation Air Transportation System. New foundations for 21PstP thinking about air transportation are underpinned by several technological developments in the traditional aircraft disciplines as well as in communication, navigation, surveillance and information systems. Complexity science and modern network theory give rise to one of the technological developments of importance. Scale-free (i.e., scalable) networks represent a promising concept space for modeling airspace system architectures, and for assessing network performance in terms of scalability, efficiency, robustness, resilience, and other metrics. The paper offers an air transportation system topology as framework for transportation system innovation. Successful outcomes of innovation in air transportation could lay the foundations for new paradigms for aircraft and their operating capabilities, air transportation system architectures, and airspace architectures and procedural concepts. The topology proposed considers air transportation as a system of networks, within which strategies for scalability of the topology may be enabled by technologies and policies. In particular, the effects of scalable ICNS concepts are evaluated within this proposed topology. Alternative business models are appearing on the scene as the old centralized hub-and-spoke model reaches the limits of its scalability. These models include growth of point-to-point scheduled air transportation service (e.g., the RJ phenomenon and the 'Southwest Effect'). Another is a new business model for on-demand, widely distributed, air mobility in jet taxi services. The new businesses forming around this vision are targeting personal air mobility to virtually any of the thousands of origins and destinations throughout suburban, rural, and remote communities and regions. Such advancement in air mobility has many implications for requirements for airports, airspace, and consumers. These new paradigms could support scalable alternatives for the expansion of future air mobility to more consumers in more places.

Transportation Network Topologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holmes, Bruce J.; Scott, John

2004-01-01

A discomforting reality has materialized on the transportation scene: our existing air and ground infrastructures will not scale to meet our nation's 21st century demands and expectations for mobility, commerce, safety, and security. The consequence of inaction is diminished quality of life and economic opportunity in the 21st century. Clearly, new thinking is required for transportation that can scale to meet to the realities of a networked, knowledge-based economy in which the value of time is a new coin of the realm. This paper proposes a framework, or topology, for thinking about the problem of scalability of the system of networks that comprise the aviation system. This framework highlights the role of integrated communication-navigation-surveillance systems in enabling scalability of future air transportation networks. Scalability, in this vein, is a goal of the recently formed Joint Planning and Development Office for the Next Generation Air Transportation System. New foundations for 21st thinking about air transportation are underpinned by several technological developments in the traditional aircraft disciplines as well as in communication, navigation, surveillance and information systems. Complexity science and modern network theory give rise to one of the technological developments of importance. Scale-free (i.e., scalable) networks represent a promising concept space for modeling airspace system architectures, and for assessing network performance in terms of scalability, efficiency, robustness, resilience, and other metrics. The paper offers an air transportation system topology as framework for transportation system innovation. Successful outcomes of innovation in air transportation could lay the foundations for new paradigms for aircraft and their operating capabilities, air transportation system architectures, and airspace architectures and procedural concepts. The topology proposed considers air transportation as a system of networks, within which strategies for scalability of the topology may be enabled by technologies and policies. In particular, the effects of scalable ICNS concepts are evaluated within this proposed topology. Alternative business models are appearing on the scene as the old centralized hub-and-spoke model reaches the limits of its scalability. These models include growth of point-to-point scheduled air transportation service (e.g., the RJ phenomenon and the Southwest Effect). Another is a new business model for on-demand, widely distributed, air mobility in jet taxi services. The new businesses forming around this vision are targeting personal air mobility to virtually any of the thousands of origins and destinations throughout suburban, rural, and remote communities and regions. Such advancement in air mobility has many implications for requirements for airports, airspace, and consumers. These new paradigms could support scalable alternatives for the expansion of future air mobility to more consumers in more places.

Assessment of Student Learning Associated with Tree Thinking in an Undergraduate Introductory Organismal Biology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, James J.; Cheruvelil, Kendra Spence; Auvenshine, Stacie

2013-01-01

Phylogenetic trees provide visual representations of ancestor-descendant relationships, a core concept of evolutionary theory. We introduced "tree thinking" into our introductory organismal biology course (freshman/sophomore majors) to help teach organismal diversity within an evolutionary framework. Our instructional strategy consisted…

Thinking Broadly: Financing Strategies for Comprehensive Child and Family Initiatives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayes, Cheryl D.

In the current tight fiscal environment, it is critical for state and community leaders to think broadly and systematically about how to finance important education, family, and child services, and community development initiatives. This guide presents a conceptual framework for financing child and family services and community building and…

Student Conceptions of Ionic Bonding: Patterns of Thinking across Three European Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taber, Keith S.; Tsaparlis, Georgios; Nakiboglu, Canan

2012-01-01

Previous research has reported that students commonly develop alternative conceptions in the core topic of chemical bonding. Research in England has reported that students there commonly demonstrate an alternative "molecular" conceptual framework for thinking about ionic bonding: in terms of the formation of molecule-like ions pairs…

Understanding Our American Economy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Glen T.; Nelson, Ray D.

This handbook of economics reviews current economic activities in the United States, encouraging thinking and further study for the reader, rather than providing answers. The book provides a basic framework of knowledge in economics for a better informed citizenry to think clearly and objectively about economic issues in an attempt to combat…

Neurodevelopmental Variation as a Framework for Thinking about the Twice Exceptional

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilger, Jeffrey W.; Hynd, George W.

2008-01-01

Developmental exceptionalities span the range of learning abilities and encompass children with both learning disorders and learning gifts. The purpose of this article is to stimulate thinking about these exceptionalities, particularly the complexities and variations within and across people. Investigators tend to view learning disabilities or…

Environments for Fostering Effective Critical Thinking in Geotechnical Engineering Education (Geo-EFFECTs)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierce, Charles E.; Gassman, Sarah L.; Huffman, Jeffrey T.

2013-01-01

This paper describes the development, implementation, and assessment of instructional materials for geotechnical engineering concepts using the Environments for Fostering Effective Critical Thinking (EFFECTs) pedagogical framework. The central learning goals of engineering EFFECTs are to (i) improve the understanding and retention of a specific…

Teachers' Perceptions of Examining Students' Thinking: Changing Mathematics Instructional Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson-Pence, Katie L.

2015-01-01

This paper seeks to illuminate teachers' perceptions of the challenges and benefits of systematically examining students' thinking as part of a professional development program in elementary mathematics education. Using a framework of models of conceptual change and principles of discomfort, three elementary teachers' perceptions of their…

Creative Thinking for Individuals and Teams. An Essay on Creative Thinking for Military Professionals

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

to creativity that are posited by Teresa Amabile in Creativity in Context. 11 The Amabile model of creativity presents a framework composed of...Associates, 2003), 396–429. 11 Teresa M. Amabile , Creativity in Context: Update to the Social Psychology of Creativity (Boulder, CO: Westview

Deepening Discipline: Digital Reflection and Choreography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bannon, Fiona; Kirk, Carole

2014-01-01

In this paper, we discuss findings from a recent academic development project in which we engaged with students in an exploration of "how" they think and "what" they think about in the process of creating solo-authored choreography. The project emerged from a revisiting of the reflective frameworks identified in the validation…

Exploring the oxygen supply and demand framework as a learning tool in undergraduate nursing education.

PubMed

Gillespie, Mary; Shackell, Eileen

2017-11-01

In nursing education, physiological concepts are typically presented within a body 'systems' framework yet learners are often challenged to apply this knowledge in the holistic and functional manner needed for effective clinical decision-making and safe patient care. A nursing faculty addressed this learning challenge by developing an advanced organizer as a conceptual and integrative learning tool to support learners in diverse learning environments and practice settings. A mixed methods research study was conducted that explored the effectiveness of the Oxygen Supply and Demand Framework as a learning tool in undergraduate nursing education. A pretest/post-test assessment and reflective journal were used to gather data. Findings indicated the Oxygen Supply and Demand Framework guided the development of pattern recognition and thinking processes and supported knowledge development, knowledge application and clinical decision-making. The Oxygen Supply and Demand Framework supports undergraduate students learning to provide safe and effective nursing care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Research Strategies for Academic Medical Centers: A Framework for Advancements toward Translational Excellence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haley, Rand; Champagne, Thomas J., Jr.

2017-01-01

This review article presents a simplified framework for thinking about research strategy priorities for academic medical centers (AMCs). The framework can serve as a precursor to future advancements in translational medicine and as a set of planning guideposts toward ultimate translational excellence. While market pressures, reform uncertainties,…

Toward a Unified Validation Framework in Mixed Methods Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dellinger, Amy B.; Leech, Nancy L.

2007-01-01

The primary purpose of this article is to further discussions of validity in mixed methods research by introducing a validation framework to guide thinking about validity in this area. To justify the use of this framework, the authors discuss traditional terminology and validity criteria for quantitative and qualitative research, as well as…

Safe, Positive and Queering Moments in Teaching Education and Schooling: A Conceptual Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldstein, Tara; Russell, Vanessa; Daley, Andrea

2007-01-01

This article introduces a conceptual framework for thinking about the development of anti-homophobia education in teacher education and schooling contexts. We bring the safe, positive, and queering moments framework to bear on three distinct anti-homophobia education practices: coming out stories, homophobic name-calling analysis, and Pride Week…

Teacher Pay-for-Performance in School Turnaround: How Bonuses and Differentiated Pay Scales Can Help Support School Turnaround. Meeting the Turnaround Challenge: Strategies, Resources & Tools to Transform a Framework into Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mass Insight Education (NJ1), 2009

2009-01-01

Given the importance of good teaching and leadership for school success, turnaround schools should think carefully about how to structure professional environments that reward and motivate excellence. A system of "Pay-for-Contribution" that includes tools such as hard-to-staff and skill shortage pay, performance pay, and/or retention…

Applying Systems Thinking to Law Enforcement Safety: Recommendation for a Comprehensive Safety Management Framework

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

Occupational Injuries COPS Community Oriented Policing Services CRM Crew Resource Management DA Department of the Army FEMA Federal Emergency...establishes composite risk management ( CRM ), also known as crew resource management, “as the Army’s principal risk reduction methodology and assures...regulatory and statutory compliance.”106 CRM , also utilized by other branches within the military and by the aviation industry, is intended “to minimize

Information system modeling for biomedical imaging applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoo, Kent S., Jr.; Wong, Stephen T. C.

1999-07-01

Information system modeling has historically been relegated to a low priority among the designers of information systems. Often times, there is a rush to design and implement hardware and software solutions after only the briefest assessments of the domain requirements. Although this process results in a rapid development cycle, the system usually does not satisfy the needs of the users and the developers are forced to re-program certain aspects of the system. It would be much better to create an accurate model of the system based on the domain needs so that the implementation of the solution satisfies the needs of the users immediately. It would also be advantageous to build extensibility into the model so that updates to the system could be carried out in an organized fashion. The significance of this research is the development of a new formal framework for the construction of a multimedia medical information system. This formal framework is constructed using visual modeling which provides a way of thinking about problems using models organized around real- world ideas. These models provide an abstract way to view complex problems, making them easier for one to understand. The formal framework is the result of an object-oriented analysis and design process that translates the systems requirements and functionality into software models. The usefulness of this information framework is demonstrated with two different applications in epilepsy research and care, i.e., surgical planning of epilepsy and decision threshold determination.

Argumentation, critical thinking, nature of science and socioscientific issues: a dialogue between two researchers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yacoubian, Hagop A.; Khishfe, Rola

2018-05-01

The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast between two theoretical frameworks for addressing nature of science (NOS) and socioscientific issues (SSI) in school science. These frameworks are critical thinking (CT) and argumentation (AR). For the past years, the first and second authors of this paper have pursued research in this area using CT and AR as theoretical frameworks, respectively. Yacoubian argues that future citizens need to develop a critical mindset as they are guided to (1) practice making judgments on what views of NOS to acquire and (2) practice making decisions on SSI through applying their NOS understandings. Khishfe asserts that AR is an important component of decision making when dealing with SSI and the practice in AR in relation to controversial issues is needed for informed decision making. She argues that AR as a framework may assist in the development of more informed understandings of NOS. In this paper, the authors delve into a dialogue for (1) elucidating strengths and potential of each framework, (2) highlighting challenges that they face in their research using the frameworks in question, (3) exploring the extent to which the frameworks can overlap, and (4) proposing directions for future research.

Systems resilience : a new analytical framework for nuclear nonproliferation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pregenzer, Arian Leigh

2011-12-01

This paper introduces the concept of systems resilience as a new framework for thinking about the future of nonproliferation. Resilience refers to the ability of a system to maintain its vital functions in the face of continuous and unpredictable change. The nonproliferation regime can be viewed as a complex system, and key themes from the literature on systems resilience can be applied to the nonproliferation system. Most existing nonproliferation strategies are aimed at stability rather than resilience, and the current nonproliferation system may be over-constrained by the cumulative evolution of strategies, increasing its vulnerability to collapse. The resilience of themore » nonproliferation system can be enhanced by diversifying nonproliferation strategies to include general international capabilities to respond to proliferation and focusing more attention on reducing the motivation to acquire nuclear weapons in the first place. Ideas for future research, include understanding unintended consequences and feedbacks among nonproliferation strategies, developing methodologies for measuring the resilience of the nonproliferation system, and accounting for interactions of the nonproliferation system with other systems on larger and smaller scales.« less

Bullying and Social Exclusion Anxiety in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sondergaard, Dorte Marie

2012-01-01

In this article, I develop a new conceptual framework, a new thinking technology, for understanding the bullying that takes place between children in schools. In addition, I propose a new definition of bullying. This new thinking technology reflects a shift in focus from individual characteristics to the social processes that may lead to bullying.…

Educational Game Design as Gateway for Operationalizing Computational Thinking Skills among Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Min Lun

2018-01-01

This qualitative case study reports descriptive findings of digital game-based learning involving 15 Taiwanese middle school students' use of computational thinking skills elicited through programmed activities in a game design workshop. Situated learning theory is utilized as framework to evaluate novice game designers' individual advancement in…

Investigation of Effective Strategies for Developing Creative Science Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Kuay-Keng; Lee, Ling; Hong, Zuway-R; Lin, Huann-shyang

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of the creative inquiry-based science teaching on students' creative science thinking and science inquiry performance. A quasi-experimental design consisting one experimental group (N = 20) and one comparison group (N = 24) with pretest and post-test was conducted. The framework of the…

Responding to Children's Mathematical Thinking in the Moment: An Emerging Framework of Teaching Moves

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Victoria R.; Empson, Susan B.

2016-01-01

This case study contributes to efforts to characterize teaching that is responsive to children's mathematical thinking. We conceptualize "responsive teaching" as a type of teaching in which teachers' instructional decisions about what to pursue and how to pursue it are continually adjusted during instruction in response to children's…

"World-Travelling": A Framework for Re-Thinking Teaching and Learning in Internationalised Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Vivienne

2014-01-01

In an era of unprecedented student mobility, increasingly diverse student populations in many national contexts, and globally interconnected environmental and social concerns, there is an urgent need to find new ways of thinking about teaching and learning. Static assumptions about so-called "Western" versus "non-Western"…

"Who Dunnit?": Learning Chemistry and Critical Thinking through Hands-On Forensic Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demetry, Chrysanthe; Nicoletti, Denise; Mix, Kimberlee; O'Connor, Kerri; Martin, Andrea

2002-01-01

Demonstrates how forensic science can be used as a framework for generating student interest and learning in chemistry and promoting critical thinking. The "Who Dunnit?" forensic science workshop was developed by undergraduate students and is one element of a two-week residential summer outreach program that seeks to develop interest in…

Relations between Goals, Self-Efficacy, Critical Thinking and Deep Processing Strategies: A Path Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phan, Huy Phuong

2009-01-01

Research exploring students' academic learning has recently amalgamated different motivational theories within one conceptual framework. The inclusion of achievement goals, self-efficacy, deep processing and critical thinking has been cited in a number of studies. This article discusses two empirical studies that examined these four theoretical…

Accommodation in the Formal World of Mathematical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Sepideh; Schmidt, Ralf

2017-01-01

In this study, we examined a mathematician and one of his students' teaching journals and thought processes concurrently as the class was moving towards the proof of the Fundamental Theorem of Galois Theory. We employed Tall's framework of three worlds of mathematical thinking as well as Piaget's notion of accommodation to theoretically study the…

Adopting a Design-Thinking Multidisciplinary Learning Approach: Integrating Mobile Applications into a Marketing Research Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zarzosa, Jennifer

2018-01-01

This article seeks to address the gap between marketing education and marketing practice by integrating a design-thinking (DT) methodology to the marketing research (MR) framework to achieve learning objectives that will enhance cross-functional, collaborative, conceptual, and technical skills. The mobile application marketing research project…

Chasing Innovation: A Pilot Case Study of a Rhizomatic Design Thinking Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biffi, Alfredo; Bissola, Rita; Imperatori, Barbara

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to illustrate and discuss the main features and key challenges of an original post-graduate education program designed according to an innovative theoretical framework promoting design thinking in a rhizomatic approach. By involving different stakeholders, the aim of this entrepreneurship education program is…

Moods, Emotions and Creative Thinking: A Framework for Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newton, Douglas P.

2013-01-01

When planning and teaching, attention is generally given to cognition while the effect of mood and emotion on cognition is ignored. But students are not emotionless thinkers and the effect can make a difference to their thought. This is particularly evident when attempting to foster creative thinking. This article draws on research to describe…

The CLIA-Model: A Framework for Designing Powerful Learning Environments for Thinking and Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Corte, Erik; Verschaffel, Lieven; Masui, Chris

2004-01-01

A major challenge for education and educational research is to build on our present understanding of learning for designing environments for education that are conducive to fostering in students self-regulatory and cooperative learning skills, transferable knowledge, and a disposition toward competent thinking and problem solving. Taking into…

[Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Thinking Style Inventory].

PubMed

Ochiai, Jun; Maie, Yuko; Wada, Yuichi

2016-06-01

This study examined the internal and external validity of the Japanese version of the Thinking Styles Inventory (TSI: Hiruma, 2000), which was originally developed by Sternberg and Wagner (1991) based on the framework of Sternberg's (1988) theory of mental self-government. The term "thinking style" refers to the concept that individuals differ in how they organize, direct, and manage their own thinking activities. We administered the Japanese version of the TSI to Japanese participants (N = 655: Age range 20-84 years). The results of item analysis, reliability analysis, and factor analysis, were consistent with the general ideas of the theory. In addition, there were significant relationships between certain thinking styles and 3 participant characteristics: age, gender, and working arrangement. Furthermore, some thinking styles were positively correlated with social skill. Implications of these results for the nature of Japanese thinking styles are discussed.

A critique of the hypothesis, and a defense of the question, as a framework for experimentation.

PubMed

Glass, David J

2010-07-01

Scientists are often steered by common convention, funding agencies, and journal guidelines into a hypothesis-driven experimental framework, despite Isaac Newton's dictum that hypotheses have no place in experimental science. Some may think that Newton's cautionary note, which was in keeping with an experimental approach espoused by Francis Bacon, is inapplicable to current experimental method since, in accord with the philosopher Karl Popper, modern-day hypotheses are framed to serve as instruments of falsification, as opposed to verification. But Popper's "critical rationalist" framework too is problematic. It has been accused of being: inconsistent on philosophical grounds; unworkable for modern "large science," such as systems biology; inconsistent with the actual goals of experimental science, which is verification and not falsification; and harmful to the process of discovery as a practical matter. A criticism of the hypothesis as a framework for experimentation is offered. Presented is an alternative framework-the query/model approach-which many scientists may discover is the framework they are actually using, despite being required to give lip service to the hypothesis.

The WWWDOT Approach to Improving Students' Critical Evaluation of Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Shenglan; Duke, Nell K.; Jimenez, Laura M.

2011-01-01

This article introduces a framework designed to improve students' awareness of the need to critically evaluate websites as sources of information and to improve their skill at doing so. The framework, called the WWWDOT framework, encourages students to think about at least six dimensions when evaluating a website: (1) Who wrote this and what…

Using the Resources Framework to Design, Assess, and Refine Interventions on Pressure in Fluids

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Daniel E.; Meredith, Dawn C.

2017-01-01

The resources framework provides a useful and generative model of student thinking and learning. In particular, it suggests various strategies for instruction such as priming resources and refining intuition that allow students to build on knowledge they already have. In this paper, we describe the affordances of the resources framework in guiding…

Group typicality, group loyalty and cognitive development.

PubMed

Patterson, Meagan M

2014-09-01

Over the course of childhood, children's thinking about social groups changes in a variety of ways. Developmental Subjective Group Dynamics (DSGD) theory emphasizes children's understanding of the importance of conforming to group norms. Abrams et al.'s study, which uses DSGD theory as a framework, demonstrates the social cognitive skills underlying young elementary school children's thinking about group norms. Future research on children's thinking about groups and group norms should explore additional elements of this topic, including aspects of typicality beyond loyalty. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

Sociotechnical approaches to workplace safety: Research needs and opportunities.

PubMed

Robertson, Michelle M; Hettinger, Lawrence J; Waterson, Patrick E; Noy, Y Ian; Dainoff, Marvin J; Leveson, Nancy G; Carayon, Pascale; Courtney, Theodore K

2015-01-01

The sociotechnical systems perspective offers intriguing and potentially valuable insights into problems associated with workplace safety. While formal sociotechnical systems thinking originated in the 1950s, its application to the analysis and design of sustainable, safe working environments has not been fully developed. To that end, a Hopkinton Conference was organised to review and summarise the state of knowledge in the area and to identify research priorities. A group of 26 international experts produced collaborative articles for this special issue of Ergonomics, and each focused on examining a key conceptual, methodological and/or theoretical issue associated with sociotechnical systems and safety. In this concluding paper, we describe the major conference themes and recommendations. These are organised into six topic areas: (1) Concepts, definitions and frameworks, (2) defining research methodologies, (3) modelling and simulation, (4) communications and decision-making, (5) sociotechnical attributes of safe and unsafe systems and (6) potential future research directions for sociotechnical systems research. Sociotechnical complexity, a characteristic of many contemporary work environments, presents potential safety risks that traditional approaches to workplace safety may not adequately address. In this paper, we summarise the investigations of a group of international researchers into questions associated with the application of sociotechnical systems thinking to improve worker safety.

A visual analytic framework for data fusion in investigative intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Guoray; Gross, Geoff; Llinas, James; Hall, David

2014-05-01

Intelligence analysis depends on data fusion systems to provide capabilities of detecting and tracking important objects, events, and their relationships in connection to an analytical situation. However, automated data fusion technologies are not mature enough to offer reliable and trustworthy information for situation awareness. Given the trend of increasing sophistication of data fusion algorithms and loss of transparency in data fusion process, analysts are left out of the data fusion process cycle with little to no control and confidence on the data fusion outcome. Following the recent rethinking of data fusion as human-centered process, this paper proposes a conceptual framework towards developing alternative data fusion architecture. This idea is inspired by the recent advances in our understanding of human cognitive systems, the science of visual analytics, and the latest thinking about human-centered data fusion. Our conceptual framework is supported by an analysis of the limitation of existing fully automated data fusion systems where the effectiveness of important algorithmic decisions depend on the availability of expert knowledge or the knowledge of the analyst's mental state in an investigation. The success of this effort will result in next generation data fusion systems that can be better trusted while maintaining high throughput.

Investigation of effective strategies for developing creative science thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Kuay-Keng; Lee, Ling; Hong, Zuway-R.; Lin, Huann-shyang

2016-09-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of the creative inquiry-based science teaching on students' creative science thinking and science inquiry performance. A quasi-experimental design consisting one experimental group (N = 20) and one comparison group (N = 24) with pretest and post-test was conducted. The framework of the intervention focused on potential strategies such as promoting divergent and convergent thinking and providing an open, inquiry-based learning environment that are recommended by the literature. Results revealed that the experimental group students outperformed their counterparts in the comparison group on the performances of science inquiry and convergent thinking. Additional qualitative data analyses from classroom observations and case teacher interviews identified supportive teaching strategies (e.g. facilitating associative thinking, sharing impressive ideas, encouraging evidence-based conclusions, and reviewing and commenting on group presentations) for developing students' creative science thinking.

A Framework for Quality in Educational Technology Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Confrey, Jere; Sabelli, Nora; Sheingold, Karen

2002-01-01

Presents a framework for judging educational technology programs that was developed for the Department of Education by the Expert Panel on Educational Technology. Highlights include clearly articulated goals; developing learning and thinking skills; equity for educational excellence; promoting organizational change; measurable evidence of…

Teaching Tree-Thinking to Undergraduate Biology Students.

PubMed

Meisel, Richard P

2010-07-27

Evolution is the unifying principle of all biology, and understanding how evolutionary relationships are represented is critical for a complete understanding of evolution. Phylogenetic trees are the most conventional tool for displaying evolutionary relationships, and "tree-thinking" has been coined as a term to describe the ability to conceptualize evolutionary relationships. Students often lack tree-thinking skills, and developing those skills should be a priority of biology curricula. Many common student misconceptions have been described, and a successful instructor needs a suite of tools for correcting those misconceptions. I review the literature on teaching tree-thinking to undergraduate students and suggest how this material can be presented within an inquiry-based framework.

A conceptual framework for evaluation of public health and primary care system performance in iran.

PubMed

Jahanmehr, Nader; Rashidian, Arash; Khosravi, Ardeshir; Farzadfar, Farshad; Shariati, Mohammad; Majdzadeh, Reza; Akbari Sari, Ali; Mesdaghinia, Alireza

2015-01-26

The main objective of this study was to design a conceptual framework, according to the policies and priorities of the ministry of health to evaluate provincial public health and primary care performance and to assess their share in the overall health impacts of the community. We used several tools and techniques, including system thinking, literature review to identify relevant attributes of health system performance framework and interview with the key stakeholders. The PubMed, Scopus, web of science, Google Scholar and two specialized databases of Persian language literature (IranMedex and SID) were searched using main terms and keywords. Following decision-making and collective agreement among the different stakeholders, 51 core indicators were chosen from among 602 obtained indicators in a four stage process, for monitoring and evaluation of Health Deputies. We proposed a conceptual framework by identifying the performance area for Health Deputies between other determinants of health, as well as introducing a chain of results, for performance, consisting of Input, Process, Output and Outcome indicators. We also proposed 5 dimensions for measuring the performance of Health Deputies, consisting of efficiency, effectiveness, equity, access and improvement of health status. The proposed Conceptual Framework illustrates clearly the Health Deputies success in achieving best results and consequences of health in the country. Having the relative commitment of the ministry of health and Health Deputies at the University of Medical Sciences is essential for full implementation of this framework and providing the annual performance report.

A Progression in First-Grade Children's Thinking about Variable and Variable Notation in Functional Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanton, Maria; Brizuela, Bárbara M.; Gardiner, Angela Murphy; Sawrey, Katie; Newman-Owens, Ashley

2017-01-01

Recent research suggests that children in elementary grades have some facility with variable and variable notation in ways that warrant closer attention. We report here on an empirically developed progression in first-grade children's thinking about these concepts in functional relationships. Using learning trajectories research as a framework for…

Deep Processing Strategies and Critical Thinking: Developmental Trajectories Using Latent Growth Analyses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phan, Huy P.

2011-01-01

The author explored the developmental courses of deep learning approach and critical thinking over a 2-year period. Latent growth curve modeling (LGM) procedures were used to test and trace the trajectories of both theoretical frameworks over time. Participants were 264 (119 women, 145 men) university undergraduates. The Deep Learning subscale of…

Teaching Thinking Skills in Context-Based Learning: Teachers' Challenges and Assessment Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avargil, Shirly; Herscovitz, Orit; Dori, Yehudit Judy

2012-01-01

For an educational reform to succeed, teachers need to adjust their perceptions to the reform's new curricula and strategies and cope with new content, as well as new teaching and assessment strategies. Developing students' scientific literacy through context-based chemistry and higher order thinking skills was the framework for establishing a new…

Diversity and Collegiate Experiences Affecting Self-Perceived Gains in Critical Thinking: Which Works, and Who Benefits?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Darnell; Zhou, Ji

2014-01-01

This study is grounded in the theoretical and conceptual frameworks that postulate diversity and collegiate experiences as triggers for the cognitive disequilibrium that fosters critical thinking (CT). With the assumption that CT is both a general and a discipline-specific facility, this longitudinal, single-institution study of 447 students…

The Peritext Book Club: Reading to Foster Critical Thinking about STEAM Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gross, Melissa; Latham, Don; Underhill, Jennifer; Bak, Hyerin

2016-01-01

An after-school book club, led by the school librarian, was held to test the efficacy of the peritextual literacy framework (PLF) in teaching skills related to critical thinking, problem solving, information literacy, and media literacy. The PLF is an extension of paratext theory developed by Gérard Genette, which provides a typology of the…

An Evaluation of the McRel Thinking Skills Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marzano, Robert J.

This report summarizes the results of an evaluation of the thinking skills model/program developed at the Mid-continent Regional Educational Laboratory (McREL). Participating were 19 primary, 32 upper elementary, 10 junior high, and 16 senior high school teachers at four sites varying in size and locale. Providing a framework for teaching a wide…

Justifying the Design and Selection of Literacy and Thinking Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitehead, David

2008-01-01

Criteria for the design and selection of literacy and thinking tools that allow educators to justify what they do are described within a wider framework of learning theory and research into best practice. Based on a meta-analysis of best practice, results from a three year project designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a secondary school…

Case-Based Instruction and Learning: An Interdisciplinary Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alvarez, Marino C.; And Others

Case-based learning is one method that can be used to foster critical thinking and schema construction. Students need to be provided with problem solving lessons in meaningful learning contexts for critical thinking to take place. In order for schema construction to occur, a framework needs to be provided that helps readers to elaborate upon new…

Comparing Students' Scratch Skills with Their Computational Thinking Skills in Terms of Different Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oluk, Ali; Korkmaz, Özgen

2016-01-01

This study aimed to compare 5th graders' scores obtained from Scratch projects developed in the framework of Information Technologies and Software classes via Dr Scratch web tool with the scores obtained from Computational Thinking Levels Scale and to examine this comparison in terms of different variables. Correlational research model was…

Using School Gardening as a Vehicle for Critical and Creative Thinking in Health Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ausherman, Judith A.; Ubbes, Valerie A.; Kowalski, Jacqueline

2014-01-01

This strategy is to provide health education teacher candidates with critical and creative thinking tools to explore gardening as a vehicle to integrate health education content with other subjects. According to the Competency-Based Framework for the Health Education Specialist (2010a), entry-level health educators should have skills and…

Are School Counselors Impacting Underrepresented Students' Thinking about Postsecondary Education? A Nationally Representative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cholewa, Blaire; Burkhardt, Christina K.; Hull, Michael F.

2016-01-01

Using the HSLS:09 [High School Longitudinal Study of 2009] data set and social capital theory as a framework, the authors examined which student and school characteristics predicted students' identification of their school counselor as the person who had the most influence in their thinking about postsecondary education (N = 3,239,560). Results…

Strategic Planning and Strategic Thinking Clothed in STRATEGO

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baaki, John; Moseley, James L.

2011-01-01

This article shares experiences that participants had playing the game of STRATEGO and how the activity may be linked to strategic planning and thinking. Among the human performance technology implications of playing this game are that gamers agreed on a framework for rules, took stock on where they wanted to go in the future, and generated a risk…

Enhancing Critical Thinking through Active Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kusumoto, Yoko

2018-01-01

Today the Framework for 21st Century Learning developed by the Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21) is widely recognized and has been used in the U.S., Canada and New Zealand. P21 defines and illustrates the skills and knowledge students need and states that critical thinking is fundamental for twenty-first century success and essential for…

Thinking Like Researchers: Action Research and Its Impact on Novice Teachers' Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Janine; Clayton, Courtney; Broome, John

2018-01-01

This project investigated the effects of novice teachers' responses to an action research project conducting during the student-teaching semester. This study drew on a framework that considered the participants' process of research, practice of teaching, and identity as a researcher and utilized a qualitative, multiple case-study approach with an…

The analysis of probability task completion; Taxonomy of probabilistic thinking-based across gender in elementary school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sari, Dwi Ivayana; Budayasa, I. Ketut; Juniati, Dwi

2017-08-01

Formulation of mathematical learning goals now is not only oriented on cognitive product, but also leads to cognitive process, which is probabilistic thinking. Probabilistic thinking is needed by students to make a decision. Elementary school students are required to develop probabilistic thinking as foundation to learn probability at higher level. A framework of probabilistic thinking of students had been developed by using SOLO taxonomy, which consists of prestructural probabilistic thinking, unistructural probabilistic thinking, multistructural probabilistic thinking and relational probabilistic thinking. This study aimed to analyze of probability task completion based on taxonomy of probabilistic thinking. The subjects were two students of fifth grade; boy and girl. Subjects were selected by giving test of mathematical ability and then based on high math ability. Subjects were given probability tasks consisting of sample space, probability of an event and probability comparison. The data analysis consisted of categorization, reduction, interpretation and conclusion. Credibility of data used time triangulation. The results was level of boy's probabilistic thinking in completing probability tasks indicated multistructural probabilistic thinking, while level of girl's probabilistic thinking in completing probability tasks indicated unistructural probabilistic thinking. The results indicated that level of boy's probabilistic thinking was higher than level of girl's probabilistic thinking. The results could contribute to curriculum developer in developing probability learning goals for elementary school students. Indeed, teachers could teach probability with regarding gender difference.

Using the ECD Framework to Support Evidentiary Reasoning in the Context of a Simulation Study for Detecting Learner Differences in Epistemic Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweet, Shauna J.; Rupp, Andre A.

2012-01-01

The "evidence-centered design" (ECD) framework is a powerful tool that supports careful and critical thinking about the identification and accumulation of evidence in assessment contexts. In this paper, we demonstrate how the ECD framework provides critical support for designing simulation studies to investigate statistical methods…

SAIL: A Framework for Promoting Next-Generation Word Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ganske, Kathy

2016-01-01

This article introduces SAIL, an instructional framework designed to help teachers optimize students' learning during small-group word study instruction. Small-group word study interactions afford opportunities for teachers to engage students in thinking, talking, advancing vocabulary knowledge (including general academic vocabulary), and making…

Quantitative research on critical thinking and predicting nursing students' NCLEX-RN performance.

PubMed

Romeo, Elizabeth M

2010-07-01

The concept of critical thinking has been influential in several disciplines. Both education and nursing in general have been attempting to define, teach, and measure this concept for decades. Nurse educators realize that critical thinking is the cornerstone of the objectives and goals for nursing students. The purpose of this article is to review and analyze quantitative research findings relevant to the measurement of critical thinking abilities and skills in undergraduate nursing students and the usefulness of critical thinking as a predictor of National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) performance. The specific issues that this integrative review examined include assessment and analysis of the theoretical and operational definitions of critical thinking, theoretical frameworks used to guide the studies, instruments used to evaluate critical thinking skills and abilities, and the role of critical thinking as a predictor of NCLEX-RN outcomes. A list of key assumptions related to critical thinking was formulated. The limitations and gaps in the literature were identified, as well as the types of future research needed in this arena. Copyright 2010, SLACK Incorporated.

Combining ecosystem service relationships and DPSIR framework to manage multiple ecosystem services.

PubMed

Xue, Hui; Li, Shiyu; Chang, Jie

2015-03-01

Ecosystem service (ES) relationship occurs due to two types of mechanisms: (1) interact directly or (2) interact through the impact of a shared factor. Identifying such mechanisms behind ES relationship within a single land-use/land-cover category and combining it with a system thinking framework is especially necessary for effective decision-making to manage multiple ESs generated by this land-use/land-cover. In this study, we use tea plantations in China to investigate mechanisms behind ES relationships. We find that tea production is positively correlated with four regulating services (i.e., carbon sequestration, soil N protection, soil P protection, and water conservation). Several regulating services, such as carbon sequestration and soil N, P, and K protection, have positive correlations with each other. Tea production, carbon sequestration, and soil retention are significantly correlated with local annual mean temperature and precipitation. We then establish driver-pressure-state-impact-response (DPSIR) framework for tea plantations, which has been widely used for environmental management issues. Integrating our findings of ES relationship into DPSIR framework, we can estimate how ES change is responding to two types of responses: response to control drivers and response to maintain or restore state. Scenario analysis showed that the responses to control drivers have a larger impact on ES. We discuss that DPSIR would favor managing multiple ES because it enables a more precise understanding of how ES interacts through the effects of factors from various hierarchies. Finally, we suggest integrating ES direct interaction into DPSIR framework. We think such integration could improve the ability of DPSIR framework to support decision-making in multiple ES management, specifically in at least three aspects: (1) favor to identify all possible response alternatives, (2) enable us to evaluate ES which cannot be assessed if without such combining, and (3) help to identify ecological leverage points where small management investment can yield substantial benefits.

Ecological and cosmological coexistence thinking in a hypervariable environment: causal models of economic success and failure among farmers, foragers, and fishermen of southwestern Madagascar.

PubMed

Tucker, Bram; Tsiazonera; Tombo, Jaovola; Hajasoa, Patricia; Nagnisaha, Charlotte

2015-01-01

A fact of life for farmers, hunter-gatherers, and fishermen in the rural parts of the world are that crops fail, wild resources become scarce, and winds discourage fishing. In this article we approach subsistence risk from the perspective of "coexistence thinking," the simultaneous application of natural and supernatural causal models to explain subsistence success and failure. In southwestern Madagascar, the ecological world is characterized by extreme variability and unpredictability, and the cosmological world is characterized by anxiety about supernatural dangers. Ecological and cosmological causes seem to point to different risk minimizing strategies: to avoid losses from drought, flood, or heavy winds, one should diversify activities and be flexible; but to avoid losses caused by disrespected spirits one should narrow one's range of behaviors to follow the code of taboos and offerings. We address this paradox by investigating whether southwestern Malagasy understand natural and supernatural causes as occupying separate, contradictory explanatory systems (target dependence), whether they make no categorical distinction between natural and supernatural forces and combine them within a single explanatory system (synthetic thinking), or whether they have separate natural and supernatural categories of causes that are integrated into one explanatory system so that supernatural forces drive natural forces (integrative thinking). Results from three field studies suggest that (a) informants explain why crops, prey, and market activities succeed or fail with reference to natural causal forces like rainfall and pests, (b) they explain why individual persons experience success or failure primarily with supernatural factors like God and ancestors, and (c) they understand supernatural forces as driving natural forces, so that ecology and cosmology represent distinct sets of causes within a single explanatory framework. We expect that future cross-cultural analyses may find that this form of "integrative thinking" is common in unpredictable environments and is a cognitive strategy that accompanies economic diversification.

Total quality management and shared governance: synergistic processes.

PubMed

Gardner, D B; Cummings, C

1994-01-01

"Synergism" accurately describes the gains that can be made when total quality management (TQM) and shared governance are employed for reciprocal development. This article explores the relationship between TQM and shared governance from a systems perspective. Systems thinking is the fundamental framework that must be learned by nursing managers. An example of this synergistic process is described from the National Institutes of Health nursing department's experience in implementing TQM and shared governance. The idea that structure is fundamental to problems and solutions when implementing change and focusing upon interdependency issues are the systemic competencies nursing managers need to develop in order to become strong nursing leaders.

Assessing future expectations and the two-dimensional model of affect in an Italian population.

PubMed

Corno, Giulia; Molinari, Guadalupe; Baños, Rosa Maria

2017-03-01

Future-directed thinking has been described as part of two underlying systems that integrate dimensions of affect, motivational systems, orientation to the future, and future expectations, which are initiated at the cognitive, affective, biological, behavioral, and motivational levels. The main aim of the present study is to test the two underlying frameworks model and explore future expectations in a general Italian-speaking population (N=345). Therefore, the second aim of the present paper is to confirm the factorial structure of the Subjective Probability Task (SPT; MacLeod et al., 1996), a questionnaire designed to assess specific positive and negative orientations towards the future. Results showed that the SPT has good psychometric properties and it is a reliable instrument to assess future-directed thinking. Moreover, our findings confirmed the role of future expectancies as cognitive correlates of depression and anxiety. Differently from previous studies (Clark and Watson, 1991; MacLeod et al., 1996), our results did not confirm that depression was characterized by low positive affect. We believe this paper contributes to the understanding of future expectancies and their relation with anxiety and depression, and will help to expand the availability of an instrument to assess future directed thinking. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

From vagueness in medical thought to the foundations of fuzzy reasoning in medical diagnosis.

PubMed

Seising, Rudolf

2006-11-01

This article delineates a relatively unknown path in the history of medical philosophy and medical diagnosis. It is concerned with the phenomenon of vagueness in the physician's "style of thinking" and with the use of fuzzy sets, systems, and relations with a view to create a model of such reasoning when physicians make a diagnosis. It represents specific features of medical ways of thinking that were mentioned by the Polish physician and philosopher Ludwik Fleck in 1926. The paper links Lotfi Zadeh's work on system theory before the age of fuzzy sets with system-theory concepts in medical philosophy that were introduced by the philosopher Mario Bunge, and with the fuzzy-theoretical analysis of the notions of health, illness, and disease by the Iranian-German physician and philosopher Kazem Sadegh-Zadeh. Some proposals to apply fuzzy sets in medicine were based on a suggestion made by Zadeh: symptoms and diseases are fuzzy in nature and fuzzy sets are feasible to represent these entity classes of medical knowledge. Yet other attempts to use fuzzy sets in medicine were self-contained. The use of this approach contributed to medical decision-making and the development of computer-assisted diagnosis in medicine. With regard to medical philosophy, decision-making, and diagnosis; the framework of fuzzy sets, systems, and relations is very useful to deal with the absence of sharp boundaries of the sets of symptoms, diagnoses, and phenomena of diseases. The foundations of reasoning and computer assistance in medicine were the result of a rapid accumulation of data from medical research. This explosion of knowledge in medicine gave rise to the speculation that computers could be used for the medical diagnosis. Medicine became, to a certain extent, a quantitative science. In the second half of the 20th century medical knowledge started to be stored in computer systems. To assist physicians in medical decision-making and patient care, medical expert systems using the theory of fuzzy sets and relations (such as the Viennese "fuzzy version" of the Computer-Assisted Diagnostic System, CADIAG, which was developed at the end of the 1970s) were constructed. The development of fuzzy relations in medicine and their application in computer-assisted diagnosis show that this fuzzy approach is a framework to deal with the "fuzzy mode of thinking" in medicine.

Self-assessment, reflection on practice and critical thinking in nursing students.

PubMed

Siles-González, José; Solano-Ruiz, Carmen

2016-10-01

In accordance with the principles of the European Higher Education Area, the aim of this study was to contribute to the implementation of self-assessment through the application of reflection on learning and critical thinking. The theoretical framework employed was Habermas's critical theory and emancipatory interest as a preliminary step to generate educational transformations. The methodological contribution is the design a student self-assessment document that promotes reflection on action and critical thinking. The development of assessment through peer evaluation and other intermediate solutions until achieving self-assessment entails a shift in the educational and scientific paradigm, but also involves the implementation in practice of democratic and ethical principles, values and premises in society. Self-assessment is a novel concept for students, and obliges them to reinterpret their role. Due to the diversity of students' principles, values, motivations, interests and aspirations, this reinterpretation of their role can have a positive outcome, stimulating an active and critical attitude towards group work and self-assessment; or, on the contrary, can generate a stance characterised by disinterest, passivity and lack of critical thinking. The forms of assessment adopted in a given educational system reflect ways of thinking related to ideologies, values, ethical principles and educational paradigms: in order to render implementation of effective self-assessment feasible, it is necessary to undertake structural and regulatory reforms. Students have little experience of reflection on practice or critical thinking. Massification and cultural and structural factors determine the form of assessment. In this context, it would seem advisable to move towards self-assessment gradually and cautiously. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Family systems ideas in the 10-minute consultation: using a reflecting partner or observing team in a surgery.

PubMed

Mayer, R; Graham, H; Schuberth, C; Launer, J; Tomson, D; Czauderna, J

1996-04-01

Family therapy and the ideas that underlie it have not had much impact on general practice, although there is good reason to think this could be a useful approach. As a group of general practitioners (and a practice nurse) with experience of family therapy, we were interested in demonstrating whether family therapy methods could usefully inform general practice consultations. Two surgeries were observed by the general practitioner's colleagues. Selected cases are discussed to illustrate the impact of the use of family therapy ideas and a reflecting colleague or team. Family therapy ideas can be a helpful framework within which to think about both demanding and ordinary consultations. Inviting a colleague to contribute respectfully could be useful both as a method of teaching, and in resolving difficult or faltering consultations.

Re-thinking residential mobility

PubMed Central

van Ham, Maarten; Findlay, Allan M.

2015-01-01

While researchers are increasingly re-conceptualizing international migration, far less attention has been devoted to re-thinking short-distance residential mobility and immobility. In this paper we harness the life course approach to propose a new conceptual framework for residential mobility research. We contend that residential mobility and immobility should be re-conceptualized as relational practices that link lives through time and space while connecting people to structural conditions. Re-thinking and re-assessing residential mobility by exploiting new developments in longitudinal analysis will allow geographers to understand, critique and address pressing societal challenges. PMID:27330243

Teaching Critical Thinking: Sense-Making, Explanations, Language, and Habits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maloney, David

2015-10-01

The conjunction of three events has encouraged me to devote significant time to thinking about the pedagogical framework in my introductory courses. The three events were: doing a workshop addressing the Advanced Placement restructuring of the Physics B course with a stronger focus on critical thinking, finding out that TPT was planning an issue about the "science and art" of teaching, and dealing with a course that I haven't taught in about a decade, where the students behaved very differently from students in the same course in the past.

Beyond Recall in Reading Comprehension: Five Key Planning Decisions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinatra, Richard; Annacone, Dominic

Over the years, teacher questions have consistently aimed at literal comprehension, indicating that teachers lack understanding of the reading-thinking-questioning hierarchy. Benjamin Bloom's "Cognitive Taxonomy" can serve as a hierarchical framework for the design of questions. Within this framework, a teacher can confront decision…

Instructors' Positive Emotions: Effects on Student Engagement and Critical Thinking in U.S. and Chinese Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Qin; Zhang, Jibiao

2013-01-01

In this study, we used the broaden-and-build theory and emotional response theory as the framework to examine the effects of instructors' positive emotions on student engagement and critical thinking in U.S. and Chinese classrooms, as well as the mediating role of students' positive emotions in their relationships. MANOVA results revealed no…

A Systematic Review: Using Habits of Mind to Improve Student's Thinking in Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alhamlan, Suad; Aljasser, Haya; Almajed, Asma; Almansour, Haila; Alahmad, Nidhal

2018-01-01

This review article aims to explore how habits of mind as the concept defined under the recent Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing contributes to the development of critical thinking in the classroom. The application of a systematic review and a meta-analysis approach allows investigating the selected habits of mind and comparing them…

Assessing Critical Thinking in Higher Education: Current State and Directions for Next-Generation Assessment. Research Report. ETS RR-14-10

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Ou Lydia; Frankel, Lois; Roohr, Katrina Crotts

2014-01-01

Critical thinking is one of the most important skills deemed necessary for college graduates to become effective contributors in the global workforce. The first part of this article provides a comprehensive review of its definitions by major frameworks in higher education and the workforce, existing assessments and their psychometric qualities,…

Head and Hand: An Action Approach to Thinking. Occasional Paper No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scribner, Sylvia

Much research has focused on cognitive skills in isolation from daily life and from action. However, memory and thinking in daily life are not separate from, but are part of, doing. This study is based on a theoretical framework that encompasses an integrated account of mind in action. This "activity theory" holds that neither mind as such nor…

Babies and Young Children in Nurseries: Using Psychoanalytic Ideas to Explore Tasks and Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elfer, Peter

2007-01-01

Anxiety about the emotional experience of young children in nursery has been central in thinking about the development of nursery provision. The main theory of emotion that has been applied to nursery practice has been attachment theory. This article proposes that there is a need to open up our conceptual framework for thinking about emotional…

A Cognition Analysis of QUASAR's Mathematics Performance Assessment Tasks and Their Sensitivity to Measuring Changes in Middle School Students' Thinking and Reasoning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cai, Jinfa, And Others

1996-01-01

Presents a conceptual framework for analyzing students' mathematical understanding, reasoning, problem solving, and communication. Analyses of student responses indicated that the tasks appear to measure the complex thinking and reasoning processes that they were designed to assess. Concludes that the QUASAR assessment tasks can capture changes in…

T2 (Teaching & Thinking)-in-Action Skills of Highly Rated Medical Teachers: How Do We Help Faculty Attain That Expertise?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bing-You, Robert G.; Blondeau, Whitney; Dreher, George K.; Irby, David M.

2017-01-01

Prior to developing faculty development programmes to improve reflection-in-action abilities while teaching, we sought to elaborate how T2 (teaching & thinking)-in-action is perceived by teachers using the theoretical framework of metacognition. We interviewed seven highly rated clinical teachers. Qualitative analysis techniques were used to…

A comparison between medicine from an African (Ubuntu) and Western philosophy.

PubMed

Prinsloo, E D

2001-03-01

I consider the Ubuntu way of caring for the sick in terms of the Ubuntu world-view by systematizing the scattered views. I argue that this world-view is underpinned by the regulative concept of sharing and that caring in Ubuntu-thinking can only be understood correctly in terms of sharing. I substantiate my exposition in terms of what Africans themselves claim Ubuntu is and relate its meaning to African thinking in general. I consider the uniqueness of this world-view by showing how an African thinker compares it to Western World-views on causality and critically consider these comparisons. I apply this world-view to African medicine and evaluate the Ubuntu idea of causes in medicine in comparison with causality in Western thinking by considering the two frameworks of medical care in terms of their viability respectively. I conclude that causal patterns in medicine are controversial in both thinkings but argue that it sets the framework for intercultural communication that can lead both to a better understanding of each other and to some positive developments in medicine. These ways of dealing with the topic represents the significance of this article as an addition to existing knowledge.

Investigating the Impact of Using a CAD Simulation Tool on Students' Learning of Design Thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taleyarkhan, Manaz; Dasgupta, Chandan; Garcia, John Mendoza; Magana, Alejandra J.

2018-02-01

Engineering design thinking is hard to teach and still harder to learn by novices primarily due to the undetermined nature of engineering problems that often results in multiple solutions. In this paper, we investigate the effect of teaching engineering design thinking to freshmen students by using a computer-aided Design (CAD) simulation software. We present a framework for characterizing different levels of engineering design thinking displayed by students who interacted with the CAD simulation software in the context of a collaborative assignment. This framework describes the presence of four levels of engineering design thinking—beginning designer, adept beginning designer, informed designer, adept informed designer. We present the characteristics associated with each of these four levels as they pertain to four engineering design strategies that students pursued in this study—understanding the design challenge, building knowledge, weighing options and making tradeoffs, and reflecting on the process. Students demonstrated significant improvements in two strategies—understanding the design challenge and building knowledge. We discuss the affordances of the CAD simulation tool along with the learning environment that potentially helped students move towards Adept informed designers while pursuing these design strategies.

[Clinical decision making and critical thinking in the nursing diagnostic process].

PubMed

Müller-Staub, Maria

2006-10-01

The daily routine requires complex thinking processes of nurses, but clinical decision making and critical thinking are underestimated in nursing. A great demand for educational measures in clinical judgement related with the diagnostic process was found in nurses. The German literature hardly describes nursing diagnoses as clinical judgements about human reactions on health problems / life processes. Critical thinking is described as an intellectual, disciplined process of active conceptualisation, application and synthesis of information. It is gained through observation, experience, reflection and communication and leads thinking and action. Critical thinking influences the aspects of clinical decision making a) diagnostic judgement, b) therapeutic reasoning and c) ethical decision making. Human reactions are complex processes and in their course, human behavior is interpreted in the focus of health. Therefore, more attention should be given to the nursing diagnostic process. This article presents the theoretical framework of the paper "Clinical decision making: Fostering critical thinking in the nursing diagnostic process through case studies".

Interference thinking in constructing students’ knowledge to solve mathematical problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayanti, W. E.; Usodo, B.; Subanti, S.

2018-04-01

This research aims to describe interference thinking in constructing students’ knowledge to solve mathematical problems. Interference thinking in solving problems occurs when students have two concepts that interfere with each other’s concept. Construction of problem-solving can be traced using Piaget’s assimilation and accommodation framework, helping to know the students’ thinking structures in solving the problems. The method of this research was a qualitative method with case research strategy. The data in this research involving problem-solving result and transcripts of interviews about students’ errors in solving the problem. The results of this research focus only on the student who experience proactive interference, where student in solving a problem using old information to interfere with the ability to recall new information. The student who experience interference thinking in constructing their knowledge occurs when the students’ thinking structures in the assimilation and accommodation process are incomplete. However, after being given reflection to the student, then the students’ thinking process has reached equilibrium condition even though the result obtained remains wrong.

Towards people-centred health systems: a multi-level framework for analysing primary health care governance in low- and middle-income countries.

PubMed

Abimbola, Seye; Negin, Joel; Jan, Stephen; Martiniuk, Alexandra

2014-09-01

Although there is evidence that non-government health system actors can individually or collectively develop practical strategies to address primary health care (PHC) challenges in the community, existing frameworks for analysing health system governance largely focus on the role of governments, and do not sufficiently account for the broad range of contribution to PHC governance. This is important because of the tendency for weak governments in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We present a multi-level governance framework for use as a thinking guide in analysing PHC governance in LMICs. This framework has previously been used to analyse the governance of common-pool resources such as community fisheries and irrigation systems. We apply the framework to PHC because, like common-pool resources, PHC facilities in LMICs tend to be commonly owned by the community such that individual and collective action is often required to avoid the 'tragedy of the commons'-destruction and degradation of the resource resulting from lack of concern for its continuous supply. In the multi-level framework, PHC governance is conceptualized at three levels, depending on who influences the supply and demand of PHC services in a community and how: operational governance (individuals and providers within the local health market), collective governance (community coalitions) and constitutional governance (governments at different levels and other distant but influential actors). Using the example of PHC governance in Nigeria, we illustrate how the multi-level governance framework offers a people-centred lens on the governance of PHC in LMICs, with a focus on relations among health system actors within and between levels of governance. We demonstrate the potential impact of health system actors functioning at different levels of governance on PHC delivery, and how governance failure at one level can be assuaged by governance at another level. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2014; all rights reserved.

Towards people-centred health systems: a multi-level framework for analysing primary health care governance in low- and middle-income countries

PubMed Central

Abimbola, Seye; Negin, Joel; Jan, Stephen; Martiniuk, Alexandra

2014-01-01

Although there is evidence that non-government health system actors can individually or collectively develop practical strategies to address primary health care (PHC) challenges in the community, existing frameworks for analysing health system governance largely focus on the role of governments, and do not sufficiently account for the broad range of contribution to PHC governance. This is important because of the tendency for weak governments in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We present a multi-level governance framework for use as a thinking guide in analysing PHC governance in LMICs. This framework has previously been used to analyse the governance of common-pool resources such as community fisheries and irrigation systems. We apply the framework to PHC because, like common-pool resources, PHC facilities in LMICs tend to be commonly owned by the community such that individual and collective action is often required to avoid the ‘tragedy of the commons’—destruction and degradation of the resource resulting from lack of concern for its continuous supply. In the multi-level framework, PHC governance is conceptualized at three levels, depending on who influences the supply and demand of PHC services in a community and how: operational governance (individuals and providers within the local health market), collective governance (community coalitions) and constitutional governance (governments at different levels and other distant but influential actors). Using the example of PHC governance in Nigeria, we illustrate how the multi-level governance framework offers a people-centred lens on the governance of PHC in LMICs, with a focus on relations among health system actors within and between levels of governance. We demonstrate the potential impact of health system actors functioning at different levels of governance on PHC delivery, and how governance failure at one level can be assuaged by governance at another level. PMID:25274638

Panarchy use in environmental science for risk and resilience planning

USGS Publications Warehouse

Angeler, David G.; Allen, Craig R.; Garmestani, Ahjond S.; Gunderson, Lance H.; Linkov, Igor

2016-01-01

Environmental sciences have an important role in informing sustainable management of built environments by providing insights about the drivers and potentially negative impacts of global environmental change. Here, we discuss panarchy theory, a multi-scale hierarchical concept that accounts for the dynamism of complex socio-ecological systems, especially for those systems with strong cross-scale feedbacks. The idea of panarchy underlies much of system resilience, focusing on how systems respond to known and unknown threats. Panarchy theory can provide a framework for qualitative and quantitative research and application in the environmental sciences, which can in turn inform the ongoing efforts in socio-technical resilience thinking and adaptive and transformative approaches to management.

Critically Thinking about Harry Potter: A Framework for Discussing Controversial Works in the English Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Joanne M.

2003-01-01

Notes that at the school level and in the classroom, English educators can lead the way in open discussion, particularly discussion about books such as the Harry Potter series. Offers a seven-step framework as a way to begin an open discussion. Concludes that the framework acknowledges those concerns and provides a voice for them while also…

Ethics and aims in psychotherapy: a contribution from Kant.

PubMed

Callender, J S

1998-08-01

Psychotherapy is an activity which takes many forms and which has many aims. The present paper argues that it can be viewed as a form of moral suasion. Kant's concepts of free will and ethics are described and these are then applied to the processes and outcome of psychotherapy. It is argued that his ideas, by linking rationality, free will and ethics into a single philosophical system, offer a valuable theoretical framework for thinking about aims and ethical issues in psychotherapy.

Ethics and aims in psychotherapy: a contribution from Kant.

PubMed Central

Callender, J S

1998-01-01

Psychotherapy is an activity which takes many forms and which has many aims. The present paper argues that it can be viewed as a form of moral suasion. Kant's concepts of free will and ethics are described and these are then applied to the processes and outcome of psychotherapy. It is argued that his ideas, by linking rationality, free will and ethics into a single philosophical system, offer a valuable theoretical framework for thinking about aims and ethical issues in psychotherapy. PMID:9752632

Fundamentals of Modeling, Data Assimilation, and High-performance Computing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rood, Richard B.

2005-01-01

This lecture will introduce the concepts of modeling, data assimilation and high- performance computing as it relates to the study of atmospheric composition. The lecture will work from basic definitions and will strive to provide a framework for thinking about development and application of models and data assimilation systems. It will not provide technical or algorithmic information, leaving that to textbooks, technical reports, and ultimately scientific journals. References to a number of textbooks and papers will be provided as a gateway to the literature.

A conceptual connectivity framework for understanding geomorphic change in human-impacted fluvial systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poeppl, Ronald E.; Keesstra, Saskia D.; Maroulis, Jerry

2017-01-01

Human-induced landscape change is difficult to predict due to the complexity inherent in both geomorphic and social systems as well as due to the coupling relationships between them. To better understand system complexity and system response to changing inputs, "connectivity thinking" has become an important recent paradigm within various disciplines including ecology, hydrology and geomorphology. With the presented conceptual connectivity framework on geomorphic change in human-impacted fluvial systems a cautionary note is flagged regarding the need (i) to include and to systematically conceptualise the role of different types of human agency in altering connectivity relationships in geomorphic systems and (ii) to integrate notions of human-environment interactions to connectivity concepts in geomorphology to better explain causes and trajectories of landscape change. Geomorphic response of fluvial systems to human disturbance is shown to be determined by system-specific boundary conditions (incl. system history, related legacy effects and lag times), vegetation dynamics and human-induced functional relationships (i.e. feedback mechanisms) between the different spatial dimensions of connectivity. It is further demonstrated how changes in social systems can trigger a process-response feedback loop between social and geomorphic systems that further governs the trajectory of landscape change in coupled human-geomorphic systems.

An ecological process model of systems change.

PubMed

Peirson, Leslea J; Boydell, Katherine M; Ferguson, H Bruce; Ferris, Lorraine E

2011-06-01

In June 2007 the American Journal of Community Psychology published a special issue focused on theories, methods and interventions for systems change which included calls from the editors and authors for theoretical advancement in this field. We propose a conceptual model of systems change that integrates familiar and fundamental community psychology principles (succession, interdependence, cycling of resources, adaptation) and accentuates a process orientation. To situate our framework we offer a definition of systems change and a brief review of the ecological perspective and principles. The Ecological Process Model of Systems Change is depicted, described and applied to a case example of policy driven systems level change in publicly funded social programs. We conclude by identifying salient implications for thinking and action which flow from the Model.

Is the Tenure Process Fair? What Faculty Think

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawrence, Janet H.; Celis, Sergio; Ott, Molly

2014-01-01

A conceptual framework grounded on procedural justice theory was created to explain how judgments about the fairness of tenure decision-making evolved among faculty who had not yet undergone the review. The framework posits that faculty beliefs about fairness are influenced directly by their workplace experiences and both directly and indirectly…

Rethinking Connections between Research and Practice in Education: A Conceptual Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farley-Ripple, Elizabeth; May, Henry; Karpyn, Allison; Tilley, Katherine; McDonough, Kalyn

2018-01-01

Recent efforts to improve the quality and availability of scientific research in education, coupled with increased expectations for the use of research in practice, demand new ways of thinking about connections between research and practice. The conceptual framework presented in this paper argues that increasing research in educational…

Writing Together: An Arendtian Framework for Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Restaino, Jessica

2014-01-01

This essay considers the long-standing challenges, in both practice and theory, to collaborative writing in the first-year classroom. I argue that Hannah Arendt's concepts of plurality and natality are useful frameworks for thinking constructively and practically about teaching argumentative writing through collaboration. I explore these…

Utopian Visions: Promise and Pitfalls in the Global Awareness of the Gifted

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ambrose, Don

2008-01-01

Utopian thinking has captured the human imagination for millennia and has exerted strong influences on societies--in particular, on their socioeconomic, political, and cultural dimensions of societies. Consequently, enhancement of global awareness requires attention to utopian frameworks, especially when those frameworks are influencing the…

Towards a Pedagogical Framework for Global Citizenship Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackmore, Chloe

2016-01-01

Amidst growing recognition of the importance of the learning process within global citizenship education, this paper develops a pedagogical framework including dimensions of critical thinking, dialogue, reflection, and responsible being/action. It draws on a variety of critical literatures to identify characteristics of each of these dimensions.…

Cultivating Geographical Thinking: A Framework for Student-Led Research on Food Waste

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finlayson, Caitlin; Gregory, Meredith; Ludtke, Clara; Meoli, Christian; Ryan, Michael

2017-01-01

Research has consistently demonstrated the wide-ranging benefits of student-led research, from increased student engagement to higher retention and graduation rates. Despite these calls to increase research opportunities for students, however, the availability of practical, easy-to-implement research frameworks in disciplinary-specific settings…

Researches on Adolescent Thought: A Framework.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaidya, Narendera

This document presents research studies/findings and provides a developing point of view on adolescent thought. The first chapter discusses the nature and definitions of thinking. The second and third chapters discuss frameworks for adolescent thought (focusing on the Gestalt school, Geneva school, and accelerated learning) and survey studies on…

An Ethical Decision-Making Framework for Community College Administrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliver, Diane E.; Hioco, Barbara

2012-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe a decision-making framework developed for use by community college administrators and higher education faculty members who teach graduate courses in community college administration or leadership. The rationale for developing a decision-making approach that integrates ethics and critical thinking was…

Conceptual Frameworks for the Workplace Change Adoption Process: Elements Integration from Decision Making and Learning Cycle Process.

PubMed

Radin Umar, Radin Zaid; Sommerich, Carolyn M; Lavender, Steve A; Sanders, Elizabeth; Evans, Kevin D

2018-05-14

Sound workplace ergonomics and safety-related interventions may be resisted by employees, and this may be detrimental to multiple stakeholders. Understanding fundamental aspects of decision making, behavioral change, and learning cycles may provide insights into pathways influencing employees' acceptance of interventions. This manuscript reviews published literature on thinking processes and other topics relevant to decision making and incorporates the findings into two new conceptual frameworks of the workplace change adoption process. Such frameworks are useful for thinking about adoption in different ways and testing changes to traditional intervention implementation processes. Moving forward, it is recommended that future research focuses on systematic exploration of implementation process activities that integrate principles from the research literature on sensemaking, decision making, and learning processes. Such exploration may provide the groundwork for development of specific implementation strategies that are theoretically grounded and provide a revised understanding of how successful intervention adoption processes work.

The Moral Frameworks and Foundations of Contesting Orientations.

PubMed

Shields, David Light; Funk, Christopher D; Bredemeier, Brenda Light

2016-04-01

According to contesting theory (Shields & Bredemeier, 2011), people conceptualize competition either through a metaphor of partnership or war. These two alternate metaphors suggest differing sociomoral relationships among the participants. In the current study of intercollegiate athletes (n = 610), we investigated the two approaches to contesting in relation to formalist and consequentialist moral frameworks (Brady & Wheeler, 1996) and individualizing and binding moral foundations (Haidt, 2001). Correlational analysis indicated that the partnership approach correlated significantly with all four moral dimensions, while the war approach correlated with formalist and consequentialist frameworks and binding foundations (i.e., appeals to in-group loyalty, authority, and purity). Multiple regressions demonstrated that the best predictors of a partnership approach were formalist thinking and endorsement of individualizing moral foundations (i.e., appeal to fairness and welfare). Among our primary variables, the best predictors of a war orientation were consequentialist thinking and endorsement of binding foundations.

An approach to addressing governance from a health system framework perspective

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

As countries strive to strengthen their health systems in resource constrained contexts, policy makers need to know how best to improve the performance of their health systems. To aid these decisions, health system stewards should have a good understanding of how health systems operate in order to govern them appropriately. While a number of frameworks for assessing governance in the health sector have been proposed, their application is often hindered by unrealistic indicators or they are overly complex resulting in limited empirical work on governance in health systems. This paper reviews contemporary health sector frameworks which have focused on defining and developing indicators to assess governance in the health sector. Based on these, we propose a simplified approach to look at governance within a common health system framework which encourages stewards to take a systematic perspective when assessing governance. Although systems thinking is not unique to health, examples of its application within health systems has been limited. We also provide an example of how this approach could be applied to illuminate areas of governance weaknesses which are potentially addressable by targeted interventions and policies. This approach is built largely on prior literature, but is original in that it is problem-driven and promotes an outward application taking into consideration the major health system building blocks at various levels in order to ensure a more complete assessment of a governance issue rather than a simple input-output approach. Based on an assessment of contemporary literature we propose a practical approach which we believe will facilitate a more comprehensive assessment of governance in health systems leading to the development of governance interventions to strengthen system performance and improve health as a basic human right. PMID:22136318

From data to decisions: Processing information, biases, and beliefs for improved management of natural resources and environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glynn, Pierre D.; Voinov, Alexey A.; Shapiro, Carl D.; White, Paul A.

2017-04-01

Our different kinds of minds and types of thinking affect the ways we decide, take action, and cooperate (or not). Derived from these types of minds, innate biases, beliefs, heuristics, and values (BBHV) influence behaviors, often beneficially, when individuals or small groups face immediate, local, acute situations that they and their ancestors faced repeatedly in the past. BBHV, though, need to be recognized and possibly countered or used when facing new, complex issues or situations especially if they need to be managed for the benefit of a wider community, for the longer-term and the larger-scale. Taking BBHV into account, we explain and provide a cyclic science-infused adaptive framework for (1) gaining knowledge of complex systems and (2) improving their management. We explore how this process and framework could improve the governance of science and policy for different types of systems and issues, providing examples in the area of natural resources, hazards, and the environment. Lastly, we suggest that an "Open Traceable Accountable Policy" initiative that followed our suggested adaptive framework could beneficially complement recent Open Data/Model science initiatives.

Information technology and social sciences: how can health IT be used to support the health professional?

PubMed

Wagner-Menghin, Michaela; Pokieser, Peter

2016-10-01

Keeping up to date with the increasing amount of health-related knowledge and managing the increasing numbers of patients with more complex clinical problems is a challenge for healthcare professionals and healthcare systems. Health IT applications, such as electronic health records or decision-support systems, are meant to support both professionals and their support systems. However, for physicians using these applications, the applications often cause new problems, such as the impracticality of their use in clinical practice. This review adopts a social sciences perspective to understand these problems and derive suggestions for further development. Indeed, humans use tools to remediate the brain's weaknesses and enhance thinking. Available health IT tools have been shaped to fit administrative needs rather than physicians' needs. To increase the beneficial effect of health IT applications in health care, clinicians' style of thinking and their learning needs must be considered when designing and implementing such systems. New health IT tools must be shaped to fit health professionals' needs. To further ease the integration of new health IT tools into clinical practice, we must also consider the effects of implementing new tools on the wider social framework. © 2016 New York Academy of Sciences.

Relational Human Ecology: Reconciling the Boundaries of Humans and Nature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNiel, J.; Lopes, V. L.

2010-12-01

Global change is transforming the planet at unprecedented rates. Global warming, massive species extinction, increasing land degradation, overpopulation, poverty and injustice, are all the result of human choices and non-sustainable ways of life. What do we have to do and how much do we have to change to allow a transition to a more ecologically-conscious and just society? While these questions are of central concern, they cannot be fully addressed under the current paradigm, which hinders both our collection of knowledge and derivation of solutions. This paper attempts to develop a new variant of ecological thinking based on a relational ontological/epistemological approach. This is offered as a foundation for the political initiative to strive for a more fulfilling, sustainable and just society. This new approach, theoretically conceptualized as ‘relational human ecology,’ offers a relational (holistic) framework for overcoming mechanistic thinking and exploring questions regarding the long-term attainment of sustainability. Once established, we illustrate how the relational framework offers a new holistic approach centered on participatory inquiry within the context of a community workshop. We conclude with discussing possible directions for future relational human ecological participatory research, conducted from the intersection of myriad participants (i.e. agencies, academics, and community residents), and the ways in which this will allow for the derivation of accurate and sustainable solutions for global change. Key words: relational thinking, human ecology, complex adaptive systems, participatory inquiry, sustainability Vicente L. Lopes (corresponding author) Department of Biology Texas State University San Marcos, TX, USA e-mail: vlopes@txstate.edu Jamie N. McNiel Department of Sociology Texas State University San Marcos, TX, USATable 2 - Comparing Orthodox versus Relational Approaches to Ecological Inquiry * Retroduction, logical reasoning that something must be true because it was known to be true in the past Table 1 - Common Dualisms Prevalent in Western Thinking

Children's understanding of mental illness: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Fox, C; Buchanan-Barrow, E; Barrett, M

2008-01-01

This study aimed to investigate children's thinking about mental illness by employing a well-established framework of adult illness understanding. The study adopted a semistructured interview technique and a card selection task to assess children's responses to causes, consequences, timeline and curability of the different types of mental illness. The children were aged between 5 and 11 years. Results indicated a developmental trend in the children's thinking about mental illness; there was an increase in the children's understanding of the causes, consequences, curability and timeline of mental illness with age. The older children demonstrated a more sophisticated and accurate thinking about mental illness compared with the younger children, who tended to rely on a medical model in order to comprehend novel mental illnesses. Furthermore, the girls exhibited more compassion, showing greater social acceptance compared with the boys. The Leventhal model provides a useful framework within which to investigate children's knowledge and understanding of mental illness. Limitations of the study and implications for future research are discussed.

A Conceptual Framework for Evaluation of Public Health and Primary Care System Performance in Iran

PubMed Central

Jahanmehr, Nader; Rashidian, Arash; Khosravi, Ardeshir; Farzadfar, Farshad; Shariati, Mohammad; Majdzadeh, Reza; Sari, Ali Akbari; Mesdaghinia, Alireza

2015-01-01

Introduction: The main objective of this study was to design a conceptual framework, according to the policies and priorities of the ministry of health to evaluate provincial public health and primary care performance and to assess their share in the overall health impacts of the community. Methods: We used several tools and techniques, including system thinking, literature review to identify relevant attributes of health system performance framework and interview with the key stakeholders. The PubMed, Scopus, web of science, Google Scholar and two specialized databases of Persian language literature (IranMedex and SID) were searched using main terms and keywords. Following decision-making and collective agreement among the different stakeholders, 51 core indicators were chosen from among 602 obtained indicators in a four stage process, for monitoring and evaluation of Health Deputies. Results: We proposed a conceptual framework by identifying the performance area for Health Deputies between other determinants of health, as well as introducing a chain of results, for performance, consisting of Input, Process, Output and Outcome indicators. We also proposed 5 dimensions for measuring the performance of Health Deputies, consisting of efficiency, effectiveness, equity, access and improvement of health status. Conclusion: The proposed Conceptual Framework illustrates clearly the Health Deputies success in achieving best results and consequences of health in the country. Having the relative commitment of the ministry of health and Health Deputies at the University of Medical Sciences is essential for full implementation of this framework and providing the annual performance report. PMID:25946937

The Tobacco Use Management System: Analyzing Tobacco Control From a Systems Perspective

PubMed Central

Young, David; Coghill, Ken; Zhang, Jian Ying

2010-01-01

We use systems thinking to develop a strategic framework for analyzing the tobacco problem and we suggest solutions. Humans are vulnerable to nicotine addiction, and the most marketable form of nicotine delivery is the most harmful. A tobacco use management system has evolved out of governments’ attempts to regulate tobacco marketing and use and to support services that provide information about tobacco's harms and discourage its use. Our analysis identified 5 systemic problems that constrain progress toward the elimination of tobacco-related harm. We argue that this goal would be more readily achieved if the regulatory subsystem had dynamic power to regulate tobacco products and the tobacco industry as well as a responsive process for resourcing tobacco use control activities. PMID:20466970

Development and validation of climate change system thinking instrument (CCSTI) for measuring system thinking on climate change content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meilinda; Rustaman, N. Y.; Firman, H.; Tjasyono, B.

2018-05-01

The Climate Change System Thinking Instrument (CCSTI) is developed to measure a system thinking ability in the concept of climate change. CCSTI is developed in four phase’s development including instrument draft development, validation and evaluation including readable material test, expert validation, and field test. The result of field test is analyzed by looking at the readability score in Cronbach’s alpha test. Draft instrument is tested on college students majoring in Biology Education, Physics Education, and Chemistry Education randomly with a total number of 80 college students. Score of Content Validation Index at 0.86, which means that the CCSTI developed are categorized as very appropriate with question indicators and Cronbach’s alpha about 0.605 which mean categorized undesirable to minimal acceptable. From 45 questions of system thinking, there are 37 valid questions spread in four indicators of system thinking, which are system thinking phase I (pre-requirement), system thinking phase II (basic), system thinking phase III (intermediate), and system thinking phase IV (coherent expert).

Design Thinking: Employing an Effective Multidisciplinary Pedagogical Framework to Foster Creativity and Innovation in Rural and Remote Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Neil

2012-01-01

This paper outlines a project to develop and track "design thinking" skills within groups of students in late primary and early secondary years of schooling in order to strengthen their creative skills and innovative mindsets. The outcome of the research will be the development of a model for the broad-based implementation of design…

Using CEFR Level Descriptors to Raise University Students' Awareness of Their Speaking Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glover, Philip

2011-01-01

The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) aims to encourage language learners to think about what they do when communicating, and to think about what they can do to help themselves and others to learn a language better. This paper considers to what extent the CEFR supports language learning by looking at how a group of learners, in the…

Cognitive-emotional decision making (CEDM): a framework of patient medical decision making.

PubMed

Power, Tara E; Swartzman, Leora C; Robinson, John W

2011-05-01

Assistance for patients faced with medical decisions has largely focussed on the clarification of information and personal values. Our aim is to draw on the decision research describing the role of emotion in combination with health behaviour models to provide a framework for conceptualizing patient decisions. A review of the psychological and medical decision making literature concerned with the role of emotion/affect in decision making and health behaviours. Emotion plays an influential role in decision making. Both current and anticipated emotions play a motivational role in choice. Amalgamating these findings with that of Leventhal's (1970) SRM provide a framework for thinking about the influence of emotion on a patient medical decision. Our framework suggests that a patient must cope with four sets of elements. The first two relate to the need to manage the cognitive and emotional aspects of the health threat. The second set relate to the management of the cognitive and emotional elements of the decision, itself. The framework provides a way for practitioners and researchers to frame thinking about a patient medical decision in order to assist the patient in clarifying decisional priorities. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Pedagogical Model for Ethical Inquiry into Socioscientific Issues In Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saunders, Kathryn J.; Rennie, Léonie J.

2013-02-01

Internationally there is concern that many science teachers do not address socioscientific issues (SSI) in their classrooms, particularly those that are controversial. However with increasingly complex, science-based dilemmas being presented to society, such as cloning, genetic screening, alternative fuels, reproductive technologies and vaccination, there is a growing call for students to be more scientifically literate and to be able to make informed decisions on issues related to these dilemmas. There have been shifts in science curricula internationally towards a focus on scientific literacy, but research indicates that many secondary science teachers lack the support and confidence to address SSI in their classrooms. This paper reports on a project that developed a pedagogical model that scaffolded teachers through a series of stages in exploring a controversial socioscientific issue with students and supported them in the use of pedagogical strategies and facilitated ways of ethical thinking. The study builds on existing frameworks of ethical thinking. It presents an argument that in today's increasingly pluralistic society, these traditional frameworks need to be extended to acknowledge other worldviews and identities. Pluralism is proposed as an additional framework of ethical thinking in the pedagogical model, from which multiple identities, including cultural, ethnic, religious and gender perspectives, can be explored.

Sociotechnical approaches to workplace safety: Research needs and opportunities

PubMed Central

Robertson, Michelle M.; Hettinger, Lawrence J.; Waterson, Patrick E.; Ian Noy, Y.; Dainoff, Marvin J.; Leveson, Nancy G.; Carayon, Pascale; Courtney, Theodore K.

2015-01-01

The sociotechnical systems perspective offers intriguing and potentially valuable insights into problems associated with workplace safety. While formal sociotechnical systems thinking originated in the 1950s, its application to the analysis and design of sustainable, safe working environments has not been fully developed. To that end, a Hopkinton Conference was organised to review and summarise the state of knowledge in the area and to identify research priorities. A group of 26 international experts produced collaborative articles for this special issue of Ergonomics, and each focused on examining a key conceptual, methodological and/or theoretical issue associated with sociotechnical systems and safety. In this concluding paper, we describe the major conference themes and recommendations. These are organised into six topic areas: (1) Concepts, definitions and frameworks, (2) defining research methodologies, (3) modelling and simulation, (4) communications and decision-making, (5) sociotechnical attributes of safe and unsafe systems and (6) potential future research directions for sociotechnical systems research. Practitioner Summary: Sociotechnical complexity, a characteristic of many contemporary work environments, presents potential safety risks that traditional approaches to workplace safety may not adequately address. In this paper, we summarise the investigations of a group of international researchers into questions associated with the application of sociotechnical systems thinking to improve worker safety. PMID:25728246

Scientific thinking in young children: theoretical advances, empirical research, and policy implications.

PubMed

Gopnik, Alison

2012-09-28

New theoretical ideas and empirical research show that very young children's learning and thinking are strikingly similar to much learning and thinking in science. Preschoolers test hypotheses against data and make causal inferences; they learn from statistics and informal experimentation, and from watching and listening to others. The mathematical framework of probabilistic models and Bayesian inference can describe this learning in precise ways. These discoveries have implications for early childhood education and policy. In particular, they suggest both that early childhood experience is extremely important and that the trend toward more structured and academic early childhood programs is misguided.

Interrogating "Belonging" in Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sumsion, Jennifer; Wong, Sandie

2011-01-01

In this article, the authors interrogate the use of "belonging" in "Belonging, Being and Becoming: the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia" (EYLF), Australia's first national curriculum for early childhood education and care settings and, from the authors' interrogation, possibilities are offered for thinking about and…

Computational Thinking in High School Science Classrooms: Exploring the Science "Framework" and "NGSS"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sneider, Cary; Stephenson, Chris; Schafer, Bruce; Flick, Larry

2014-01-01

A "Framework for K-12 Science Education" identified eight practices as "essential elements of the K-12 science and engineering curriculum" (NRC 2012, p. 49). Most of the practices, such as Developing and Using Models, Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, and Analyzing and Interpreting Data, are well known among science…

An Analysis of Constructivism and the Ancient Art of Origami

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sze, Susan

2005-01-01

This paper provides a framework for thinking about origami construction and constructivism. In an attempt to understand the conceptual and theoretical framework supporting the field of inclusive teaching strategies in relationship to origami, I have prepared a model for origami which represents six types of constructive learning: (1) Hands-on…

Gaming History: A Framework for What Video Games Teach about the Past

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metzger, Scott Alan; Paxton, Richard J.

2016-01-01

This article offers a typological framework for analyzing how video games make use of historical elements, shaping the ways players engage with and think about the past. Phenomenologically induced labels are posited for identifying different deployments of and experiences with historical elements in video games, illustrated by examples drawn from…

Unifying Different Theories of Learning: Theoretical Framework and Empirical Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phan, Huy Phuong

2008-01-01

The main aim of this research study was to test out a conceptual model encompassing the theoretical frameworks of achievement goals, study processing strategies, effort, and reflective thinking practice. In particular, it was postulated that the causal influences of achievement goals on academic performance are direct and indirect through study…

A Framework for Mathematical Thinking: The Case of Linear Algebra

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Sepideh; Thomas, Michael O. J.

2009-01-01

Linear algebra is one of the unavoidable advanced courses that many mathematics students encounter at university level. The research reported here was part of the first author's recent PhD study, where she created and applied a theoretical framework combining the strengths of two major mathematics education theories in order to investigate the…

Growth in Mathematical Understanding While Learning How To Teach: A Theoretical Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavey, Laurie O.

This theoretical paper outlines a conceptual framework for examining growth in prospective teachers' mathematical understanding as they engage in thinking about and planning for the mathematical learning of others. The framework is based on the Pirie-Kieren (1994) Dynamical Theory for the Growth of Mathematical Understanding and extends into the…

Rewiring the History and Social Studies Classroom: Needs, Frameworks, Dangers, and Proposals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bass, Randy; Rosenzweig, Roy

This paper discusses the implementation of technology in social studies education. The first section addresses reasons why technology is used in social studies education, including the goal of making the social studies classroom a site of active learning and critical thinking. The second section describes three frameworks for using technology to…

Can Survival Processing Enhance Story Memory? Testing the Generalizability of the Adaptive Memory Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seamon, John G.; Bohn, Justin M.; Coddington, Inslee E.; Ebling, Maritza C.; Grund, Ethan M.; Haring, Catherine T.; Jang, Sue-Jung; Kim, Daniel; Liong, Christopher; Paley, Frances M.; Pang, Luke K.; Siddique, Ashik H.

2012-01-01

Research from the adaptive memory framework shows that thinking about words in terms of their survival value in an incidental learning task enhances their free recall relative to other semantic encoding strategies and intentional learning (Nairne, Pandeirada, & Thompson, 2008). We found similar results. When participants used incidental…

Ecology of Mind: A Batesonian Systems Thinking Approach to Curriculum Enactment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bloom, Jeffrey W.

2012-01-01

This article proposes a Batesonian systems thinking and ecology of mind approach to enacting curriculum. The key ideas for the model include ecology of mind, relationships, systems, systems thinking, pattern thinking, abductive thinking, and context. These ideas provide a basis for a recursive, three-part model involving developing (a) depth of…

Analysis of students critical thinking skills in socio-scientific issues of biodiversity subject

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santika, A. R.; Purwianingsih, W.; Nuraeni, E.

2018-05-01

Critical thinking is a skills the which students should have in order to face 21st century demands. Critical thinking skills can help people in facing their daily problems, especially problems roommates relate to science. This research is aimed to analyze students critical thinking skills in socio-scientific issues of biodiversity subject. The method used in this research was descriptive method. The research subject is first-grade students’ in senior high school. The data collected by interview and open-ended question the which classified based on framework : (1) question at issue, (2) information (3) purpose (4) concepts (5) assumptions, (6) point of view, (7) interpretation and inference, and (8) implication and consequences, then it will be assessed by using rubrics. The result of the data showed students critical thinking skills in socio-scientific issues of biodiversity subject is in low and medium category. Therefore we need a learning activity that is able to develop student’s critical thinking skills, especially regarding issues of social science.

A cognitive framework for analyzing and describing introductory students' use and understanding of mathematics in physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuminaro, Jonathan

Many introductory, algebra-based physics students perform poorly on mathematical problem solving tasks in physics. There are at least two possible, distinct reasons for this poor performance: (1) students simply lack the mathematical skills needed to solve problems in physics, or (2) students do not know how to apply the mathematical skills they have to particular problem situations in physics. While many students do lack the requisite mathematical skills, a major finding from this work is that the majority of students possess the requisite mathematical skills, yet fail to use or interpret them in the context of physics. In this thesis I propose a theoretical framework to analyze and describe students' mathematical thinking in physics. In particular, I attempt to answer two questions. What are the cognitive tools involved in formal mathematical thinking in physics? And, why do students make the kinds of mistakes they do when using mathematics in physics? According to the proposed theoretical framework there are three major theoretical constructs: mathematical resources, which are the knowledge elements that are activated in mathematical thinking and problem solving; epistemic games, which are patterns of activities that use particular kinds of knowledge to create new knowledge or solve a problem; and frames, which are structures of expectations that determine how individuals interpret situations or events. The empirical basis for this study comes from videotaped sessions of college students solving homework problems. The students are enrolled in an algebra-based introductory physics course. The videotapes were transcribed and analyzed using the aforementioned theoretical framework. Two important results from this work are: (1) the construction of a theoretical framework that offers researchers a vocabulary (ontological classification of cognitive structures) and grammar (relationship between the cognitive structures) for understanding the nature and origin of mathematical use in the context physics, and (2) a detailed understanding, in terms of the proposed theoretical framework, of the errors that students make when using mathematics in the context of physics.

On the relative independence of thinking biases and cognitive ability.

PubMed

Stanovich, Keith E; West, Richard F

2008-04-01

In 7 different studies, the authors observed that a large number of thinking biases are uncorrelated with cognitive ability. These thinking biases include some of the most classic and well-studied biases in the heuristics and biases literature, including the conjunction effect, framing effects, anchoring effects, outcome bias, base-rate neglect, "less is more" effects, affect biases, omission bias, myside bias, sunk-cost effect, and certainty effects that violate the axioms of expected utility theory. In a further experiment, the authors nonetheless showed that cognitive ability does correlate with the tendency to avoid some rational thinking biases, specifically the tendency to display denominator neglect, probability matching rather than maximizing, belief bias, and matching bias on the 4-card selection task. The authors present a framework for predicting when cognitive ability will and will not correlate with a rational thinking tendency. (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved.

Using the Web as a Higher Order Thinking Partner: Case Study of an Advanced Learner Creatively Synthesizing Knowledge on the Web

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeSchryver, Michael

2017-01-01

Previous work provided foundations for the theory of web-mediated knowledge synthesis, a framework for using the web in more creative and generative ways. This article explores specific instances of the various elements of that theory in a single case from the initial study. That is, a thorough exploration of think-aloud, screen capture, and…

Judging Retirement Reform Using the Strategic Thinking Framework

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-22

separation and that it would be both, “ex ante and ex post incentive-compatible.”23 Several fundamentals of the current MRS, such as retaining a...critically about whether modern conditions lead to the same conclusion of requiring a defined benefit MRS. For example, critical thinking can test ...budget. Many believe this proposal meets the test of acceptability and should be considered for further discussion and analysis. . To support their

Individual Differences in Planning Processes.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

prescriptive guidelines for improving planning. The research focuses on the analysis of thinking-aloud proto- cols produced by five subjects as they performed a...planning. ICURITV CLAI, PICA’IOw of il PAogemben Do&l abwr . --- ...... - iii - PREFACE This Note describes an analysis of "think-aloud" protocols gen...a conceptual framework for the analysis . The model specifies a Dumber of decision categories that could be matched to sub- jects’ descriptions of

K-8 Pre-Service Teachers' Algebraic Thinking: Exploring the Habit of Mind "Building Rules to Represent Functions"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magiera, Marta T.; van den Kieboom, Leigh A.; Moyer, John C.

2017-01-01

In this study, we examined the ability of grades 1-8 pre-service teachers (PSTs) to engage in thinking about patterns, relationships, and functional rules. Using the algebraic habit of mind Building Rules to Represent Functions as a framework, we examined whether and how well our PSTs (n = 18) used seven features of this habit of mind: organize…

Developing scholarly thinking using mind maps in graduate nursing education.

PubMed

Kotcherlakota, Suhasini; Zimmerman, Lani; Berger, Ann M

2013-01-01

Two broad issues that beginning graduate nursing students face are identifying a research focus and learning how to organize complex information. Developing a mind map is 1 strategy to help students clarify their thinking and lay the foundation for in-depth expertise related to their research focus, review of the literature, and conceptual framework. The authors discuss their use of mind mapping combined with feedback using a fishbowl technique.

A fuzzy-ontology-oriented case-based reasoning framework for semantic diabetes diagnosis.

PubMed

El-Sappagh, Shaker; Elmogy, Mohammed; Riad, A M

2015-11-01

Case-based reasoning (CBR) is a problem-solving paradigm that uses past knowledge to interpret or solve new problems. It is suitable for experience-based and theory-less problems. Building a semantically intelligent CBR that mimic the expert thinking can solve many problems especially medical ones. Knowledge-intensive CBR using formal ontologies is an evolvement of this paradigm. Ontologies can be used for case representation and storage, and it can be used as a background knowledge. Using standard medical ontologies, such as SNOMED CT, enhances the interoperability and integration with the health care systems. Moreover, utilizing vague or imprecise knowledge further improves the CBR semantic effectiveness. This paper proposes a fuzzy ontology-based CBR framework. It proposes a fuzzy case-base OWL2 ontology, and a fuzzy semantic retrieval algorithm that handles many feature types. This framework is implemented and tested on the diabetes diagnosis problem. The fuzzy ontology is populated with 60 real diabetic cases. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is illustrated with a set of experiments and case studies. The resulting system can answer complex medical queries related to semantic understanding of medical concepts and handling of vague terms. The resulting fuzzy case-base ontology has 63 concepts, 54 (fuzzy) object properties, 138 (fuzzy) datatype properties, 105 fuzzy datatypes, and 2640 instances. The system achieves an accuracy of 97.67%. We compare our framework with existing CBR systems and a set of five machine-learning classifiers; our system outperforms all of these systems. Building an integrated CBR system can improve its performance. Representing CBR knowledge using the fuzzy ontology and building a case retrieval algorithm that treats different features differently improves the accuracy of the resulting systems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Big Robots for Little Kids: Investigating the Role of Scale in Early Childhood Robotics Kits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vizner, Miki Z.

Couch fort and refrigerator box constructions are staples of early childhood play in American culture. Can this this large-scale fantasy type of play be leveraged to facilitate computational thinking? This thesis looks at the ways Kindergarteners (age 5-6) use two variations of the KIBO robotics platform in their play and learning. The first is the standard KIBO kit developed at the DevTech research group at Tufts University and commercialized by Kinderlab robotics. The second, created by the author, is 100 times bigger and can be ridden by children and adults. Specifically this study addresses the research question "How are children's experiences with big-KIBO different from KIBO?" To do so this thesis presents two analytical tools that were assembled conceptually from literature and the authors experiences with KIBO, examined using the data collected in this study, refined, and used as frameworks for understanding the data. They are a developmental model of programming with KIBO and an operationalization of Bers's (2018) powerful ideas of computational thinking when using KIBO. Vignettes from the data are presented and analyzed using these frameworks. Content and structural play themes are extracted from additional vignettes with each robot. In this study there are no clear differences in the ways children engage in computational thinking or develop their ability to program. There appear to be differences in the ways children play with the robots. Suggesting that a larger robot offers new opportunities and pathways for children to engage in computational thinking tasks. This study makes a case for the importance of thinking developmentally about computational thinking. Connections to literature and theory as well as suggestions for future work, both for children and designers, are discussed.

A framework for evaluating the public health impact of e-cigarettes and other vaporized nicotine products.

PubMed

Levy, David T; Cummings, K Michael; Villanti, Andrea C; Niaura, Ray; Abrams, David B; Fong, Geoffrey T; Borland, Ron

2017-01-01

The use of vaporized nicotine products (VNPs), especially e-cigarettes and, to a lesser extent, pressurized aerosol nicotine products and heat-not-burn tobacco products, are being adopted increasingly as an alternative to smoking combusted products, primarily cigarettes. Considerable controversy has accompanied their marketing and use. We propose a framework that describes and incorporates patterns of VNP and combustible cigarette use in determining the total amount of toxic exposure effects on population health. We begin by considering toxicity and the outcomes relevant to population health. We then present the framework and define different measures of VNP use; namely, trial and long-term use for exclusive cigarette smokers, exclusive VNP and dual (cigarette and VNP) use. Using a systems thinking framework and decision theory we considered potential pathways for current, former and never users of VNPs. We then consider the evidence to date and the probable impacts of VNP use on public health, the potential effects of different policy approaches and the possible influence of the tobacco industry on VNP and cigarette use. © 2016 Society for the Study of Addiction.

A Framework for Evaluating the Public Health Impact of E-cigarettes and Other Vaporized Nicotine Products

PubMed Central

Levy, David T.; Cummings, K. Michael; Villanti, Andrea C.; Niaura, Ray; Abrams, David B.; Fong, Geoffrey T.; Borland, Ron

2016-01-01

The use of vaporized nicotine products (VNPs), especially e-cigarettes and to a lesser extent pressurized aerosol nicotine products and heat-not-burn tobacco products, are increasingly being adopted as an alternative to smoking combusted products, primarily cigarettes. Considerable controversy has accompanied their marketing and use. We propose a framework that describes and incorporates patterns of VNP and combustible cigarette use in determining the total amount of toxic exposure effects on population health. We begin by considering toxicity and the outcomes relevant to population health. We then present the framework and define different measures of VNP use, namely, trial and long-term use for exclusive cigarette smokers, exclusive VNP and dual (cigarette and VNP) use. Using a systems thinking framework and decision theory we considered potential pathways for current, former and never users of VNPs. We then consider the evidence to-date and the likely impacts of VNP use on public health, the potential effects of different policy approaches, and the possible influence of the tobacco industry on VNP and cigarette use. PMID:27109256

Generative mechanistic explanation building in undergraduate molecular and cellular biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Southard, Katelyn M.; Espindola, Melissa R.; Zaepfel, Samantha D.; Bolger, Molly S.

2017-09-01

When conducting scientific research, experts in molecular and cellular biology (MCB) use specific reasoning strategies to construct mechanistic explanations for the underlying causal features of molecular phenomena. We explored how undergraduate students applied this scientific practice in MCB. Drawing from studies of explanation building among scientists, we created and applied a theoretical framework to explore the strategies students use to construct explanations for 'novel' biological phenomena. Specifically, we explored how students navigated the multi-level nature of complex biological systems using generative mechanistic reasoning. Interviews were conducted with introductory and upper-division biology students at a large public university in the United States. Results of qualitative coding revealed key features of students' explanation building. Students used modular thinking to consider the functional subdivisions of the system, which they 'filled in' to varying degrees with mechanistic elements. They also hypothesised the involvement of mechanistic entities and instantiated abstract schema to adapt their explanations to unfamiliar biological contexts. Finally, we explored the flexible thinking that students used to hypothesise the impact of mutations on multi-leveled biological systems. Results revealed a number of ways that students drew mechanistic connections between molecules, functional modules (sets of molecules with an emergent function), cells, tissues, organisms and populations.

Looking for Conceptual Frameworks in History: The Accounts of Portuguese 12-13 Year-Old Pupils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barca, Isabel; Castro, Julia; Amaral, Claudia

2010-01-01

A great deal of research in history education has focused on students' ideas about the concepts and methodology of the discipline, which is seen as central to consistent development in historical thinking. Recently, studies of adolescents' conceptual frameworks have highlighted some concerns about the coherence and substance of pictures of the…

Using a Framework for Three Levels of Sense Making in a Mathematics Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moss, Diana L.; Lamberg, Teruni

2016-01-01

This discussion-based lesson is designed to support Year 6 students in their initial understanding of using letters to represent numbers, expressions, and equations in algebra. The three level framework is designed for: (1) making thinking explicit, (2) exploring each other's solutions, and (3) developing new mathematical insights. In each level…

Relational Databases: A Transparent Framework for Encouraging Biology Students to Think Informatically

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, Michael; Gladstone, William; Weir, Michael

2004-01-01

We discuss how relational databases constitute an ideal framework for representing and analyzing large-scale genomic data sets in biology. As a case study, we describe a Drosophila splice-site database that we recently developed at Wesleyan University for use in research and teaching. The database stores data about splice sites computed by a…

Drama in the Key Stage 3 English Framework. Key Stage 3: National Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department for Education and Skills, London (England).

Effective drama teaching improves the following student skills: speaking and listening, reading and writing through developing thinking, communication skills, and critical analysis. Drama is part of young people's core curriculum entitlement in the United Kingdom. It is included in the English Curriculum Orders and in the Key Stage 3 Framework for…

Reading Economics, Thinking Education: The Relevance--and Irrelevance--of Economic Theory for Curriculum Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutkowski, David; Rutkowski, Leslie; Langfeldt, Gjert

2012-01-01

This paper aims to better understand economists' increasingly influential voice to the conversation of schooling and education. It draws on curriculum theory to develop a framework for analysis of current economic research in education. The framework consists of the following tri-partition: the political, the practical, and the programmatical.…

Relevance and Rigor in International Business Teaching: Using the CSA-FSA Matrix

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collinson, Simon C.; Rugman, Alan M.

2011-01-01

We advance three propositions in this paper. First, teaching international business (IB) at any level needs to be theoretically driven, using mainstream frameworks to organize thinking. Second, these frameworks need to be made relevant to the experiences of the students; for example, by using them in case studies. Third, these parameters of rigor…

Environmental toxicology: Interconnections between human ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This presentation will discuss what has made a career in environmental toxicology rewarding, environmental and scientific challenges for the 21st century, paradigm shift in regulatory toxicology, adverse outcome framework, interconnections between human health and ecological integrity, SOT-SETAC Pellston Workshop findings, concepts for systems thinking in environmental toxicology The Eminent Toxicologist Lectures are historically relevant, high-quality presentations appropriate for senior undergraduate students, graduate students, or the scientifically oriented general public. This series of lectures is produced by the SOT Undergraduate Subcommittee of the Education Committee in conjunction with the Eminent Toxicologist Working Group.

Enhancing Higher Order Thinking Skills Among Inservice Science Teachers Via Embedded Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barak, Miri; Dori, Yehudit Judy

2009-10-01

Testing students on higher order thinking skills may reinforce these skills among them. To research this assertion, we developed a graduate course for inservice science teachers in a framework of a “Journal Club”—a hybrid course which combines face-to-face classroom discussions with online activities, interrelating teaching, learning, and assessment. The course involves graduate students in critical evaluation of science education articles and cognitive debates, and tests them on these skills. Our study examined the learning processes and outcomes of 51 graduate students, from three consecutive semesters. Findings indicated that the students’ higher order thinking skills were enhanced in terms of their ability to (a) pose complex questions, (b) present solid opinions, (c) introduce consistent arguments, and (d) demonstrate critical thinking.

The Feasibility of Systems Thinking in Biology Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boersma, Kerst; Waarlo, Arend Jan; Klaassen, Kees

2011-01-01

Systems thinking in biology education is an up and coming research topic, as yet with contrasting feasibility claims. In biology education systems thinking can be understood as thinking backward and forward between concrete biological objects and processes and systems models representing systems theoretical characteristics. Some studies claim that…

Enhancing Systems-Thinking Skills with Modelling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hung, Woei

2008-01-01

Systems thinking is an essential cognitive skill that enables individuals to develop an integrative understanding of a given subject at the conceptual and systemic level. Yet, systems thinking is not usually an innate skill. Helping students develop systems-thinking skills warrants attention from educators. This paper describes a study examining…

Software For Genetic Algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Lui; Bayer, Steve E.

1992-01-01

SPLICER computer program is genetic-algorithm software tool used to solve search and optimization problems. Provides underlying framework and structure for building genetic-algorithm application program. Written in Think C.

Modeling sustainability in renewable energy supply chain systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Fei

This dissertation aims at modeling sustainability of renewable fuel supply chain systems against emerging challenges. In particular, the dissertation focuses on the biofuel supply chain system design, and manages to develop advanced modeling framework and corresponding solution methods in tackling challenges in sustaining biofuel supply chain systems. These challenges include: (1) to integrate "environmental thinking" into the long-term biofuel supply chain planning; (2) to adopt multimodal transportation to mitigate seasonality in biofuel supply chain operations; (3) to provide strategies in hedging against uncertainty from conversion technology; and (4) to develop methodologies in long-term sequential planning of the biofuel supply chain under uncertainties. All models are mixed integer programs, which also involves multi-objective programming method and two-stage/multistage stochastic programming methods. In particular for the long-term sequential planning under uncertainties, to reduce the computational challenges due to the exponential expansion of the scenario tree, I also developed efficient ND-Max method which is more efficient than CPLEX and Nested Decomposition method. Through result analysis of four independent studies, it is found that the proposed modeling frameworks can effectively improve the economic performance, enhance environmental benefits and reduce risks due to systems uncertainties for the biofuel supply chain systems.

An Ethical (Descriptive) Framework for Judgment of Actions and Decisions in the Construction Industry and Engineering-Part I.

PubMed

Alkhatib, Omar J; Abdou, Alaa

2018-04-01

The construction industry is usually characterized as a fragmented system of multiple-organizational entities in which members from different technical backgrounds and moral values join together to develop a particular business or project. The greatest challenge in the construction process for the achievement of a successful practice is the development of an outstanding reputation, which is built on identifying and applying an ethical framework. This framework should reflect a common ethical ground for myriad people involved in this process to survive and compete ethically in today's turbulent construction market. This study establishes a framework for ethical judgment of behavior and actions conducted in the construction process. The framework was primarily developed based on the essential attributes of business management identified in the literature review and subsequently incorporates additional attributes identified to prevent breaches in the construction industry and common ethical values related to professional engineering. The proposed judgment framework is based primarily on the ethical dimension of professional responsibility. The Ethical Judgment Framework consists of descriptive approaches involving technical, professional, administrative, and miscellaneous terms. The framework provides the basis for judging actions as either ethical or unethical. Furthermore, the framework can be implemented as a form of preventive ethics, which would help avoid ethical dilemmas and moral allegations. The framework can be considered a decision-making model to guide actions and improve the ethical reasoning process that would help individuals think through possible implications and consequences of ethical dilemmas in the construction industry.

A Systems Thinking Approach to Engineering Challenges of Military Systems-of-Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

UNCLASSIFIED UNCLLASIFIED A Systems Thinking Approach to Engineering Challenges of Military Systems -of- Systems Pin Chen and Mark...Unewisse Joint & Operations Analysis Division Defence Science and Technology Group DST-Group-TR-3271 ABSTRACT System (s)-of- Systems (SoS...their products and outcomes. This report introduces a systems thinking-based approach, SoS thinking, which offers a language and a thoughtful process

A Soft OR Approach to Fostering Systems Thinking: SODA Maps plus Joint Analytical Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shouhong; Wang, Hai

2016-01-01

Higher order thinking skills are important for managers. Systems thinking is an important type of higher order thinking in business education. This article investigates a soft Operations Research approach to teaching and learning systems thinking. It outlines the integrative use of Strategic Options Development and Analysis maps for visualizing…

Understanding the Earth Systems: Expressions of Dynamic and Cyclic Thinking among University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Batzri, Or; Ben Zvi Assaraf, Orit; Cohen, Carmit; Orion, Nir

2015-01-01

In this two-part study, we examine undergraduate university students' expression of two important system thinking characteristics--dynamic thinking and cyclic thinking--focusing particularly on students of geology. The study was conducted using an Earth systems questionnaire designed to elicit and reflect either dynamic or cyclic thinking. The…

Cognitive pathways and historical research.

PubMed

Sutherland, J A

1997-01-01

The nursing literature is replete with articles detailing the logical reasoning processes required by the individual scientist to implement the rigors of research and theory development. Much less attention has been focused on creative and critical thinking as modes for deriving explanations, inferences, and conclusions essential to science as a product. Historical research, as a particular kind of qualitative research, is dependent on and compatible with such mental strategies as logical, creative, and critical thinking. These strategies depict an intellectual framework for the scientist examining archival data and offer a structure for such inquiry. A model for analyzing historical data delineating the cognitive pathways of logical reasoning, creative processing, and critical thinking is proposed.

Thinking in Pictures as a cognitive account of autism.

PubMed

Kunda, Maithilee; Goel, Ashok K

2011-09-01

We analyze the hypothesis that some individuals on the autism spectrum may use visual mental representations and processes to perform certain tasks that typically developing individuals perform verbally. We present a framework for interpreting empirical evidence related to this "Thinking in Pictures" hypothesis and then provide comprehensive reviews of data from several different cognitive tasks, including the n-back task, serial recall, dual task studies, Raven's Progressive Matrices, semantic processing, false belief tasks, visual search, spatial recall, and visual recall. We also discuss the relationships between the Thinking in Pictures hypothesis and other cognitive theories of autism including Mindblindness, Executive Dysfunction, Weak Central Coherence, and Enhanced Perceptual Functioning.

Towards a Capability Approach to Careers: Applying Amartya Sen's Thinking to Career Guidance and Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Peter J.

2015-01-01

Amartya Sen's capability approach characterizes an individual's well-being in terms of what they are able to be, and what they are able to do. This framework for thinking has many commonalities with the core ideas in career guidance. Sen's approach is abstract and not in itself a complete or explanatory theory, but a case can be…

Using the CLEAN educational resource collection for building three-dimensional lessons to teach the climate system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gold, A. U.; Sullivan, S. M.; Manning, C. L. B.; Ledley, T. S.; Youngman, E.; Taylor, J.; Niepold, F., III; Kirk, K.; Lockwood, J.; Bruckner, M. Z.; Fox, S.

2017-12-01

The impacts of climate change are a critical societal challenge of the 21st century. Educating students about the globally connected climate system is key in supporting the development of mitigation and adaptation strategies. Systems thinking is required for students to understand the complex, dynamic climate systems and the role that humans play within them. The interdisciplinary nature of climate science challenges educators, who often don't have formal training in climate science, to identify resources that are scientifically accurate before weaving them together into units that teach about the climate system. The Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) supports this work by providing over 700 peer-reviewed, classroom-ready resources on climate and energy topics. The resource collection itself provide only limited instructional guidance, so educators need to weave the resources together to build multi-dimensional lessons that develop systems thinking skills. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) science standards encourage educators to teach science in a 3-dimensional approach that trains students in systems thinking. The CLEAN project strives to help educators design NGSS-style, three-dimensional lessons about the climate system. Two approaches are currently being modeled on the CLEAN web portal. The first is described in the CLEAN NGSS "Get Started Guide" which follows a step-by-step process starting with the Disciplinary Core Idea and then interweaves the Cross-Cutting Concepts (CCC) and the Science and Engineering Practices (SEP) based on the teaching strategy chosen for the lesson or unit topic. The second model uses a climate topic as a starting place and the SEP as the guide through a four-step lesson sequence called "Earth Systems Investigations". Both models use CLEAN reviewed lessons as the core activity but provide the necessary framework for classroom implementation. Sample lessons that were developed following these two approaches are provided on the CLEAN web portal (cleanet.org).

TTaPP: Together Take a Pause and Ponder: A Critical Thinking Tool for Exploring the Public/Private Lives of Patients.

PubMed

Kuhnel, Leslie

2018-01-01

The broad use of social networking and user-generated content has increased the online footprint of many individuals. A generation of healthcare professionals have grown up with online search activities as part of their everyday lives. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have given the public new ways to share intimate details about their public and private lives and the lives of their friends and families. As a result, careproviders have the ability to find out more about their patients with just the tap of a key or the click of a mouse. This type of online searching for patient information is known as patient-targeted googling or PTG. This article provides an overview of the emergence of PTG, identifies the potential benefits and possible pitfalls of engaging in PTG, and explores current ethical frameworks that guide decisions about PTG. The article describes the development of a critical thinking tool developed by the Behavioral Health Ethics Committee at CHI Health, that can serve as a best-practice model for other hospitals and health systems. Called TTaPP (Together Take a Pause and Ponder), this tool is designed to help healthcare professionals across settings practice collaborative critical thinking skills as they consider the ethical questions of whether or not to engage in PTG. Finally, this article suggests areas for further study, including ways to prompt collaboration and appropriate documentation by maximizing electronic medical records systems, exploring the effectiveness of the TTaPP tool as a way to promote a culture of collaborative critical thinking practices, and the attitudes of patients and the public regarding PTG. Copyright 2018 The Journal of Clinical Ethics. All rights reserved.

From expert-derived user needs to user-perceived ease of use and usefulness: a two-phase mixed-methods evaluation framework.

PubMed

Boland, Mary Regina; Rusanov, Alexander; So, Yat; Lopez-Jimenez, Carlos; Busacca, Linda; Steinman, Richard C; Bakken, Suzanne; Bigger, J Thomas; Weng, Chunhua

2014-12-01

Underspecified user needs and frequent lack of a gold standard reference are typical barriers to technology evaluation. To address this problem, this paper presents a two-phase evaluation framework involving usability experts (phase 1) and end-users (phase 2). In phase 1, a cross-system functionality alignment between expert-derived user needs and system functions was performed to inform the choice of "the best available" comparison system to enable a cognitive walkthrough in phase 1 and a comparative effectiveness evaluation in phase 2. During phase 2, five quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods are mixed to assess usability: time-motion analysis, software log, questionnaires - System Usability Scale and the Unified Theory of Acceptance of Use of Technology, think-aloud protocols, and unstructured interviews. Each method contributes data for a unique measure (e.g., time motion analysis contributes task-completion-time; software log contributes action transition frequency). The measures are triangulated to yield complementary insights regarding user-perceived ease-of-use, functionality integration, anxiety during use, and workflow impact. To illustrate its use, we applied this framework in a formative evaluation of a software called Integrated Model for Patient Care and Clinical Trials (IMPACT). We conclude that this mixed-methods evaluation framework enables an integrated assessment of user needs satisfaction and user-perceived usefulness and usability of a novel design. This evaluation framework effectively bridges the gap between co-evolving user needs and technology designs during iterative prototyping and is particularly useful when it is difficult for users to articulate their needs for technology support due to the lack of a baseline. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Three contextual frameworks for siblingships: nonlinear thinking, disposition, and phallocentrism.

PubMed

Lament, Claudia

2013-01-01

This discussion of Juliet Mitchell's paper "Siblings: Thinking Theory" places her work within the context of three frameworks: nonlinear thinking, disposition, and phallocentrism. The nonlinear dimension of the developmental process demonstrates how the sibling experience is not static, but rather is subject to a natural transmogrification toward new adaptive forms and meanings that occur over the sequential progress of organizational growth. Secondly, dispositional variables tend to be overlooked in their role in how brothers and sisters engage one another, titrate closeness and separateness, and creatively live out their love, admiration, hate, envy, and rivalry with each other. Sensitivities in dispositional leanings, such as special empathic qualities, may even serve to mitigate sibling turbulence. Lastly, the phallocentricity in Western societies privileges an implicitly male perspective that envisions sibling relationships in terms of threatening competitors, as the common linguistic phrase sibling rivalry suggests. This inflection in culture disregards more-expanding qualities in object relationships and aim-giving strategies that are exchanged in sibling play. These variables are not the sole contributors to the sibling experience, but a sampling of influences both from within and outside the child that affect that experience.

Middle school students' understanding of the natural history of the Earth and life on Earth as a function of deep time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pulling, Azalie Cecile

The purpose of this study was to use deep time, that is geologic time as a mechanism to explore middle school students' understanding of the natural history of the earth and the evolution of life on earth. Geologic time is a logical precursor to middle school students' understanding of biological evolution. This exploratory, mixed model study used qualitative and quantitative methods in each stage of the research to explore sixth grade students, understanding of geologic time, their worldviews (e.g., conceptual ecology), and conceptual change. The study included fifty-nine students in the large group study and four case studies. The primary data collection instrument was the Geologic Timeline Survey. Additional data collection instruments and methods (e.g., concept evaluation statement, journal entries, word associations, interviews, and formal tests) were used to triangulate the study findings. These data were used to create narrative modal profiles of the categories of student thinking that emerged from the large group analysis: Middle School (MS) Scientists (correct science), MS Protoscientists (approaching correct science), MS Prescientists (dinosaur understanding), and MS Pseudoscientists (fundamental religious understanding). Case studies were used to provide a thick description of each category. This study discovered a pattern of student thinking about geologic time that moved along a knowledge continuum from pseudoscience (fundamental creationist understanding) to prescience (everyday-science understanding) to science (correct or approaching correct science). The researcher described the deep-seated misconceptions produced by the prescience thinking level, e.g., dinosaur misconceptions, and cautioned the science education community about using dinosaurs as a glamour-science topic. The most limiting conceptual frameworks found in this study were prescience (a dinosaur focus) and pseudoscience (a fundamental religious focus). An understanding of geologic time as Piaget's system of time (e.g., chronological ordering of events, before and after relationships, duration or evolutionary time) was a necessary conceptual framework for students to develop a scientific understanding of deep time. An examination of students, worldviews and the interface of science and religion indicated that students often successfully applied a demarcation between science and religion in their public thinking (e.g., the formal classroom setting), but in their private thinking, the demarcation was often blurred.

From data to decisions: Processing information, biases, and beliefs for improved management of natural resources and environments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Glynn, Pierre D.; Voinov, Alexey A.; Shapiro, Carl D.; White, Paul A.

2017-01-01

Our different kinds of minds and types of thinking affect the ways we decide, take action, and cooperate (or not). Derived from these types of minds, innate biases, beliefs, heuristics, and values (BBHV) influence behaviors, often beneficially, when individuals or small groups face immediate, local, acute situations that they and their ancestors faced repeatedly in the past. BBHV, though, need to be recognized and possibly countered or used when facing new, complex issues or situations especially if they need to be managed for the benefit of a wider community, for the longer-term and the larger-scale. Taking BBHV into account, we explain and provide a cyclic science-infused adaptive framework for (1) gaining knowledge of complex systems and (2) improving their management. We explore how this process and framework could improve the governance of science and policy for different types of systems and issues, providing examples in the area of natural resources, hazards, and the environment. Lastly, we suggest that an “Open Traceable Accountable Policy” initiative that followed our suggested adaptive framework could beneficially complement recent Open Data/Model science initiatives.

Assessing an Introduction to Systems Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monroe, Martha C.; Plate, Richard R.; Colley, Lara

2015-01-01

This research study investigated the learning outcomes of a brief systems thinking intervention at the undergraduate level. A pre/post experimental design (n = 50) was used to address two primary questions: (1) Can a brief introduction to systems thinking improve students' understanding of systems thinking? and (2) Which teaching method (of…

Critical Thinking in Critical Care: Five Strategies to Improve Teaching and Learning in the Intensive Care Unit.

PubMed

Hayes, Margaret M; Chatterjee, Souvik; Schwartzstein, Richard M

2017-04-01

Critical thinking, the capacity to be deliberate about thinking, is increasingly the focus of undergraduate medical education, but is not commonly addressed in graduate medical education. Without critical thinking, physicians, and particularly residents, are prone to cognitive errors, which can lead to diagnostic errors, especially in a high-stakes environment such as the intensive care unit. Although challenging, critical thinking skills can be taught. At this time, there is a paucity of data to support an educational gold standard for teaching critical thinking, but we believe that five strategies, routed in cognitive theory and our personal teaching experiences, provide an effective framework to teach critical thinking in the intensive care unit. The five strategies are: make the thinking process explicit by helping learners understand that the brain uses two cognitive processes: type 1, an intuitive pattern-recognizing process, and type 2, an analytic process; discuss cognitive biases, such as premature closure, and teach residents to minimize biases by expressing uncertainty and keeping differentials broad; model and teach inductive reasoning by utilizing concept and mechanism maps and explicitly teach how this reasoning differs from the more commonly used hypothetico-deductive reasoning; use questions to stimulate critical thinking: "how" or "why" questions can be used to coach trainees and to uncover their thought processes; and assess and provide feedback on learner's critical thinking. We believe these five strategies provide practical approaches for teaching critical thinking in the intensive care unit.

Critical Thinking in Critical Care: Five Strategies to Improve Teaching and Learning in the Intensive Care Unit

PubMed Central

Chatterjee, Souvik; Schwartzstein, Richard M.

2017-01-01

Critical thinking, the capacity to be deliberate about thinking, is increasingly the focus of undergraduate medical education, but is not commonly addressed in graduate medical education. Without critical thinking, physicians, and particularly residents, are prone to cognitive errors, which can lead to diagnostic errors, especially in a high-stakes environment such as the intensive care unit. Although challenging, critical thinking skills can be taught. At this time, there is a paucity of data to support an educational gold standard for teaching critical thinking, but we believe that five strategies, routed in cognitive theory and our personal teaching experiences, provide an effective framework to teach critical thinking in the intensive care unit. The five strategies are: make the thinking process explicit by helping learners understand that the brain uses two cognitive processes: type 1, an intuitive pattern-recognizing process, and type 2, an analytic process; discuss cognitive biases, such as premature closure, and teach residents to minimize biases by expressing uncertainty and keeping differentials broad; model and teach inductive reasoning by utilizing concept and mechanism maps and explicitly teach how this reasoning differs from the more commonly used hypothetico-deductive reasoning; use questions to stimulate critical thinking: “how” or “why” questions can be used to coach trainees and to uncover their thought processes; and assess and provide feedback on learner’s critical thinking. We believe these five strategies provide practical approaches for teaching critical thinking in the intensive care unit. PMID:28157389

Affording Sustainability: Adopting a Theory of Affordances as a Guiding Heuristic for Environmental Policy.

PubMed

Kaaronen, Roope O

2017-01-01

Human behavior is an underlying cause for many of the ecological crises faced in the 21st century, and there is no escaping from the fact that widespread behavior change is necessary for socio-ecological systems to take a sustainable turn. Whilst making people and communities behave sustainably is a fundamental objective for environmental policy, behavior change interventions and policies are often implemented from a very limited non-systemic perspective. Environmental policy-makers and psychologists alike often reduce cognition 'to the brain,' focusing only to a minor extent on how everyday environments systemically afford pro-environmental behavior. Symptomatic of this are the widely prevalent attitude-action, value-action or knowledge-action gaps, understood in this paper as the gulfs lying between sustainable thinking and behavior due to lack of affordances. I suggest that by adopting a theory of affordances as a guiding heuristic, environmental policy-makers are better equipped to promote policies that translate sustainable thinking into sustainable behavior, often self-reinforcingly, and have better conceptual tools to nudge our socio-ecological system toward a sustainable turn. Affordance theory, which studies the relations between abilities to perceive and act and environmental features, is shown to provide a systemic framework for analyzing environmental policies and the ecology of human behavior. This facilitates the location and activation of leverage points for systemic policy interventions, which can help socio-ecological systems to learn to adapt to more sustainable habits. Affordance theory is presented to be applicable and pertinent to technically all nested levels of socio-ecological systems from the studies of sustainable objects and households to sustainable urban environments, making it an immensely versatile conceptual policy tool. Finally, affordance theory is also discussed from a participatory perspective. Increasing the fit between local thinking and external behavior possibilities entails a deep understanding of tacit and explicit attitudes, values, knowledge as well as physical and social environments, best gained via inclusive and polycentric policy approaches.

Affording Sustainability: Adopting a Theory of Affordances as a Guiding Heuristic for Environmental Policy

PubMed Central

Kaaronen, Roope O.

2017-01-01

Human behavior is an underlying cause for many of the ecological crises faced in the 21st century, and there is no escaping from the fact that widespread behavior change is necessary for socio-ecological systems to take a sustainable turn. Whilst making people and communities behave sustainably is a fundamental objective for environmental policy, behavior change interventions and policies are often implemented from a very limited non-systemic perspective. Environmental policy-makers and psychologists alike often reduce cognition ‘to the brain,’ focusing only to a minor extent on how everyday environments systemically afford pro-environmental behavior. Symptomatic of this are the widely prevalent attitude–action, value–action or knowledge–action gaps, understood in this paper as the gulfs lying between sustainable thinking and behavior due to lack of affordances. I suggest that by adopting a theory of affordances as a guiding heuristic, environmental policy-makers are better equipped to promote policies that translate sustainable thinking into sustainable behavior, often self-reinforcingly, and have better conceptual tools to nudge our socio–ecological system toward a sustainable turn. Affordance theory, which studies the relations between abilities to perceive and act and environmental features, is shown to provide a systemic framework for analyzing environmental policies and the ecology of human behavior. This facilitates the location and activation of leverage points for systemic policy interventions, which can help socio–ecological systems to learn to adapt to more sustainable habits. Affordance theory is presented to be applicable and pertinent to technically all nested levels of socio–ecological systems from the studies of sustainable objects and households to sustainable urban environments, making it an immensely versatile conceptual policy tool. Finally, affordance theory is also discussed from a participatory perspective. Increasing the fit between local thinking and external behavior possibilities entails a deep understanding of tacit and explicit attitudes, values, knowledge as well as physical and social environments, best gained via inclusive and polycentric policy approaches. PMID:29176955

Wayfinding the Live 5-2-1-0 Initiative-At the Intersection between Systems Thinking and Community-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention.

PubMed

Amed, Shazhan; Shea, Stephanie; Pinkney, Susan; Wharf Higgins, Joan; Naylor, Patti-Jean

2016-06-21

Childhood obesity is complex and requires a 'systems approach' that collectively engages across multiple community settings. Sustainable Childhood Obesity Prevention through Community Engagement (SCOPE) has implemented Live 5-2-1-0-a multi-sector, multi-component childhood obesity prevention initiative informed by systems thinking and participatory research via an innovative knowledge translation (KT) model (RE-FRAME). This paper describes the protocol for implementing and evaluating RE-FRAME in two 'existing' (>2 years of implementation) and two 'new' Live 5-2-1-0 communities to understand how to facilitate and sustain systems/community-level change. In this mixed-methods study, RE-FRAME was implemented via online resources, webinars, a backbone organization (SCOPE) coordinating the initiative, and a linking system supporting KT. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected using surveys and stakeholder interviews, analyzed using thematic analysis and descriptive statistics, respectively. Existing communities described the consistency of Live 5-2-1-0 and extensive local partnerships/champions as catalysts for synergistic community-wide action; new communities felt that the simplicity of the message combined with the transfer of experiential learning would inform their own strategies and policies/programs to broadly disseminate Live 5-2-1-0. RE-FRAME effectively guided the refinement of the initiative and provided a framework upon which evaluation results described how to implement a community-based systems approach to childhood obesity prevention.

Citizenship as a Verb Teaching Students to "Become Informed, Think It through, and Take Action"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyle-Baise, Marilynne; Bernens-Kinkead, Donna; Coake, Whitney; Loudermilk, Liesl; Lukasik, Diane; Podany, Wendy

2011-01-01

What does it mean to teach meaningful and powerful social studies? What curricular frameworks might be useful to this end? What does vibrant social studies look like in the classroom? The purpose of this article is twofold--to propose a curricular and pedagogical framework for teaching powerful social studies and to illustrate outstanding…

The Role of Anxiety in Seeking and Retaining Risk Information: Testing the Risk Perception Attitude Framework in Two Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Monique Mitchell; Rimal, Rajiv N.; Morrison, Daniel; Kim, Hyojin

2006-01-01

Despite the importance of health information seeking, not all people engage in such behaviors, especially when thinking about the disease is distressing. The focus of this paper is to examine the antecedents of information seeking and retention. Based on individuals' risk perception and efficacy beliefs, the risk perception attitude framework is…

The Failure to Construct Proof Based on Assimilation and Accommodation Framework from Piaget

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Netti, Syukma; Nusantara, Toto; Subanji; Abadyo; Anwar, Lathiful

2016-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the process of a proof construction. It is more specific on the failure of the process. Piaget's frameworks, assimilation and accommodation, were used to analyze it. Method of this research was qualitative method. Data were collected by asking five students working on problems of proof using think aloud…

A Framework for the Development of Mathematical Thinking with Teacher Trainees: The Case of Continuity of Functions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brijlall, Deonarain; Maharaj, Aneshkumar

2011-01-01

Continuity of functions appears throughout the grades in South African high school (FET (further education and training)) topics as prescribed by the final draft of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement. This article reports on the use of a combined framework of APOS (action-process-object-schema) and DCT (dual coding theories) to analyze…

Understanding, Selecting, and Integrating a Theoretical Framework in Dissertation Research: Creating the Blueprint for Your "House"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grant, Cynthia; Osanloo, Azadeh

2014-01-01

The theoretical framework is one of the most important aspects in the research process, yet is often misunderstood by doctoral candidates as they prepare their dissertation research study. The importance of theory-driven thinking and acting is emphasized in relation to the selection of a topic, the development of research questions, the…

The behavioral ecology of cultural psychological variation.

PubMed

Sng, Oliver; Neuberg, Steven L; Varnum, Michael E W; Kenrick, Douglas T

2018-04-23

Recent work has documented a wide range of important psychological differences across societies. Multiple explanations have been offered for why such differences exist, including historical philosophies, subsistence methods, social mobility, social class, climactic stresses, and religion. With the growing body of theory and data, there is an emerging need for an organizing framework. We propose here that a behavioral ecological perspective, particularly the idea of adaptive phenotypic plasticity, can provide an overarching framework for thinking about psychological variation across cultures and societies. We focus on how societies vary as a function of six important ecological dimensions: density, relatedness, sex ratio, mortality likelihood, resources, and disease. This framework can: (a) highlight new areas of research, (b) integrate and ground existing cultural psychological explanations, (c) integrate research on variation across human societies with research on parallel variations in other animal species, (d) provide a way for thinking about multiple levels of culture and cultural change, and (e) facilitate the creation of an ecological taxonomy of societies, from which one can derive specific predictions about cultural differences and similarities. Finally, we discuss the relationships between the current framework and existing perspectives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Indigenous Perspectives and Knowledge Informing Freshwater Management, Planning and Decision Making in Aotearoa-New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harmsworth, G.

2017-12-01

Indigenous Māori have distinct cultural values and perspectives that establish their identity, responsibilities, and rights to manage and use freshwater in New Zealand. Recognition of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi and its principles has culminated in an array of modern legislation, obligations, national policy statements, statutory requirements, holistic frameworks, and approaches that strengthens Māori participation and authority in resource management and environmental decision-making. We briefly explain indigenous Māori frameworks, knowledge, values, and perspectives used to grow indigenous research and capability, enrich western scientific research, and inform freshwater planning, policy, and management. We will discuss some important methods, indicators, and tools that Māori have developed, or are developing, to support environmental assessment and the monitoring and reporting of freshwater ecosystems, particularly to help sustain and enhance customary values and practice. These tools include, for example, the Cultural Health Index, the Wai Ora Wai Māori assessment tool, the mauri compass, the mauri model, Māori wetlands assessment, kaitiaki tools, taonga assessment, which are being used to build Māori capability and capacity in freshwater sciences and management and to provide innovative approaches based on integrative knowledge systems. Many of these indigenous-led initiatives are now being used next to science and technical approaches at local, regional, and national scale in New Zealand to guide policy and help understand complex and dynamic human-environmental interactions. Māori epistemologies provide a holistic worldview well aligned with current international thinking and approaches that stress the importance of systems thinking and understanding interconnections between sub-component parts; exploring the world and universe within holistic, integrative frameworks; taking into account different perspectives, values, and worldviews, measuring progress towards outcomes across multiple goals, i.e. cultural, social, environmental and economic; developing links between human health and ecosystems; and promoting collaborative, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary approaches.

Teaching adults-best practices that leverage the emerging understanding of the neurobiology of learning.

PubMed

Mahan, John D; Stein, David S

2014-07-01

It is important in teaching adults to recognize the essential characteristics of adult learners and how these characteristics define their learning priorities and activities. The seven key premises and practices for teaching adults provide a good guide for those interested in helping adults learn. The emerging science of the neurobiology of learning provides powerful new insights into how learning occurs in the complex integrated neural network that characterizes the adult. Differentiation of the two types of thinking: System 1 (fast, intuitive, and, often, emotional) and System 2 (slower, deliberate, and logical). System 1 thinking helps explain the basis for quick decisions and reliance of humans on heuristics (or rules of thumb) that leads to the type of convenient thinking associated with errors of thinking and judgment. We now know that the learning experience has an objective location-in the temporal and parietal lobes-as persistent dynamic networks of neurons and neuronal connections. Learning is initially stored in transient working memory (relatively limited capacity and time frame) and then moved under the right conditions to more long-lasting/stable memory (with larger capacity) that is stored for future access and development. It is clear that memories are not static and are not destined, once developed, to forever remain as stable constructs; rather, memories are dynamic, always available for modulation and alteration, and heavily invested with context, emotion, and other operant factors. The framework for such neural networks involves new neuronal connections, enhanced neuronal synaptic transmission, and neuron generation. Ten key teaching and learning concepts derived from recent neurobiology studies on learning and memory are presented. As the neurobiology of learning is better defined, the basis for how adults best learn, and even the preferences they display, can be employed as the physiological foundation for our best methods to effectively teach adults and facilitate their learning. Copyright © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ecological and cosmological coexistence thinking in a hypervariable environment: causal models of economic success and failure among farmers, foragers, and fishermen of southwestern Madagascar

PubMed Central

Tucker, Bram; Tsiazonera; Tombo, Jaovola; Hajasoa, Patricia; Nagnisaha, Charlotte

2015-01-01

A fact of life for farmers, hunter-gatherers, and fishermen in the rural parts of the world are that crops fail, wild resources become scarce, and winds discourage fishing. In this article we approach subsistence risk from the perspective of “coexistence thinking,” the simultaneous application of natural and supernatural causal models to explain subsistence success and failure. In southwestern Madagascar, the ecological world is characterized by extreme variability and unpredictability, and the cosmological world is characterized by anxiety about supernatural dangers. Ecological and cosmological causes seem to point to different risk minimizing strategies: to avoid losses from drought, flood, or heavy winds, one should diversify activities and be flexible; but to avoid losses caused by disrespected spirits one should narrow one’s range of behaviors to follow the code of taboos and offerings. We address this paradox by investigating whether southwestern Malagasy understand natural and supernatural causes as occupying separate, contradictory explanatory systems (target dependence), whether they make no categorical distinction between natural and supernatural forces and combine them within a single explanatory system (synthetic thinking), or whether they have separate natural and supernatural categories of causes that are integrated into one explanatory system so that supernatural forces drive natural forces (integrative thinking). Results from three field studies suggest that (a) informants explain why crops, prey, and market activities succeed or fail with reference to natural causal forces like rainfall and pests, (b) they explain why individual persons experience success or failure primarily with supernatural factors like God and ancestors, and (c) they understand supernatural forces as driving natural forces, so that ecology and cosmology represent distinct sets of causes within a single explanatory framework. We expect that future cross-cultural analyses may find that this form of “integrative thinking” is common in unpredictable environments and is a cognitive strategy that accompanies economic diversification. PMID:26528205

Emotion and persuasion: cognitive and meta-cognitive processes impact attitudes.

PubMed

Petty, Richard E; Briñol, Pablo

2015-01-01

This article addresses the multiple ways in which emotions can influence attitudes and persuasion via primary and secondary (meta-) cognition. Using the elaboration likelihood model of persuasion as a guide, we review evidence for five fundamental processes that occur at different points along the elaboration continuum. When the extent of thinking is constrained to be low, emotions influence attitudes by relatively simple processes that lead them to change in a manner consistent with the valence of the emotion. When thinking is constrained to be high, emotions can serve as arguments in favour of a proposal if they are relevant to the merits of the advocacy or they can bias thinking if the emotion precedes the message. If thinking is high and emotions become salient after thinking, they can lead people to rely or not rely on the thoughts generated either because the emotion leads people to like or dislike their thoughts (affective validation) or feel more confident or doubtful in their thoughts (cognitive validation). When thinking is unconstrained, emotions influence the extent of thinking about the persuasive communication. Although prior theories have addressed one or more of these fundamental processes, no other approach has integrated them into one framework.

Does substance misuse moderate the relationship between criminal thinking and recidivism?

PubMed Central

Caudy, Michael S.; Folk, Johanna B.; Stuewig, Jeffrey B.; Wooditch, Alese; Martinez, Andres; Maass, Stephanie; Tangney, June P.; Taxman, Faye S.

2014-01-01

Purpose Some differential intervention frameworks contend that substance use is less robustly related to recidivism outcomes than other criminogenic needs such as criminal thinking. The current study tested the hypothesis that substance use disorder severity moderates the relationship between criminal thinking and recidivism. Methods The study utilized two independent criminal justice samples. Study 1 included 226 drug-involved probationers. Study 2 included 337 jail inmates with varying levels of substance use disorder severity. Logistic regression was employed to test the main and interactive effects of criminal thinking and substance use on multiple dichotomous indicators of recidivism. Results Bivariate analyses revealed a significant correlation between criminal thinking and recidivism in the jail sample (r = .18, p < .05) but no significant relationship in the probation sample. Logistic regressions revealed that SUD symptoms moderated the relationship between criminal thinking and recidivism in the jail-based sample (B = −.58, p < .05). A significant moderation effect was not observed in the probation sample. Conclusions Study findings indicate that substance use disorder symptoms moderate the strength of the association between criminal thinking and recidivism. These findings demonstrate the need for further research into the interaction between various dynamic risk factors. PMID:25598559

Critical Thinking Theory to Practice: Using the Expert's Thought Process as Guide for Learning and Assessment.

PubMed

Marshall, Teresa A; Marchini, Leonardo; Cowen, Howard; Hartshorn, Jennifer E; Holloway, Julie A; Straub-Morarend, Cheryl L; Gratton, David; Solow, Catherine M; Colangelo, Nicholas; Johnsen, David C

2017-08-01

Critical thinking skills are essential for the successful dentist, yet few explicit skillsets in critical thinking have been developed and published in peer-reviewed literature. The aims of this article are to 1) offer an assessable critical thinking teaching model with the expert's thought process as the outcome, learning guide, and assessment instrument and 2) offer three critical thinking skillsets following this model: for geriatric risk assessment, technology decision making, and situation analysis/reflections. For the objective component, the student demonstrates delivery of each step in the thought process. For the subjective component, the student is judged to have grasped the principles as applied to the patient or case. This article describes the framework and the results of pilot tests in which students in one year at this school used the model in the three areas, earning scores of 90% or above on the assessments. The model was thus judged to be successful for students to demonstrate critical thinking skillsets in the course settings. Students consistently delivered each step of the thought process and were nearly as consistent in grasping the principles behind each step. As more critical thinking skillsets are implemented, a reinforcing network develops.

Tracking the dynamics of divergent thinking via semantic distance: Analytic methods and theoretical implications.

PubMed

Hass, Richard W

2017-02-01

Divergent thinking has often been used as a proxy measure of creative thinking, but this practice lacks a foundation in modern cognitive psychological theory. This article addresses several issues with the classic divergent-thinking methodology and presents a new theoretical and methodological framework for cognitive divergent-thinking studies. A secondary analysis of a large dataset of divergent-thinking responses is presented. Latent semantic analysis was used to examine the potential changes in semantic distance between responses and the concept represented by the divergent-thinking prompt across successive response iterations. The results of linear growth modeling showed that although there is some linear increase in semantic distance across response iterations, participants high in fluid intelligence tended to give more distant initial responses than those with lower fluid intelligence. Additional analyses showed that the semantic distance of responses significantly predicted the average creativity rating given to the response, with significant variation in average levels of creativity across participants. Finally, semantic distance does not seem to be related to participants' choices of their own most creative responses. Implications for cognitive theories of creativity are discussed, along with the limitations of the methodology and directions for future research.

The social worker as moral citizen: ethics in action.

PubMed

Manning, S S

1997-05-01

Social workers today face some of the most complex ethical dilemmas in the history of the profession. This article presents a framework of moral citizenship to guide ethical social work practice. The framework includes the action philosophies of philosopher Hannah Arendt and Lutheran theologian Paul Tillich integrated with concepts of professional responsibility and the unique contributions of social work pioneer Charlotte Towle. Social conscience and social consciousness, including awareness, thinking, feeling, and action, are major components of the framework.

Sustainable nanotechnology decision support system: bridging risk management, sustainable innovation and risk governance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subramanian, Vrishali; Semenzin, Elena; Hristozov, Danail; Zabeo, Alex; Malsch, Ineke; McAlea, Eamonn; Murphy, Finbarr; Mullins, Martin; van Harmelen, Toon; Ligthart, Tom; Linkov, Igor; Marcomini, Antonio

2016-04-01

The significant uncertainties associated with the (eco)toxicological risks of engineered nanomaterials pose challenges to the development of nano-enabled products toward greatest possible societal benefit. This paper argues for the use of risk governance approaches to manage nanotechnology risks and sustainability, and considers the links between these concepts. Further, seven risk assessment and management criteria relevant to risk governance are defined: (a) life cycle thinking, (b) triple bottom line, (c) inclusion of stakeholders, (d) risk management, (e) benefit-risk assessment, (f) consideration of uncertainty, and (g) adaptive response. These criteria are used to compare five well-developed nanotechnology frameworks: International Risk Governance Council framework, Comprehensive Environmental Assessment, Streaming Life Cycle Risk Assessment, Certifiable Nanospecific Risk Management and Monitoring System and LICARA NanoSCAN. A Sustainable Nanotechnology Decision Support System (SUNDS) is proposed to better address current nanotechnology risk assessment and management needs, and makes. Stakeholder needs were solicited for further SUNDS enhancement through a stakeholder workshop that included representatives from regulatory, industry and insurance sectors. Workshop participants expressed the need for the wider adoption of sustainability assessment methods and tools for designing greener nanomaterials.

Systems thinking applied to safety during manual handling tasks in the transport and storage industry.

PubMed

Goode, Natassia; Salmon, Paul M; Lenné, Michael G; Hillard, Peter

2014-07-01

Injuries resulting from manual handling tasks represent an on-going problem for the transport and storage industry. This article describes an application of a systems theory-based approach, Rasmussen's (1997. Safety Science 27, 183), risk management framework, to the analysis of the factors influencing safety during manual handling activities in a freight handling organisation. Observations of manual handling activities, cognitive decision method interviews with workers (n=27) and interviews with managers (n=35) were used to gather information about three manual handling activities. Hierarchical task analysis and thematic analysis were used to identify potential risk factors and performance shaping factors across the levels of Rasmussen's framework. These different data sources were then integrated using Rasmussen's Accimap technique to provide an overall analysis of the factors influencing safety during manual handling activities in this context. The findings demonstrate how a systems theory-based approach can be applied to this domain, and suggest that policy-orientated, rather than worker-orientated, changes are required to prevent future manual handling injuries. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An evolving systems-based methodology for healthcare planning.

PubMed

Warwick, Jon; Bell, Gary

2007-01-01

Healthcare planning seems beset with problems at all hierarchical levels. These are caused by the 'soft' nature of many of the issues present in healthcare planning and the high levels of complexity inherent in healthcare services. There has, in recent years, been a move to utilize systems thinking ideas in an effort to gain a better understanding of the forces at work within the healthcare environment and these have had some success. This paper argues that systems-based methodologies can be further enhanced by metrication and modeling which assist in exploring the changed emergent behavior of a system resulting from management intervention. The paper describes the Holon Framework as an evolving systems-based approach that has been used to help clients understand complex systems (in the education domain) that would have application in the analysis of healthcare problems.

Higher Education Provision Using Systems Thinking Approach--Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dhukaram, Anandhi Vivekanandan; Sgouropoulou, Cleo; Feldman, Gerald; Amini, Ardavan

2018-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the complexities involved in higher education provision and how systems thinking and socio-technical systems (STS) thinking approach can be used to understand the education ecosystem. Systems thinking perspective is provided using two case studies: the development of European Learner Mobility (EuroLM)…

Regionalization in the SUS: implementation process, challenges and perspectives in the critical view of system managers.

PubMed

Carvalho, Andre Luis Bonifácio de; Jesus, Washington Luiz Abreu de; Senra, Isabel Maria Vilas Boas

2017-04-01

This article examines the regionalization process in the Brazilian Health System, identifying frameworks and challenges of this process from critical dialogue on the subject, contextualized by the experience of the management system and in the light of an established theoretical debate in the last decade. We used the thematic content analysis of legal and documentary surveys of the regionalization process in SUS, collated by elements of the historical and political context in the period. As evidence, it appears that the regionalization process has been incremental decentralization/deconcentration of management and health actions and services. There are important challenges, particularly in relation to ensuring access and system governance structure, which contributes to critical thinking and construction of new perspectives by those who lead their implementation.

Student teachers' pedagogical content knowledge for teaching systems thinking: effects of different interventions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenkränzer, Frank; Hörsch, Christian; Schuler, Stephan; Riess, Werner

2017-09-01

Systems' thinking has become increasingly relevant not only in education for sustainable development but also in everyday life. Even if teachers know the dynamics and complexity of living systems in biology and geography, they might not be able to effectively explain it to students. Teachers need an understanding of systems and their behaviour (content knowledge), and they also need to know how systems thinking can be fostered in students (pedagogical content knowledge (PCK)). But the effective development of teachers' professional knowledge in teaching systems thinking is empirically uncertain. From a larger study (SysThema) that investigated teaching systems thinking, this article reports the effects of the three different interventions (technical course, didactic course and mixed course) in student teachers' PCK for teaching systems thinking. The results show that student teachers' PCK for teaching systems thinking can be promoted in teacher education. The conclusion to be drawn from our findings is that a technically orientated course without didactical aspects seems to be less effective in fostering student teachers' PCK for teaching systems thinking. The results inform educators in enhancing curricula of future academic track and non-academic track teacher education.

Development of Early Conceptions in Systems Thinking in an Environmental Context: An Exploratory Study of Preschool Students' Understanding of Stocks & Flows, Behavior Over Time and Feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillmeister, Kristina M.

Systems thinking allows learners to look at the world as a series of interconnected parts of a whole. A debate exists in early childhood research literature about whether or not children have the capacity to hold systems thinking conceptions due to the complex thought processing needed for systems thinking. Additionally, many researchers question whether children have enough life experience or cognitive schema to participate fully in systems thinking. However, this study's findings indicate that young children do show signs of more complex understanding in systems thinking than what previous literature suggests a young child has the ability to do. This three part research study was conducted in a universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) classroom in a first-ring suburb of a rust-belt city in the Northeastern United States. The study was grounded in a desire to uncover young children's understanding of systems thinking through everyday classroom activities. Twenty students participated in this qualitative study which utilized read-aloud, water play and the interpretation and creation of graphs through associated structured and semi-structured interviews. Data from student's observations and interviews was transcribed, segmented, coded and analyzed. This student-centered process approach (Gotwals & Alonzo, 2012) allowed for children's ideas to emerge naturally during the research tasks. Data was analyzed according to a three step analysis process using a real-world lens, a systems thinking skills lens, and the development of lower anchors for future learning progressions lens. Across a group of 20 preschool children there was an overarching theme that the ability to think in systems and utilize simple systems thinking tools, such as stock-flow maps, feedback loops and behavior over time graphs, was present. Since children are ready to reason using rudimentary systems thinking, then systems thinking opportunities should be incorporated into their informal and formal learning settings. The knowledge that children have the ability to comprehend basic systems thinking concepts is important to early childhood educators, curriculum developers, teacher preparation programs, professional developers, and standards & policy makers.

Real change in the real world: an achievable goal.

PubMed

Friedman, Robert M

2010-03-01

This commentary builds on the papers presented at the Vanderbilt Conference by emphasizing the importance of better understanding the process of change-making if real change in the real world is to be achieved. The commentary reviews several frameworks and research findings related to achieving large-scale sustainable change that benefits children and families. It calls for the application of systems thinking as a complement to the more micro-level research that was presented at the Vanderbilt conference. Such an approach would have implications for framing of the issue, for the strategies that are taken to try to achieve change, and for research/evaluation methods for studying complex, dynamic, nonlinear systems.

Menstruation, perimenopause, and chaos theory.

PubMed

Derry, Paula S; Derry, Gregory N

2012-01-01

This article argues that menstruation, including the transition to menopause, results from a specific kind of complex system, namely, one that is nonlinear, dynamical, and chaotic. A complexity-based perspective changes how we think about and research menstruation-related health problems and positive health. Chaotic systems are deterministic but not predictable, characterized by sensitivity to initial conditions and strange attractors. Chaos theory provides a coherent framework that qualitatively accounts for puzzling results from perimenopause research. It directs attention to variability within and between women, adaptation, lifespan development, and the need for complex explanations of disease. Whether the menstrual cycle is chaotic can be empirically tested, and a summary of our research on 20- to 40-year-old women is provided.

Outline of a new approach to the analysis of complex systems and decision processes.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zadeh, L. A.

1973-01-01

Development of a conceptual framework for dealing with systems which are too complex or too ill-defined to admit of precise quantitative analysis. The approach outlined is based on the premise that the key elements in human thinking are not numbers, but labels of fuzzy sets - i.e., classes of objects in which the transition from membership to nonmembership is gradual rather than abrupt. The approach in question has three main distinguishing features - namely, the use of so-called 'linguistic' variables in place of or in addition to numerical variables, the characterization of simple relations between variables by conditional fuzzy statements, and the characterization of complex relations by fuzzy algorithms.

Systems-based practice in graduate medical education: systems thinking as the missing foundational construct.

PubMed

Colbert, Colleen Y; Ogden, Paul E; Ownby, Allison R; Bowe, Constance

2011-04-01

Since 2001, residencies have struggled with teaching and assessing systems-based practice (SBP). One major obstacle may be that the competency alone is not sufficient to support assessment. We believe the foundational construct underlying SBP is systems thinking, absent from the current Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education competency language. Systems thinking is defined as the ability to analyze systems as a whole. The purpose of this article is to describe psychometric issues that constrain assessment of SBP and elucidate the role of systems thinking in teaching and assessing SBP. Residency programs should incorporate systems thinking models into their curricula. Trainees should be taught to understand systems at an abstract level, in order to analyze their own healthcare systems, and participate in quality and patient safety activities. We suggest that a developmental trajectory for systems thinking be developed, similar to the model described by Dreyfus and Dreyfus.

Higher education provision using systems thinking approach - case studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhukaram, Anandhi Vivekanandan; Sgouropoulou, Cleo; Feldman, Gerald; Amini, Ardavan

2018-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the complexities involved in higher education provision and how systems thinking and socio-technical systems (STS) thinking approach can be used to understand the education ecosystem. Systems thinking perspective is provided using two case studies: the development of European Learner Mobility (EuroLM) service and the delivery of Enterprise System Management (ESM) course at the Birmingham City University, UK. The case studies present how systems thinking using STS approaches like applied organisational change and Cognitive Work Analysis can be used to capture a conceptual model of the education system for understanding the interactions and relationships between the people, technology, processes and the organisations. Using systems thinking perspective, EuroLM has developed a set of technical standards addressed to the European systems developers and ESM delivery ensures that students communicate and collaborate.

Language in Thinking and Learning: Pedagogy and the New Whorfian Framework.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Penny

1997-01-01

Reviews 12 elements of Whorf's theory complex, particularly the linguistic relativity principle. Shows how the theory illuminates language-mind-experience relationships with applicability to classroom practices. (SK)

Mediating Effects of Positive Thinking and Social Support on Suicide Resilience.

PubMed

Matel-Anderson, Denise M; Bekhet, Abir K; Garnier-Villarreal, Mauricio

2018-02-01

Suicide has been the second leading cause of death for 18- to 24-year-olds in the United States since 2011. The stress experienced by undergraduate college students has the potential to increase one's risk for suicide. Resilience theory was used as a theoretical framework to examine the interplay between risk and protective factors. A cross-sectional and correlational design was used to assess the mediating effects of positive thinking and/or social support on suicide resilience in 131 college students 18 to 24 years old who completed an online survey. The study found an indirect effect of self-esteem on suicide resilience through positive thinking and social support indicating that as self-esteem increases, positive thinking and social support also increase, which leads to an increase in resilience. The study also found a direct effect of self-esteem, positive thinking, and social support on suicide resilience. The findings inform the development of tailored interventions to build suicide resilience in college students.

Using a community of inquiry framework to teach a nursing and midwifery research subject: An evaluative study.

PubMed

Mills, Jane; Yates, Karen; Harrison, Helena; Woods, Cindy; Chamberlain-Salaun, Jennifer; Trueman, Scott; Hitchins, Marnie

2016-08-01

Postgraduate nursing students' negative perceptions about a core research subject at an Australian university led to a revision and restructure of the subject using a Communities of Inquiry framework. Negative views are often expressed by nursing and midwifery students about the research process. The success of evidence-based practice is dependent on changing these views. A Community of Inquiry is an online teaching, learning, thinking, and sharing space created through the combination of three domains-teacher presence (related largely to pedagogy), social presence, and cognitive presence (critical thinking). Evaluate student satisfaction with a postgraduate core nursing and midwifery subject in research design, theory, and methodology, which was delivered using a Communities of Inquiry framework. This evaluative study incorporated a validated Communities of Inquiry survey (n=29) and interviews (n=10) and was conducted at an Australian university. Study participants were a convenience sample drawn from 56 postgraduate students enrolled in a core research subject. Survey data were analysed descriptively and interviews were coded thematically. Five main themes were identified: subject design and delivery; cultivating community through social interaction; application-knowledge, practice, research; student recommendations; and technology and technicalities. Student satisfaction was generally high, particularly in the areas of cognitive presence (critical thinking) and teacher presence (largely pedagogy related). Students' views about the creation of a "social presence" were varied but overall, the framework was effective in stimulating both inquiry and a sense of community. The process of research is, in itself, the creation of a "community of inquiry." This framework showed strong potential for use in the teaching of nurse research subjects; satisfaction was high as students reported learning, not simply the theory and the methods of research, but also how to engage in "doing" research by forging professional and intellectual communities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Collaborative Systems Thinking: A Response to the Problems Faced by Systems Engineering's 'Middle Tier'

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phfarr, Barbara B.; So, Maria M.; Lamb, Caroline Twomey; Rhodes, Donna H.

2009-01-01

Experienced systems engineers are adept at more than implementing systems engineering processes: they utilize systems thinking to solve complex engineering problems. Within the space industry demographics and economic pressures are reducing the number of experienced systems engineers that will be available in the future. Collaborative systems thinking within systems engineering teams is proposed as a way to integrate systems engineers of various experience levels to handle complex systems engineering challenges. This paper uses the GOES-R Program Systems Engineering team to illustrate the enablers and barriers to team level systems thinking and to identify ways in which performance could be improved. Ways NASA could expand its engineering training to promote team-level systems thinking are proposed.

Thinking Like a Lawyer, Thinking Like a Legal System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuart, Richard Clay

2013-01-01

The legal system is the product of lawyers. Lawyers are the product of a specific educational system. Therefore, to understand the legal system, we must first explore how lawyers are trained and conditioned to think. What does it mean to "Think Like a Lawyer?'' This dissertation makes use of autoethnography to explore the experience…

Systems Thinking : Ancient Maya's Evolution of Consciousness and Contemporary Systems Thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jere Lazanski, Tadeja

2010-11-01

Systems thinking as a modern approach for problem solving was revived after WWII even though it had been an ancient philosophy. We can track systems thinking back to antiquity. Making a distinction from Western rationalist traditions of philosophy, C. West Churchman often identified with the I Ching as a systems approach sharing a frame of reference similar to pre-Socratic philosophy and Heraclitus. In this paper, we will compare the evolutionary system of consciousness, which was presented in the Tun calendar of Mayan Indians and contemporary systems theory and systems thinking, which is nothing else but highly evolved human consciousness in society. We will present Mayan calendar systems to contemporary systems thinking principles and explain the answer to the Ackoff's judgment on four hundred years of analytical thinking as the dominant mode of society. We will use the methods of historical comparison and a method of a systems approach. We will point out the big picture and Mayan divine plan as main systems principles. The Mayan numerical system and long count units has been proven as one of the most accurate systems for describing the present and future of the civilization in which we have all evolved. We will also explain the Mayan nine-level pyramids system that represents the evolutionary system, i.e. the consciousness, which in our time shows the actual level of human consciousness. Deriving from all described, we will show the main systems principles, discussed by contemporary systems authors and Mayan systems principles, which differ only in one expression—they named "the big picture" as "the divine plan". The final results can be perfectly applied to the society we live in. Seeing the world from the big picture point of view is reaching a level of awareness, in which linear thinking is replaced by systems thinking. The Mayans explained that the civilization would achieve the system of conscious co-creation. We can claim that linear thinking guides us to a limited consciousness, whereas systems thinking opens the possibilities of conscious co-creation for the benefits of sustainable society and future of the planet.

The application of systems thinking in health: why use systems thinking?

PubMed

Peters, David H

2014-08-26

This paper explores the question of what systems thinking adds to the field of global health. Observing that elements of systems thinking are already common in public health research, the article discusses which of the large body of theories, methods, and tools associated with systems thinking are more useful. The paper reviews the origins of systems thinking, describing a range of the theories, methods, and tools. A common thread is the idea that the behavior of systems is governed by common principles that can be discovered and expressed. They each address problems of complexity, which is a frequent challenge in global health. The different methods and tools are suited to different types of inquiry and involve both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The paper concludes by emphasizing that explicit models used in systems thinking provide new opportunities to understand and continuously test and revise our understanding of the nature of things, including how to intervene to improve people's health.

Teaching Tree-Thinking to Undergraduate Biology Students

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Evolution is the unifying principle of all biology, and understanding how evolutionary relationships are represented is critical for a complete understanding of evolution. Phylogenetic trees are the most conventional tool for displaying evolutionary relationships, and “tree-thinking” has been coined as a term to describe the ability to conceptualize evolutionary relationships. Students often lack tree-thinking skills, and developing those skills should be a priority of biology curricula. Many common student misconceptions have been described, and a successful instructor needs a suite of tools for correcting those misconceptions. I review the literature on teaching tree-thinking to undergraduate students and suggest how this material can be presented within an inquiry-based framework. PMID:21572571

"Orthogonality" in Learning and Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leslie, David

2014-01-01

This chapter proposes a simple framework, "orthogonality," to help clarify what stakeholders think about learning in college, how we assess outcomes, and how clear assessment methods might help increase confidence in returns on investment.

Research and Teaching: The Impact of a Four-Step Laboratory Pedagogical Framework on Biology Students' Perceptions of Laboratory Skills, Knowledge, and Interest in Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaughlin, Jacqueline Shea; Favre, David E.; Weinstein, Suzanne E.; Goedhart, Christine M.

2017-01-01

Authentic undergraduate research laboratory experiences are essential to aid in the implementation of science education reform mandates and to effectively train a new generation of biology students. Here we present assessment data on a unique four-step laboratory pedagogical framework that allows students to develop scientific thinking and…

Developing thinking skill system for modelling creative thinking and critical thinking of vocational high school student

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dewanto, W. K.; Agustianto, K.; Sari, B. E.

2018-01-01

Vocational students must have practical skills in accordance with the purpose of vocational school that creating the skilled graduates according to their field. Graduates of vocational education are required not just as users, but be able to create. Thus requiring critical and creative thinking skills to assist students in generating ideas, analyzing and creating a product of value. Based on this, then this research aims to develop a system to know the level of ability to think critically and creative students, that resulted students can do self-reflection in improving the ability to think critically and creatively as a supporter of practical ability. The system testing using Naïve Bayes Correlation shown an average accuracy of 93.617% in assessing the students’ critical and creative thinking ability. By using modeling with this system will be known level of students’ critical and creative thinking ability, then the output of the system is used to determine the type of innovation in the learning process to improve the critical and creative thinking skills to support the practical skills of students as skilled vocational students.

Nurses' systems thinking competency, medical error reporting, and the occurrence of adverse events: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Hwang, Jee-In; Park, Hyeoun-Ae

2017-12-01

Healthcare professionals' systems thinking is emphasized for patient safety. To report nurses' systems thinking competency, and its relationship with medical error reporting and the occurrence of adverse events. A cross-sectional survey using a previously validated Systems Thinking Scale (STS), was conducted. Nurses from two teaching hospitals were invited to participate in the survey. There were 407 (60.3%) completed surveys. The mean STS score was 54.5 (SD 7.3) out of 80. Nurses with higher STS scores were more likely to report medical errors (odds ratio (OR) = 1.05; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02-1.08) and were less likely to be involved in the occurrence of adverse events (OR = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.93-0.98). Nurses showed moderate systems thinking competency. Systems thinking was a significant factor associated with patient safety. Impact Statement: The findings of this study highlight the importance of enhancing nurses' systems thinking capacity to promote patient safety.

Navy-NGO Coordination for Health-Related HCA Missions: A Suggested Planning Framework

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-11-01

however, on how to work with NCOs in the HCA setting. As a result, there is currendy no systematic frame - work for military-NGO coordination. The...agencies and NGOs, make up a tertiary audience. The issues are framed in a way that reflects the Navy’s current views and thinking, but NGO perspectives...it is written mainly from a Navy-centric perspective. The framing of the issues, in particular, reflects the Navy’s current views and thinking. NGO

Relational databases: a transparent framework for encouraging biology students to think informatically.

PubMed

Rice, Michael; Gladstone, William; Weir, Michael

2004-01-01

We discuss how relational databases constitute an ideal framework for representing and analyzing large-scale genomic data sets in biology. As a case study, we describe a Drosophila splice-site database that we recently developed at Wesleyan University for use in research and teaching. The database stores data about splice sites computed by a custom algorithm using Drosophila cDNA transcripts and genomic DNA and supports a set of procedures for analyzing splice-site sequence space. A generic Web interface permits the execution of the procedures with a variety of parameter settings and also supports custom structured query language queries. Moreover, new analytical procedures can be added by updating special metatables in the database without altering the Web interface. The database provides a powerful setting for students to develop informatic thinking skills.

Relational Databases: A Transparent Framework for Encouraging Biology Students To Think Informatically

PubMed Central

2004-01-01

We discuss how relational databases constitute an ideal framework for representing and analyzing large-scale genomic data sets in biology. As a case study, we describe a Drosophila splice-site database that we recently developed at Wesleyan University for use in research and teaching. The database stores data about splice sites computed by a custom algorithm using Drosophila cDNA transcripts and genomic DNA and supports a set of procedures for analyzing splice-site sequence space. A generic Web interface permits the execution of the procedures with a variety of parameter settings and also supports custom structured query language queries. Moreover, new analytical procedures can be added by updating special metatables in the database without altering the Web interface. The database provides a powerful setting for students to develop informatic thinking skills. PMID:15592597

Towards high performing hospital enterprise systems: an empirical and literature based design framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

dos Santos Fradinho, Jorge Miguel

2014-05-01

Our understanding of enterprise systems (ES) is gradually evolving towards a sense of design which leverages multidisciplinary bodies of knowledge that may bolster hybrid research designs and together further the characterisation of ES operation and performance. This article aims to contribute towards ES design theory with its hospital enterprise systems design (HESD) framework, which reflects a rich multidisciplinary literature and two in-depth hospital empirical cases from the US and UK. In doing so it leverages systems thinking principles and traditionally disparate bodies of knowledge to bolster the theoretical evolution and foundation of ES. A total of seven core ES design elements are identified and characterised with 24 main categories and 53 subcategories. In addition, it builds on recent work which suggests that hospital enterprises are comprised of multiple internal ES configurations which may generate different levels of performance. Multiple sources of evidence were collected including electronic medical records, 54 recorded interviews, observation, and internal documents. Both in-depth cases compare and contrast higher and lower performing ES configurations. Following literal replication across in-depth cases, this article concludes that hospital performance can be improved through an enriched understanding of hospital ES design.

Application of decision science to resilience management in Jamaica Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eaton, Mitchell; Fuller, Angela K.; Johnson, Fred A.; Hare, M. P.; Stedman, Richard C.; Sanderson, E.W.; Solecki, W. D.; Waldman, J.R.; Paris, A. S.

2016-01-01

This book highlights the growing interest in management interventions designed to enhance the resilience of the Jamaica Bay socio-ecological system. Effective management, whether the focus is on managing biological processes or human behavior or (most likely) both, requires decision makers to anticipate how the managed system will respond to interventions (i.e., via predictions or projections). In systems characterized by many interacting components and high uncertainty, making probabilistic predictions is often difficult and requires careful thinking not only about system dynamics, but also about how management objectives are specified and the analytic method used to select the preferred action(s). Developing a clear statement of the problem(s) and articulation of management objectives is often best achieved by including input from managers, scientists and other stakeholders affected by the decision through a process of joint problem framing (Marcot and others 2012; Keeney and others 1990). Using a deliberate, coherent and transparent framework for deciding among management alternatives to best meet these objectives then ensures a greater likelihood for successful intervention. Decision science provides the theoretical and practical basis for developing this framework and applying decision analysis methods for making complex decisions under uncertainty and risk.

Application of systems thinking in health: opportunities for translating theory into practice Comment on "Constraints to applying systems thinking concepts in health systems: a regional perspective from surveying stakeholders in Eastern Mediterranean countries".

PubMed

Malik, Asmat Ullah

2015-03-19

Systems thinking is not a new concept to health system strengthening; however, one question remains unanswered: How policy-makers, system designers and consultants with a system thinking philosophy should act (have acted) as potential change agents in actually gaining opportunities to introduce systems thinking? Development of Comprehensive Multi-Year Plans (cMYPs) for Immunization System is one such opportunity because almost all Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) develop and implement cMYPs every five years. Without building upon examples and showing practical application, the discussions and deliberations on systems thinking may fade away with passage of time. There are opportunities that exist around us in our existing health systems that we can benefit from starting with an incremental approach and generating evidence for longer lasting system-wide changes. © 2015 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Bridging complexity theory and resilience to develop surge capacity in health systems.

PubMed

Therrien, Marie-Christine; Normandin, Julie-Maude; Denis, Jean-Louis

2017-03-20

Purpose Health systems are periodically confronted by crises - think of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, H1N1, and Ebola - during which they are called upon to manage exceptional situations without interrupting essential services to the population. The ability to accomplish this dual mandate is at the heart of resilience strategies, which in healthcare systems involve developing surge capacity to manage a sudden influx of patients. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This paper relates insights from resilience research to the four "S" of surge capacity (staff, stuff, structures and systems) and proposes a framework based on complexity theory to better understand and assess resilience factors that enable the development of surge capacity in complex health systems. Findings Detailed and dynamic complexities manifest in different challenges during a crisis. Resilience factors are classified according to these types of complexity and along their temporal dimensions: proactive factors that improve preparedness to confront both usual and exceptional requirements, and passive factors that enable response to unexpected demands as they arise during a crisis. The framework is completed by further categorizing resilience factors according to their stabilizing or destabilizing impact, drawing on feedback processes described in complexity theory. Favorable order resilience factors create consistency and act as stabilizing forces in systems, while favorable disorder factors such as diversity and complementarity act as destabilizing forces. Originality/value The framework suggests a balanced and innovative process to integrate these factors in a pragmatic approach built around the fours "S" of surge capacity to increase health system resilience.

The Systems Thinking and Curriculum Innovation Project. Technical Report, Part 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mandinach, Ellen B.; Thorpe, Margaret E.

This is the second of two reports on the first year activities and results of the Systems Thinking and Curriculum Innovation Project (STACI), a two-year project which is examining the cognitive demands and consequences of using the STELLA (Structural Thinking Experimental Learning Laboratory with Animation) software to teach systems thinking,…

Developing a systems-based framework of the factors influencing dietary and physical activity behaviours in ethnic minority populations living in Europe - a DEDIPAC study.

PubMed

Holdsworth, Michelle; Nicolaou, Mary; Langøien, Lars Jørun; Osei-Kwasi, Hibbah Araba; Chastin, Sebastien F M; Stok, F Marijn; Capranica, Laura; Lien, Nanna; Terragni, Laura; Monsivais, Pablo; Mazzocchi, Mario; Maes, Lea; Roos, Gun; Mejean, Caroline; Powell, Katie; Stronks, Karien

2017-11-07

Some ethnic minority populations have a higher risk of non-communicable diseases than the majority European population. Diet and physical activity behaviours contribute to this risk, shaped by a system of inter-related factors. This study mapped a systems-based framework of the factors influencing dietary and physical activity behaviours in ethnic minority populations living in Europe, to inform research prioritisation and intervention development. A concept mapping approach guided by systems thinking was used: i. Preparation (protocol and terminology); ii. Generating a list of factors influencing dietary and physical activity behaviours in ethnic minority populations living in Europe from evidence (systematic mapping reviews) and 'eminence' (89 participants from 24 academic disciplines via brainstorming, an international symposium and expert review) and; iii. Seeking consensus on structuring, rating and clustering factors, based on how they relate to each other; and iv. Interpreting/utilising the framework for research and interventions. Similar steps were undertaken for frameworks developed for the majority European population. Seven distinct clusters emerged for dietary behaviour (containing 85 factors) and 8 for physical activity behaviours (containing 183 factors). Four clusters were similar across behaviours: Social and cultural environment; Social and material resources; Psychosocial; and Migration context. Similar clusters of factors emerged in the frameworks for diet and physical activity behaviours of the majority European population, except for 'migration context'. The importance of factors across all clusters was acknowledged, but their relative importance differed for ethnic minority populations compared with the majority population. This systems-based framework integrates evidence from both expert opinion and published literature, to map the factors influencing dietary and physical activity behaviours in ethnic minority groups. Our findings illustrate that innovative research and complex interventions need to be developed that are sensitive to the needs of ethnic minority populations. A systems approach that encompasses the complexity of the inter-related factors that drive behaviours may inform a more holistic public health paradigm to more effectively reach ethnic minorities living in Europe, as well as the majority host population.

Understanding Global Change (UGC) as a Unifying Conceptual Framework for Teaching Ecology: Using UGC in a High School Biology Program to Integrate Earth Science and Biology, and to Demonstrate the Value of Modeling Global Systems in Promoting Conceptual Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levine, J.; Bean, J. R.

2017-12-01

Global change science is ideal for NGSS-informed teaching, but presents a serious challenge to K-12 educators because it is complex and interdisciplinary- combining earth science, biology, chemistry, and physics. Global systems are themselves complex. Adding anthropogenic influences on those systems creates a formidable list of topics - greenhouse effect, climate change, nitrogen enrichment, introduced species, land-use change among them - which are often presented as a disconnected "laundry list" of "facts." This complexity, combined with public and mass-media scientific illiteracy, leaves global change science vulnerable to misrepresentation and politicization, creating additional challenges to teachers in public schools. Ample stand-alone, one-off, online resources, many of them excellent, are (to date) underutilized by teachers in the high school science course taken by most students: biology. The Understanding Global Change project (UGC) from the UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology has created a conceptual framework that organizes, connects, and explains global systems, human and non-human drivers of change in those systems, and measurable changes in those systems. This organization and framework employ core ideas, crosscutting concepts, structure/function relationships, and system models in a unique format that facilitates authentic understanding, rather than memorization. This system serves as an organizing framework for the entire ecology unit of a forthcoming mainstream high school biology program. The UGC system model is introduced up front with its core informational graphic. The model is elaborated, step by step, by adding concepts and processes as they are introduced and explained in each chapter. The informational graphic is thus used in several ways: to organize material as it is presented, to summarize topics in each chapter and put them in perspective, and for review and critical thinking exercises that supplement the usual end-of-chapter lists of key terms.

A Concept Analysis of Systems Thinking.

PubMed

Stalter, Ann M; Phillips, Janet M; Ruggiero, Jeanne S; Scardaville, Debra L; Merriam, Deborah; Dolansky, Mary A; Goldschmidt, Karen A; Wiggs, Carol M; Winegardner, Sherri

2017-10-01

This concept analysis, written by the National Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) RN-BSN Task Force, defines systems thinking in relation to healthcare delivery. A review of the literature was conducted using five databases with the keywords "systems thinking" as well as "nursing education," "nursing curriculum," "online," "capstone," "practicum," "RN-BSN/RN to BSN," "healthcare organizations," "hospitals," and "clinical agencies." Only articles that focused on systems thinking in health care were used. The authors identified defining attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents of systems thinking. Systems thinking was defined as a process applied to individuals, teams, and organizations to impact cause and effect where solutions to complex problems are accomplished through collaborative effort according to personal ability with respect to improving components and the greater whole. Four primary attributes characterized systems thinking: dynamic system, holistic perspective, pattern identification, and transformation. Using the platform provided in this concept analysis, interprofessional practice has the ability to embrace planned efforts to improve critically needed quality and safety initiatives across patients' lifespans and all healthcare settings. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[QUALITY MEASURES IN MEDICINE-- A PLEA FOR NEW, VALUE BASED THINKING].

PubMed

Fisher, Menachem; Wagner, Oded; Keinarl, Talia; Solt, Ido

2015-09-01

Quality is an important and basic conduct of complex systems in general and health systems in particular. Quality is a cornerstone of medicine, necessary in the eyes of the community of consumers, caregivers, and the systems that manage both. In Israel, the Ministry of Health has set the quality issue on the agenda of healthcare organizations in all existing frameworks. In this article we seek to offer an acceptable alternative perspective, in examining the quality of public health. We suggest highlighting the ethical aspect of medical care, while reducing the quantitative monitoring component of existing quality metrics. Relying solely on indices has negative effects that might cause damage. The proposed alternative focuses on the personal responsibility of health care providers, using. values and moral reasonin.

Complexity Studies and Security in the Complex World: An Epistemological Framework of Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mesjasz, Czeslaw

The impact of systems thinking can be found in numerous security-oriented research, beginning from the early works on international system: Pitrim Sorokin, Quincy Wright, first models of military conflict and war: Frederick Lanchester, Lewis F. Richardson, national and military security (origins of RAND Corporation), through development of game theory-based conflict studies, International Relations, classical security studies of Morton A. Kaplan, Karl W. Deutsch [Mesjasz 1988], and ending with contemporary ideas of broadened concepts of security proposed by the Copenhagen School [Buzan et al 1998]. At present it may be even stated that the new military and non-military threats to contemporary complex society, such as low-intensity conflicts, regional conflicts, terrorism, environmental disturbances, etc. cannot be embraced without ideas taken from modern complex systems studies.

Higher order thinking skills competencies required by outcomes-based education from learners.

PubMed

Chabeli, M M

2006-08-01

Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) brought about a significant paradigm shift in the education and training of learners in South Africa. OBE requires a shift from focusing on the teacher input (instruction offerings or syllabuses expressed in terms of content), to focusing on learner outcomes. OBE is moving away from 'transmission' models to constructivistic, learner-centered models that put emphasis on learning as an active process (Nieburh, 1996:30). Teachers act as facilitators and mediators of learning (Norms and Standards, Government Gazette vol 415, no 20844 of 2000). Facilitators are responsible to create the environment that is conducive for learners to construct their own knowledge, skills and values through interaction (Peters, 2000). The first critical cross-field outcome accepted by the South African Qualification Framework (SAQA) is that learners should be able to identify and solve problems by using critical and creative thinking skills. This paper seeks to explore some higher order thinking skills competencies required by OBE from learners such as critical thinking, reflective thinking, creative thinking, dialogic / dialectic thinking, decision making, problem solving and emotional intelligence and their implications in facilitating teaching and learning from the theoretical perspective. The philosophical underpinning of these higher order thinking skills is described to give direction to the study. It is recommended that a study focusing on the assessment of these intellectual concepts be made. The study may be qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods in nature (Creswell 2005).

A meta-analysis of the effects of non-traditional teaching methods on the critical thinking abilities of nursing students.

PubMed

Lee, JuHee; Lee, Yoonju; Gong, SaeLom; Bae, Juyeon; Choi, Moonki

2016-09-15

Scientific framework is important in designing curricula and evaluating students in the field of education and clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of non-traditional educational methods on critical thinking skills. A systematic review approach was applied. Studies published in peer-reviewed journals from January 2001 to December 2014 were searched using electronic databases and major education journals. A meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.2. Reviewing the included studies, the California Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory (CCTDI) and California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) were used to assess the effectiveness of critical thinking in the meta-analysis. The eight CCTDI datasets showed that non- traditional teaching methods (i.e., no lectures) were more effective compared to control groups (standardized mean difference [SMD]: 0.42, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.26-0.57, p < .00001). And six CCTST datasets showed the teaching and learning methods in these studies were also had significantly more effects when compared to the control groups (SMD: 0.29, 95 % CI: 0.10-0.48, p = 0.003). This research showed that new teaching and learning methods designed to improve critical thinking were generally effective at enhancing critical thinking dispositions.

Grade 8 students' capability of analytical thinking and attitude toward science through teaching and learning about soil and its' pollution based on science technology and society (STS) approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boonprasert, Lapisarin; Tupsai, Jiraporn; Yuenyong, Chokchai

2018-01-01

This study reported Grade 8 students' analytical thinking and attitude toward science in teaching and learning about soil and its' pollution through science technology and society (STS) approach. The participants were 36 Grade 8 students in Naklang, Nongbualumphu, Thailand. The teaching and learning about soil and its' pollution through STS approach had carried out for 6 weeks. The soil and its' pollution unit through STS approach was developed based on framework of Yuenyong (2006) that consisted of five stages including (1) identification of social issues, (2) identification of potential solutions, (3) need for knowledge, (4) decision-making, and (5) socialization stage. Students' analytical thinking and attitude toward science was collected during their learning by participant observation, analytical thinking test, students' tasks, and journal writing. The findings revealed that students could gain their capability of analytical thinking. They could give ideas or behave the characteristics of analytical thinking such as thinking for classifying, compare and contrast, reasoning, interpreting, collecting data and decision making. Students' journal writing reflected that the STS class of soil and its' pollution motivated students. The paper will discuss implications of these for science teaching and learning through STS in Thailand.

Applying Structural Systems Thinking to Frame Perspectives on Social Work Innovation.

PubMed

Stringfellow, Erin J

2017-03-01

Innovation will be key to the success of the Grand Challenges Initiative in social work. A structural systems framework based in system dynamics could be useful for considering how to advance innovation. Diagrams using system dynamics conventions were developed to link common themes across concept papers written by social work faculty members and graduate students ( N = 19). Transdisciplinary teams and ethical partnerships with communities and practitioners will be needed to responsibly develop high-quality innovative solutions. A useful next step would be to clarify to what extent factors that could "make or break" these partnerships arise from within versus outside of the field of social work and how this has changed over time. Advancing innovation in social work will mean making decisions in a complex, ever-changing system. Principles and tools from methods that account for complexity, such as system dynamics, can help improve this decision-making process.

Applying Structural Systems Thinking to Frame Perspectives on Social Work Innovation

PubMed Central

Stringfellow, Erin J.

2017-01-01

Objective Innovation will be key to the success of the Grand Challenges Initiative in social work. A structural systems framework based in system dynamics could be useful for considering how to advance innovation. Method Diagrams using system dynamics conventions were developed to link common themes across concept papers written by social work faculty members and graduate students (N = 19). Results Transdisciplinary teams and ethical partnerships with communities and practitioners will be needed to responsibly develop high-quality innovative solutions. A useful next step would be to clarify to what extent factors that could “make or break” these partnerships arise from within versus outside of the field of social work and how this has changed over time. Conclusions Advancing innovation in social work will mean making decisions in a complex, ever-changing system. Principles and tools from methods that account for complexity, such as system dynamics, can help improve this decision-making process. PMID:28298877

Lenguaje y Proceso de Pensamiento (Language and Thought Processes)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rimoldi, H. J. A.

1978-01-01

Thought processes as they are observed during problem solving are discussed. A theoretical framework is designed to establish the correspondence between the tactics the subjects use to solve problems and thinking processes. (NCR)

Working with Systems and Thinking Systemically--Disentangling the Crossed Wires

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Mark

2009-01-01

This article explores two separate traditions that educational psychologists (EPs) in the UK have for working with systems. One of these is "systems work" with organisations such as schools. The other is "systemic thinking" for working with families. Over the years these two traditions, systems work and systemic thinking, have…

Using systems thinking and the Intervention Level Framework to analyse public health planning for complex problems: Otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

PubMed Central

Durham, Jo; Vaughan, Lisa; Willis, Cameron D.

2018-01-01

Background Middle ear disease (otitis media) is endemic among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia and represents an important cause of hearing loss. The disease is the result of a mix of biological, environmental and host risk factors that interact in complex, non-linear ways along a dynamic continuum. As such, it is generally recognised that a holistic, systems approach is required to reverse the high rates of otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The objective of this paper is to examine the alignment between efforts designed to address otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Queensland, Australia and core concepts of systems thinking. This paper’s overall purpose is to identify which combination of activities, and at which level, hold the potential to facilitate systems changes to better support ear health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Methods We began with a review of documents identified in consultation with stakeholders and an online search. In addition, key informants were invited to participate in an online survey and a face-to-face or phone interview. Qualitative interviews using a semi-structured interview guide were used to explore survey responses in more depth. We also undertook interviews at the community level to elicit a diverse range of views. Ideas, statements or activities reported in the documents and interviews as being performed under the Intervention Level Framework were identified using qualitative thematic and content analysis. A quantitative descriptive analysis was also undertaken, whereby data was extracted into an Excel spreadsheet and coded under the relevant strategic directions and performance indicators of the Framework. Subsequently, we coded activities against the five-level intervention framework developed by Malhi and colleagues, that is: 1) paradigm; 2) goals; 3) system structure; 4) feedback and delays; and 5) structural elements. Results Overall, twenty documents were reviewed. We examined surveys and interviews with six key informants. Twenty-four individual and 3 group interviews were conducted across central and community level informants. One hundred and four items were coded from the 20 documents and 156 items from interview data. For both data sets, the majority of activities were coded at the structural elements level. The results suggested three key areas where further work is needed to drive sustained improvements: 1) build the governance structures needed for paradigm shift to achieve a multi-sectoral approach; 2) develop shared system level goals; 3) develop system-wide feedback processes. Conclusions Sustained progress in improving ear health within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children requires a holistic, system-wide approach. To advance such work, governance structures for multi-sectoral collaboration including the development of joint goals and monitoring and feedback are required. Intervening at these higher leverage points could have a profound effect on persistent public health issues. PMID:29561891

Using systems thinking and the Intervention Level Framework to analyse public health planning for complex problems: Otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

PubMed

Durham, Jo; Schubert, Lisa; Vaughan, Lisa; Willis, Cameron D

2018-01-01

Middle ear disease (otitis media) is endemic among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia and represents an important cause of hearing loss. The disease is the result of a mix of biological, environmental and host risk factors that interact in complex, non-linear ways along a dynamic continuum. As such, it is generally recognised that a holistic, systems approach is required to reverse the high rates of otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The objective of this paper is to examine the alignment between efforts designed to address otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Queensland, Australia and core concepts of systems thinking. This paper's overall purpose is to identify which combination of activities, and at which level, hold the potential to facilitate systems changes to better support ear health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. We began with a review of documents identified in consultation with stakeholders and an online search. In addition, key informants were invited to participate in an online survey and a face-to-face or phone interview. Qualitative interviews using a semi-structured interview guide were used to explore survey responses in more depth. We also undertook interviews at the community level to elicit a diverse range of views. Ideas, statements or activities reported in the documents and interviews as being performed under the Intervention Level Framework were identified using qualitative thematic and content analysis. A quantitative descriptive analysis was also undertaken, whereby data was extracted into an Excel spreadsheet and coded under the relevant strategic directions and performance indicators of the Framework. Subsequently, we coded activities against the five-level intervention framework developed by Malhi and colleagues, that is: 1) paradigm; 2) goals; 3) system structure; 4) feedback and delays; and 5) structural elements. Overall, twenty documents were reviewed. We examined surveys and interviews with six key informants. Twenty-four individual and 3 group interviews were conducted across central and community level informants. One hundred and four items were coded from the 20 documents and 156 items from interview data. For both data sets, the majority of activities were coded at the structural elements level. The results suggested three key areas where further work is needed to drive sustained improvements: 1) build the governance structures needed for paradigm shift to achieve a multi-sectoral approach; 2) develop shared system level goals; 3) develop system-wide feedback processes. Sustained progress in improving ear health within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children requires a holistic, system-wide approach. To advance such work, governance structures for multi-sectoral collaboration including the development of joint goals and monitoring and feedback are required. Intervening at these higher leverage points could have a profound effect on persistent public health issues.

Systems Thinking: A New Lens for Old Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bierema, Laura L.

2003-01-01

This article introduces systems thinking and identifies its implications for practice-based learning and improvement. The article defines systems, identifies fundamental aspects of systems thinking, and provides strategies for creating more practice-based learning environments in medical contexts. (Contains 1 table.)

Teaching Systems Thinking in the Context of the Water Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Tammy D.; Gail Jones, M.; Chesnutt, Katherine

2017-06-01

Complex systems affect every part of our lives from the ecosystems that we inhabit and share with other living organisms to the systems that supply our water (i.e., water cycle). Evaluating events, entities, problems, and systems from multiple perspectives is known as a systems thinking approach. New curriculum standards have made explicit the call for teaching with a systems thinking approach in our science classrooms. However, little is known about how elementary in-service or pre-service teachers understand complex systems especially in terms of systems thinking. This mixed methods study investigated 67 elementary in-service teachers' and 69 pre-service teachers' knowledge of a complex system (e.g., water cycle) and their knowledge of systems thinking. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sub-sample of participants. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of content assessment data and questionnaires were conducted. Results from this study showed elementary in-service and pre-service teachers applied different levels of systems thinking from novice to intermediate. Common barriers to complete systems thinking were identified with both in-service and pre-service teachers and included identifying components and processes, recognizing multiple interactions and relationships between subsystems and hidden dimensions, and difficulty understanding the human impact on the water cycle system.

Subtracting "ought" from "is": descriptivism versus normativism in the study of human thinking.

PubMed

Elqayam, Shira; Evans, Jonathan St B T

2011-10-01

We propose a critique of normativism, defined as the idea that human thinking reflects a normative system against which it should be measured and judged. We analyze the methodological problems associated with normativism, proposing that it invites the controversial "is-ought" inference, much contested in the philosophical literature. This problem is triggered when there are competing normative accounts (the arbitration problem), as empirical evidence can help arbitrate between descriptive theories, but not between normative systems. Drawing on linguistics as a model, we propose that a clear distinction between normative systems and competence theories is essential, arguing that equating them invites an "is-ought" inference: to wit, supporting normative "ought" theories with empirical "is" evidence. We analyze in detail two research programmes with normativist features - Oaksford and Chater's rational analysis and Stanovich and West's individual differences approach - demonstrating how, in each case, equating norm and competence leads to an is-ought inference. Normativism triggers a host of research biases in the psychology of reasoning and decision making: focusing on untrained participants and novel problems, analyzing psychological processes in terms of their normative correlates, and neglecting philosophically significant paradigms when they do not supply clear standards for normative judgement. For example, in a dual-process framework, normativism can lead to a fallacious "ought-is" inference, in which normative responses are taken as diagnostic of analytic reasoning. We propose that little can be gained from normativism that cannot be achieved by descriptivist computational-level analysis, illustrating our position with Hypothetical Thinking Theory and the theory of the suppositional conditional. We conclude that descriptivism is a viable option, and that theories of higher mental processing would be better off freed from normative considerations.

Optimizing information flow in small genetic networks. IV. Spatial coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sokolowski, Thomas R.; Tkačik, Gašper

2015-06-01

We typically think of cells as responding to external signals independently by regulating their gene expression levels, yet they often locally exchange information and coordinate. Can such spatial coupling be of benefit for conveying signals subject to gene regulatory noise? Here we extend our information-theoretic framework for gene regulation to spatially extended systems. As an example, we consider a lattice of nuclei responding to a concentration field of a transcriptional regulator (the input) by expressing a single diffusible target gene. When input concentrations are low, diffusive coupling markedly improves information transmission; optimal gene activation functions also systematically change. A qualitatively different regulatory strategy emerges where individual cells respond to the input in a nearly steplike fashion that is subsequently averaged out by strong diffusion. While motivated by early patterning events in the Drosophila embryo, our framework is generically applicable to spatially coupled stochastic gene expression models.

A Positive Affective Neuroendocrinology Approach to Reward and Behavioral Dysregulation

PubMed Central

Welker, Keith M.; Gruber, June; Mehta, Pranjal H.

2015-01-01

Emerging lines of research suggest that both testosterone and maladaptive reward processing can modulate behavioral dysregulation. Yet, to date, no integrative account has been provided that systematically explains neuroendocrine function, dysregulation of reward, and behavioral dysregulation in a unified perspective. This is particularly important given specific neuroendocrine systems are potential mechanisms underlying and giving rise to reward-relevant behaviors. In this review, we propose a forward-thinking approach to study the mechanisms of reward and behavioral dysregulation from a positive affective neuroendocrinology (PANE) perspective. This approach holds that testosterone increases reward processing and motivation, which increase the likelihood of behavioral dysregulation. Additionally, the PANE framework holds that reward processing mediates the effects of testosterone on behavioral dysregulation. We also explore sources of potential sex differences and the roles of age, cortisol, and individual differences within the PANE framework. Finally, we discuss future prospects for research questions and methodology in the emerging field of affective neuroendocrinology. PMID:26191007

Twenty-First Century Creativity: An Investigation of How the Partnership for 21st Century Instructional Framework Reflects the Principles of Creativity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guo, Jiajun; Woulfin, Sarah

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to consider how the 21st-century learning framework reflects principles of creativity. This article provides a qualitative analysis of the Partnership for 21st Century's (P21) policy documents, with a specific focus on how the principles of creativity, one of the 4Cs (creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and…

Solving Geometric Problems by Using Algebraic Representation for Junior High School Level 3 in Van Hiele at Geometric Thinking Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suwito, Abi; Yuwono, Ipung; Parta, I. Nengah; Irawati, Santi; Oktavianingtyas, Ervin

2016-01-01

This study aims to determine the ability of algebra students who have 3 levels van Hiele levels. Follow its framework Dindyal framework (2007). Students are required to do 10 algebra shaped multiple choice, then students work 15 about the geometry of the van Hiele level in the form of multiple choice questions. The question has been tested levels…

The "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages," the European Language Portfolio, and Language Teaching/Learning at University: An Argument and Some Proposals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Little, David

2016-01-01

I begin this article by briefly explaining why I think CercleS should encourage university language centres to align their courses and assessment with the proficiency levels of the "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages" (CEFR) and why they should use a version of the European Language Portfolio (ELP) to support the…

Developing a complex systems perspective for medical education to facilitate the integration of basic science and clinical medicine.

PubMed

Aron, David C

2017-04-01

The purpose of medical education is to produce competent and capable professional practitioners who can combine the art and science of medicine. Moreover, this process must prepare individuals to practise in a field in which knowledge is increasing and the contexts in which that knowledge is applied are changing in unpredictable ways. The 'basic sciences' are important in the training of a physician. The goal of basic science training is to learn it in a way that the material can be applied in practice. Much effort has been expended to integrate basic science and clinical training, while adding many other topics to the medical curriculum. This effort has been challenging. The aims of the paper are (1) to propose a unifying conceptual framework that facilitates knowledge integration among all levels of living systems from cell to society and (2) illustrate the organizing principles with two examples of the framework in action - cybernetic systems (with feedback) and distributed robustness. Literature related to hierarchical and holarchical frameworks was reviewed. An organizing framework derived from living systems theory and spanning the range from molecular biology to health systems management was developed. The application of cybernetic systems to three levels (regulation of pancreatic beta cell production of insulin, physician adjustment of medication for glycaemic control and development and action of performance measures for diabetes care) was illustrated. Similarly distributed robustness was illustrated by the DNA damage response system and principles underlying patient safety. Each of the illustrated organizing principles offers a means to facilitate the weaving of basic science and clinical medicine throughout the course of study. The use of such an approach may promote systems thinking, which is a core competency for effective and capable medical practice. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Managing Multiplicity: Conceptualizing Physician Cognition in Multipatient Environments.

PubMed

Chan, Teresa M; Mercuri, Mathew; Van Dewark, Kenneth; Sherbino, Jonathan; Schwartz, Alan; Norman, Geoff; Lineberry, Matthew

2018-05-01

Emergency physicians (EPs) regularly manage multiple patients simultaneously, often making time-sensitive decisions around priorities for multiple patients. Few studies have explored physician cognition in multipatient scenarios. The authors sought to develop a conceptual framework to describe how EPs think in busy, multipatient environments. From July 2014 to May 2015, a qualitative study was conducted at McMaster University, using a think-aloud protocol to examine how 10 attending EPs and 10 junior residents made decisions in multipatient environments. Participants engaged in the think-aloud exercise for five different simulated multipatient scenarios. Transcripts from recorded interviews were analyzed inductively, with an iterative process involving two independent coders, and compared between attendings and residents. The attending EPs and junior residents used similar processes to prioritize patients in these multipatient scenarios. The think-aloud processes demonstrated a similar process used by almost all participants. The cognitive task of patient prioritization consisted of three components: a brief overview of the entire cohort of patients to determine a general strategy; an individual chart review, whereby the participant created a functional patient story from information available in a file (i.e., vitals, brief clinical history); and creation of a relative priority list. Compared with residents, the attendings were better able to construct deeper and more complex patient stories. The authors propose a conceptual framework for how EPs prioritize care for multiple patients in complex environments. This study may be useful to teachers who train physicians to function more efficiently in busy clinical environments.

Health Systems Science Curricula in Undergraduate Medical Education: Identifying and Defining a Potential Curricular Framework.

PubMed

Gonzalo, Jed D; Dekhtyar, Michael; Starr, Stephanie R; Borkan, Jeffrey; Brunett, Patrick; Fancher, Tonya; Green, Jennifer; Grethlein, Sara Jo; Lai, Cindy; Lawson, Luan; Monrad, Seetha; O'Sullivan, Patricia; Schwartz, Mark D; Skochelak, Susan

2017-01-01

The authors performed a review of 30 Accelerating Change in Medical Education full grant submissions and an analysis of the health systems science (HSS)-related curricula at the 11 grant recipient schools to develop a potential comprehensive HSS curricular framework with domains and subcategories. In phase 1, to identify domains, grant submissions were analyzed and coded using constant comparative analysis. In phase 2, a detailed review of all existing and planned syllabi and curriculum documents at the grantee schools was performed, and content in the core curricular domains was coded into subcategories. The lead investigators reviewed and discussed drafts of the categorization scheme, collapsed and combined domains and subcategories, and resolved disagreements via group discussion. Analysis yielded three types of domains: core, cross-cutting, and linking. Core domains included health care structures and processes; health care policy, economics, and management; clinical informatics and health information technology; population and public health; value-based care; and health system improvement. Cross-cutting domains included leadership and change agency; teamwork and interprofessional education; evidence-based medicine and practice; professionalism and ethics; and scholarship. One linking domain was identified: systems thinking. This broad framework aims to build on the traditional definition of systems-based practice and highlight the need for medical and other health professions schools to better align education programs with the anticipated needs of the systems in which students will practice. HSS will require a critical investigation into existing curricula to determine the most efficient methods for integration with the basic and clinical sciences.

Emphasizing language and visualization in teaching linear algebra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hannah, John; Stewart, Sepideh; Thomas, Mike

2013-06-01

Linear algebra with its rich theoretical nature is a first step towards advanced mathematical thinking for many undergraduate students. In this paper, we consider the teaching approach of an experienced mathematician as he attempts to engage his students with the key ideas embedded in a second-year course in linear algebra. We describe his approach in both lectures and tutorials, and how he employed visualization and an emphasis on language to encourage conceptual thinking. We use Tall's framework of three worlds of mathematical thinking to reflect on the effect of these activities in students' learning. An analysis of students' attitudes to the course and their test and examination results help to answer questions about the value of such an approach, suggesting ways forward in teaching linear algebra.

What do you mean, 'resilient geomorphic systems'?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thoms, M. C.; Piégay, H.; Parsons, M.

2018-03-01

Resilience thinking has many parallels in the study of geomorphology. Similarities and intersections exist between the scientific discipline of geomorphology and the scientific concept of resilience. Many of the core themes fundamental to geomorphology are closely related to the key themes of resilience. Applications of resilience thinking in the study of natural and human systems have expanded, based on the fundamental premise that ecosystems, economies, and societies must be managed as linked social-ecological systems. Despite geomorphology and resilience sharing core themes, appreciation is limited of the history and development of geomorphology as a field of scientific endeavor by many in the field of resilience, as well as a limited awareness of the foundations of the former in the more recent emergence of resilience. This potentially limits applications of resilience concepts to the study of geomorphology. In this manuscript we provide a collective examination of geomorphology and resilience as a means to conceptually advance both areas of study, as well as to further cement the relevance and importance of not only understanding the complexities of geomorphic systems in an emerging world of interdisciplinary challenges but also the importance of viewing humans as an intrinsic component of geomorphic systems rather than just an external driver. The application of the concepts of hierarchy and scale, fundamental tenets of the study of geomorphic systems, provide a means to overcome contemporary scale-limited approaches within resilience studies. Resilience offers a framework for geomorphology to expand its application into the broader social-ecological domain.

How Radiologists Think: Understanding Fast and Slow Thought Processing and How It Can Improve Our Teaching.

PubMed

van der Gijp, Anouk; Webb, Emily M; Naeger, David M

2017-06-01

Scholars have identified two distinct ways of thinking. This "Dual Process Theory" distinguishes a fast, nonanalytical way of thinking, called "System 1," and a slow, analytical way of thinking, referred to as "System 2." In radiology, we use both methods when interpreting and reporting images, and both should ideally be emphasized when educating our trainees. This review provides practical tips for improving radiology education, by enhancing System 1 and System 2 thinking among our trainees. Copyright © 2017 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Education of Sustainability Engineers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oleschko, K.; Perrier, E.; Tarquis, A. M.

2010-05-01

It's not the same to educate the sustainable engineers as to prepare the engineers of Sustainability. In the latter case all existing methods of inventive creativity (Altshuller, 1988) should be introduced in the teaching and research processes in order to create a culture of innovation at a group. The Theory of Inventing Problem Solving (TRIZ) is based on the pioneer works of Genrich Altshuller (1988) and his associated. Altshuller reviewed over 2 million patents beginning in 1946 (Orlov, 2006) and developed the Laws of Evolution of Technological Systems; An Algorithm for Inventive Problem Solving (ARIZ); forty typical Techniques for Overcoming System Conflicts (TOSC); a system of 76 Standard Approaches to Inventive Problems (Standards) etc. (Fey and Rivin, 1997). Nowadays, "a theory and constructive instrument package for the controlled synthesis of ideas and the focused transformation of the object to be improved" (Orlov, 2006) are used with high efficacy as the teaching and thinking inventive problem-solving methods in some high schools (Barak and Mesika, 2006; Sokoi et al., 2008) as well as a framework for research (Moehrle, 2005) in construction industry (Zhang et al., 2009); chemical engineering (Cortes Robles et al., 2008) etc. In 2005 US Congress passed the innovation act with the intent of increasing research investment (Gupta, 2007), while China had included inventive principles of TRIZ in strategy and decision making structure design (Kai Yang, 2010). The integrating of TRIZ into eco-innovation diminishes the common conflicts between technology and environment (Chang and Chen, 2004). In our presentation we show discuss some examples of future patents elaborated by the master degree students of Queretaro University, Faculty of Engineering, Mexico using TRIZ methods. References 1. Altshuller, G., 1988. Creativity as an Exact Science. Gordon and Breach, New York. 2. Chang, Hsiang-Tang and Chen, Jahau Lewis, 2004. The conflict-problem-solving CAD software integrating TRIZ into eco-innovation. Advances in Engineering Software, 35: 553-566. 3. Cortes Robles, G., Negny, S. and Le Lann, J.M., 2008. Case-based reasoning and TRIZ: A coupling for innovative conception in Chemical Engineering. Chemical Engineering and Processing: Process Intensification, 48 (1): 239-249. 4. Gupta, P., 2007. Real Innovation Commentary. http://www. RealInnovation.com. 5. Kai Yang, 2010. Inventive principles of TRIZ with Chinás 36 strategies. TRIZ J., 1-20. 6. Moehrle, M. G., 2005. What is TRIZ? From conceptual basics to a framework for research. Social Science research Network, http://papers.ssrn.com/sol13/papers.cfm?abstract_id=674062. 7. Orlov, M., 2006. Inventive Thinking through TRIZ. A practical Guide, Springer, Berlin, 351. 8. Zhang, X., Mao, X. and AbouRizk, S.M, 2009. Developing a knowledge management system for improved value engineering practices in the construction industry. Automation in Construction, 18 (6): 777-789. 9. Sokol, A., Oget, D., Sonntag, M. and Khomenko, N., 2008. The development of inventive thinking skills in the upper secondary language classroom. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 3 (1): 34-46.

Where Creativity and Innovation are much Needed Fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loreto, Vittorio

Our societies are being thoroughly transformed by the pervasive role technology is playing in our culture and everyday life. Nowadays the term techno-social systems is adopted to quickly refer to social systems in which the technology entangles, in an original and unpredictable way, cognitive, behavioral, and social aspects of human beings. This revolution does not come without a cost and in our complex world new global challenges always emerge that call for new paradigms and original thinking: climate change, global financial crises, global pandemics, growth of cities, urbanization, and migration patterns. In this framework we progressively face the need to increase the number of people able to imagine original and valuable solutions to sustain large human societies safely and prosperously...

A mathematical view for ordinary differential equation models. Comment on ;Epigenetic game theory: How to compute the epigenetic control of maternal-to-zygotic transition; by Qian Wang et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Guifang

2017-03-01

Qian Wang et al. have written an interesting article to propose a modeling framework named epiGame in this issue of Physics of Life Reviews [1]. The epiGame framework models how the methylation state of paternal and maternal genomes regulates the embryogenesis as an ecological system in which two highly distinct and specialized gametes coordinate through either cooperation or competition, or both, to maximize the fitness of embryos. Qian Wang et al. also provide solid simulation studies and real data analysis to validate the correctness of their epiGame framework. The importance of embryo development and fertility mechanism cannot be overemphasized, hence, I think that the present review by Qian Wang et al. will stand as a useful modeling guide for practicing biologists or researchers in fertility health to quantify how sperms and oocytes interact through epigenetic process to determine embryo development. In addition, it will serve as a source of many important references to work in the reproductive biology field.

Cultural adaptation of preschool PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) curriculum for Pakistani children.

PubMed

Inam, Ayesha; Tariq, Pervaiz N; Zaman, Sahira

2015-06-01

Cultural adaptation of evidence-based programmes has gained importance primarily owing to its perceived impact on the established effectiveness of a programme. To date, many researchers have proposed different frameworks for systematic adaptation process. This article presents the cultural adaptation of preschool Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) curriculum for Pakistani children using the heuristic framework of adaptation (Barrera & Castro, 2006). The study was completed in four steps: information gathering, preliminary adaptation design, preliminary adaptation test and adaptation refinement. Feedbacks on programme content suggested universality of the core programme components. Suggested changes were mostly surface structure: language, presentation of materials, conceptual equivalence of concepts, training needs of implementation staff and frequency of programme delivery. In-depth analysis was done to acquire cultural equivalence. Pilot testing of the outcome measures showed strong internal consistency. The results were further discussed with reference to similar work undertaken in other cultures. © 2014 International Union of Psychological Science.

Insights in public health: systems thinking: basic constructs, application challenges, misuse in health, and how public health leaders can pave the way forward.

PubMed

Canyon, Deon V

2013-12-01

The strengthening of health systems is fundamental to improving health outcomes, crisis preparedness, and our capacity to meet global challenges, such as accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, reducing maternal and child mortality, combating HIV, malaria and other diseases, limiting the effects of a new influenza pandemic, and responding appropriately to climate change. To meet these complex needs, the Association of Schools and Programs in Public Health, the World Health Organization, and the Institute of Medicine promote systems thinking as the only sensible means to respond to issues that greatly exceed the normal capacity of health and medical services. This paper agrees with the application of systems thinking but argues that health organizations have misunderstood and misapplied systems thinking to the extent that the term has become meaningless. This paper presents the basic constructs of systems thinking, explains why systems thinking has been misapplied, examines some misapplications of systems thinking in health, and suggests how the concept can be applied correctly to medicine and public health to achieve the reason it was adopted in the first place.

A reflective lens: applying critical systems thinking and visual methods to ecohealth research.

PubMed

Cleland, Deborah; Wyborn, Carina

2010-12-01

Critical systems methodology has been advocated as an effective and ethical way to engage with the uncertainty and conflicting values common to ecohealth problems. We use two contrasting case studies, coral reef management in the Philippines and national park management in Australia, to illustrate the value of critical systems approaches in exploring how people respond to environmental threats to their physical and spiritual well-being. In both cases, we used visual methods--participatory modeling and rich picturing, respectively. The critical systems methodology, with its emphasis on reflection, guided an appraisal of the research process. A discussion of these two case studies suggests that visual methods can be usefully applied within a critical systems framework to offer new insights into ecohealth issues across a diverse range of socio-political contexts. With this article, we hope to open up a conversation with other practitioners to expand the use of visual methods in integrated research.

Holistic School Leadership: Systems Thinking as an Instructional Leadership Enabler

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaked, Haim; Schechter, Chen

2016-01-01

As instructional leadership involves attempts to understand and improve complex systems, this study explored principals' perceptions regarding possible contributions of systems thinking to instructional leadership. Based on a qualitative analysis, systems thinking was perceived by middle and high school principals to contribute to the following…

Using Systems Thinking to train future leaders in global health.

PubMed

Paxton, Anne; Frost, Laura J

2017-07-09

Systems Thinking provides a useful set of concepts and tools that can be used to train students to be effective and innovative global health leaders in an ever-changing and often chaotic world. This paper describes an experiential, multi-disciplinary curriculum that uses Systems Thinking to frame and analyse global health policies and practices. The curriculum uses case studies and hands-on activities to deepen students' understanding of the following concepts: complex adaptive systems, dynamic complexity, inter-relationships, feedback loops, policy resistance, mental models, boundary critique, leverage points, and multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral, and multi-stakeholder thinking and action. A sample of Systems Thinking tools for analysing global health policies and practices are also introduced.

Health care frames - from Virchow to Obama and beyond: the changing frames in health care and their implications for patient care.

PubMed

Sturmberg, Joachim P; O'Halloran, Di; Colagiuri, Ruth; Fernandez, Ana; Lukersmith, Sue; Torkfar, Ghazal; Salvador-Carulla, Luis

2014-12-01

Framing allows us to highlight some aspects of an issue, thereby bringing them to the forefront of our thinking, talking and acting. As a consequence, framing also distracts our attention away from other issues. Over time, health care has used various frames to explain its activities. This paper traces the emergence of various health care frames since the 1850s to better understand how we reached current ways of thinking and practicing. The succession of the most prominent frames can be summarized as: medicine as a social science; the germ theory of disease; health care as a battleground (or the war metaphor); managing health care resources (or the market metaphor); Health for All (the social justice model); evidence-based medicine; and Obama Care. The focus of these frames is causal, instrumental, political/economic or social in nature. All remain relevant; however, recycling individual past frames in response to current problems will not achieve the outcomes we seek. Placing the individual and his/her needs at the centre (the attractor for the health system) of our thinking, as emphasized by the World Health Organization's International Classification of Function framework and the European Society of Person Centered Health Care, may provide the frame to refocus health and health care as interdependent experiences across individual, community and societal domains. Shifting beyond the entrenched instrumental and economic thinking will be challenging but necessary for the sake of patients, health professionals, society and the economy. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Beyond the edge: Linking agricultural landscapes, stream networks, and best management practices

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kreiling, Rebecca M.; Thoms, Martin C.; Richardson, William B.

2018-01-01

Despite much research and investment into understanding and managing nutrients across agricultural landscapes, nutrient runoff to freshwater ecosystems is still a major concern. We argue there is currently a disconnect between the management of watershed surfaces (agricultural landscape) and river networks (riverine landscape). These landscapes are commonly managed separately, but there is limited cohesiveness between agricultural landscape-focused research and river science, despite similar end goals. Interdisciplinary research into stream networks that drain agricultural landscapes is expanding but is fraught with problems. Conceptual frameworks are useful tools to order phenomena, reveal patterns and processes, and in interdisciplinary river science, enable the joining of multiple areas of understanding into a single conceptual–empirical structure. We present a framework for the interdisciplinary study and management of agricultural and riverine landscapes. The framework includes components of an ecosystems approach to the study of catchment–stream networks, resilience thinking, and strategic adaptive management. Application of the framework is illustrated through a study of the Fox Basin in Wisconsin, USA. To fully realize the goal of nutrient reduction in the basin, we suggest that greater emphasis is needed on where best management practices (BMPs) are used within the spatial context of the combined watershed–stream network system, including BMPs within the river channel. Targeted placement of BMPs throughout the riverine landscape would increase the overall buffering capacity of the system to nutrient runoff and thus its resilience to current and future disturbances.

Control Theory Perspective of Effects-Based Thinking and Operations: Modelling Operations as a Feedback Control System

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-01

Control Theory Perspective of Effects-Based Thinking and Operations Modelling “Operations” as a Feedback Control System Philip S. E... Theory Perspective of Effects-Based Thinking and Operations Modelling “Operations” as a Feedback Control System Philip S. E. Farrell...Abstract This paper explores operations that involve effects-based thinking (EBT) using Control Theory techniques in order to highlight the concept’s

Systems thinking.

PubMed

Cabrera, Derek; Colosi, Laura; Lobdell, Claire

2008-08-01

Evaluation is one of many fields where "systems thinking" is popular and is said to hold great promise. However, there is disagreement about what constitutes systems thinking. Its meaning is ambiguous, and systems scholars have made diverse and divergent attempts to describe it. Alternative origins include: von Bertalanffy, Aristotle, Lao Tsu or multiple aperiodic "waves." Some scholars describe it as synonymous with systems sciences (i.e., nonlinear dynamics, complexity, chaos). Others view it as taxonomy-a laundry list of systems approaches. Within so much noise, it is often difficult for evaluators to find the systems thinking signal. Recent work in systems thinking describes it as an emergent property of four simple conceptual patterns (rules). For an evaluator to become a "systems thinker", he or she need not spend years learning many methods or nonlinear sciences. Instead, with some practice, one can learn to apply these four simple rules to existing evaluation knowledge with transformative results.

Thinking through health capacity development for Fragile States.

PubMed

Mark, Annabelle; Jones, Mike

2013-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to consider capacity development for healthcare in Fragile States and its roles, for example, in securing civil and political stability, as well as improved health, within the various contexts prevailing in fragile settings across the world. As a precursor to this, however, it is important to understand how, in rapidly changing environments, the role and contribution of different donors will have an impact in different ways. This paper sets out to interpret these issues, and what becomes apparent is the need to develop an understanding of the value base of donors, which we demonstrate through the development of a value-based framework. This highlights the separate motivations and choices made by donors, but what is apparent is that all remain within the positivist perspective perhaps for reasons of accountability and transparency. However, the emergence of new interpretations drawing on systems thinking, and followed by complexity theory more recently, in understanding contexts, suggests that the favouring of any one of these perspective can be counterproductive, without a consideration of the contexts in which they occur. In seeking an explanation of these environmental contexts, which also address the perspectives in use, we suggest the use of wider multi-ontology sense-making framework such as Cynefin. Through this approach, analytical insights can be given into the interpretation, decision and intervention processes available in these different and often changing environments, thus enabling greater coherence between donor values and recipient contexts. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Elaborating on systems thinking in health promotion practice.

PubMed

Naaldenberg, Jenneken; Vaandrager, Lenneke; Koelen, Maria; Wagemakers, Anne-Marie; Saan, Hans; de Hoog, Kees

2009-03-01

Health and well-being are the result of a series of complex processes in which an individual interacts with other people and the environment. A systematic approach ensures incorporation of individual, ecological, social and political factors. However, interactions between these factors can be overlooked within a systematical approach. A systemic approach can provide additional information by incorporating interactions and communication. The opportunities of a systems thinking perspective for health promotion were investigated for this paper. Although others have also made attempts to explore systems thinking in the field of health promotion, the implications of systems thinking in practice need attention. Other fields such as agricultural extension studies, organizational studies and development studies provide useful experiences with the use of a systems thinking perspective in practice. Building on experiences from these fields, we give a theoretical background in which processes of social learning and innovation play an important role. From this background, we derive an overview of important concepts for the practical application of a systems thinking perspective. These concepts are the structure of the system, meanings attached to actions, and power relations between actors. To make these concepts more explicit and reduce the theoretical character of systems thinking, we use an illustration to elaborate on these concepts in practice. For this purpose, we describe a health promotion partnership in The Netherlands using the concepts structure, meaning and power relations. We show how a systems perspective increases insight in the functioning of a partnership and how this can facilitate processes of social learning and innovation. This article concludes by identifying future opportunities and challenges in adopting systems thinking for health promotion practice. A systems perspective towards health promotion can help projects reaching a more integral and sustainable approach in which the complex nature of health promotion processes is supported. Practical applications of systems thinking are necessary to adapt this perspective.

A model of "integrated scientific method" and its application for the analysis of instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusbult, Craig Francis

A model of 'integrated scientific method' (ISM) was constructed as a framework for describing the process of science in terms of activities (formulating a research problem, and inventing and evaluating actions--such as selecting and inventing theories, evaluating theories, designing experiments, and doing experiments--intended to solve the problem) and evaluation criteria (empirical, conceptual, and cultural-personal). Instead of trying to define the scientific method, ISM is intended to serve as a flexible framework that--by varying the characteristics of its components, their integrated relationships, and their relative importance can be used to describe a variety of scientific methods, and a variety of perspectives about what constitutes an accurate portrayal of scientific methods. This framework is outlined visually and verbally, followed by an elaboration of the framework and my own views about science, and an evaluation of whether ISM can serve as a relatively neutral framework for describing a wide range of science practices and science interpretations. ISM was used to analyze an innovative, guided inquiry classroom (taught by Susan Johnson, using Genetics Construction Kit software) in which students do simulated scientific research by solving classical genetics problems that require effect-to-cause reasoning and theory revision. The immediate goal of analysis was to examine the 'science experiences' of students, to determine how the 'structure of instruction' provides opportunities for these experiences. Another goal was to test and improve the descriptive and analytical utility of ISM. In developing ISM, a major objective was to make ISM educationally useful. A concluding discussion includes controversies about "the nature of science" and how to teach it, how instruction can expand opportunities for student experience, and how goal-oriented intentional learning (using ISM might improve the learning, retention, and transfer of thinking skills. Potential educational applications of ISM could involve its use for instructional analysis or design, or for teaching students in the classroom; or ISM and IDM (a closely related, generalized 'integrated design method') could play valuable roles in a 'wide spiral' curriculum designed for the coordinated teaching of thinking skills, including creativity and critical thinking, across a wide range of subjects.

On some limits of hypothetical thinking.

PubMed

Elqayam, Shira; Handley, Simon J; Evans, Jonathan St B T; Bacon, Alison M

2008-05-01

Faced with extreme demands, hypothetical thinking runs the danger of total failure. Paradoxical propositions such as the Liar ("I am lying") provide an opportunity to test it to its limits, while the Liar's nonparadoxical counterpart, the Truthteller ("I am telling the truth"), provides a useful comparison. Two experiments are reported, one with abstract materials ("If I am a knave then I live in Emerald City") and one with belief-laden materials (a judge says: "If I am a knave then I enjoy pop music"). In both experiments, conditionals with Truthteller-type antecedents were "collapsed" to responses of conditional probability closely resembling estimates of control items. Liar-type antecedents, in contrast, dramatically weakened belief in conditionals in which they were embedded. The results are discussed in the framework of the theory of hypothetical thinking.

Entering into dialogue about the mathematical value of contextual mathematising tasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Caroline; Chin, Sze Looi; Moala, John Griffith; Choy, Ban Heng

2018-03-01

Our project seeks to draw attention to the rich mathematical thinking that is generated when students work on contextual mathematising tasks. We use a design-based research approach to create ways of reporting that raise the visibility of this rich mathematical thinking while retaining and respecting its complexity. These reports will be aimed for three classroom stakeholders: (1) students, who wish to reflect on and enhance their mathematical learning; (2) teachers, who wish to integrate contextual mathematising tasks into their teaching practice and (3) researchers, who seek rich tasks for generating observable instances of mathematical thinking and learning. We anticipate that these reports and the underlying theoretical framework for creating them will contribute to greater awareness of and appreciation for the mathematical value of contextual mathematising tasks in learning, teaching and research.

Document co-citation analysis to enhance transdisciplinary research

PubMed Central

Trujillo, Caleb M.; Long, Tammy M.

2018-01-01

Specialized and emerging fields of research infrequently cross disciplinary boundaries and would benefit from frameworks, methods, and materials informed by other fields. Document co-citation analysis, a method developed by bibliometric research, is demonstrated as a way to help identify key literature for cross-disciplinary ideas. To illustrate the method in a useful context, we mapped peer-recognized scholarship related to systems thinking. In addition, three procedures for validation of co-citation networks are proposed and implemented. This method may be useful for strategically selecting information that can build consilience about ideas and constructs that are relevant across a range of disciplines. PMID:29308433

Transformations in Air Transportation Systems For the 21st Century

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holmes, Bruce J.

2004-01-01

Globally, our transportation systems face increasingly discomforting realities: certain of the legacy air and ground infrastructures of the 20th century will not satisfy our 21st century mobility needs. The consequence of inaction is diminished quality of life and economic opportunity for those nations unable to transform from the 20th to 21st century systems. Clearly, new thinking is required regarding business models that cater to consumers value of time, airspace architectures that enable those new business models, and technology strategies for innovating at the system-of-networks level. This lecture proposes a structured way of thinking about transformation from the legacy systems of the 20th century toward new systems for the 21st century. The comparison and contrast between the legacy systems of the 20th century and the transformed systems of the 21st century provides insights into the structure of transformation of air transportation. Where the legacy systems tend to be analog (versus digital), centralized (versus distributed), and scheduled (versus on-demand) for example, transformed 21st century systems become capable of scalability through technological, business, and policy innovations. Where air mobility in our legacy systems of the 20th century brought economic opportunity and quality of life to large service markets, transformed air mobility of the 21st century becomes more equitable available to ever-thinner and widely distributed populations. Several technological developments in the traditional aircraft disciplines as well as in communication, navigation, surveillance and information systems create new foundations for 21st thinking about air transportation. One of the technological developments of importance arises from complexity science and modern network theory. Scale-free (i.e., scalable) networks represent a promising concept space for modeling airspace system architectures, and for assessing network performance in terms of robustness, resilience, and other metrics. The lecture offers an air transportation system topology and a scale-free network linkage graphic as framework for transportation system innovation. Successful outcomes of innovation in air transportation could lay the foundations for new paradigms for aircraft and their operating capabilities, air transportation system topologies, and airspace architectures and procedural concepts. These new paradigms could support scalable alternatives for the expansion of future air mobility to more consumers in more parts of the world.

Systems 1 and 2 thinking processes and cognitive reflection testing in medical students

PubMed Central

Tay, Shu Wen; Ryan, Paul; Ryan, C Anthony

2016-01-01

Background Diagnostic decision-making is made through a combination of Systems 1 (intuition or pattern-recognition) and Systems 2 (analytic) thinking. The purpose of this study was to use the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) to evaluate and compare the level of Systems 1 and 2 thinking among medical students in pre-clinical and clinical programs. Methods The CRT is a three-question test designed to measure the ability of respondents to activate metacognitive processes and switch to System 2 (analytic) thinking where System 1 (intuitive) thinking would lead them astray. Each CRT question has a correct analytical (System 2) answer and an incorrect intuitive (System 1) answer. A group of medical students in Years 2 & 3 (pre-clinical) and Years 4 (in clinical practice) of a 5-year medical degree were studied. Results Ten percent (13/128) of students had the intuitive answers to the three questions (suggesting they generally relied on System 1 thinking) while almost half (44%) answered all three correctly (indicating full analytical, System 2 thinking). Only 3–13% had incorrect answers (i.e. that were neither the analytical nor the intuitive responses). Non-native English speaking students (n = 11) had a lower mean number of correct answers compared to native English speakers (n = 117: 1.0 s 2.12 respectfully: p < 0.01). As students progressed through questions 1 to 3, the percentage of correct System 2 answers increased and the percentage of intuitive answers decreased in both the pre-clinical and clinical students. Conclusions Up to half of the medical students demonstrated full or partial reliance on System 1 (intuitive) thinking in response to these analytical questions. While their CRT performance has no claims to make as to their future expertise as clinicians, the test may be used in helping students to understand the importance of awareness and regulation of their thinking processes in clinical practice. PMID:28344696

Systems 1 and 2 thinking processes and cognitive reflection testing in medical students.

PubMed

Tay, Shu Wen; Ryan, Paul; Ryan, C Anthony

2016-10-01

Diagnostic decision-making is made through a combination of Systems 1 (intuition or pattern-recognition) and Systems 2 (analytic) thinking. The purpose of this study was to use the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) to evaluate and compare the level of Systems 1 and 2 thinking among medical students in pre-clinical and clinical programs. The CRT is a three-question test designed to measure the ability of respondents to activate metacognitive processes and switch to System 2 (analytic) thinking where System 1 (intuitive) thinking would lead them astray. Each CRT question has a correct analytical (System 2) answer and an incorrect intuitive (System 1) answer. A group of medical students in Years 2 & 3 (pre-clinical) and Years 4 (in clinical practice) of a 5-year medical degree were studied. Ten percent (13/128) of students had the intuitive answers to the three questions (suggesting they generally relied on System 1 thinking) while almost half (44%) answered all three correctly (indicating full analytical, System 2 thinking). Only 3-13% had incorrect answers (i.e. that were neither the analytical nor the intuitive responses). Non-native English speaking students (n = 11) had a lower mean number of correct answers compared to native English speakers (n = 117: 1.0 s 2.12 respectfully: p < 0.01). As students progressed through questions 1 to 3, the percentage of correct System 2 answers increased and the percentage of intuitive answers decreased in both the pre-clinical and clinical students. Up to half of the medical students demonstrated full or partial reliance on System 1 (intuitive) thinking in response to these analytical questions. While their CRT performance has no claims to make as to their future expertise as clinicians, the test may be used in helping students to understand the importance of awareness and regulation of their thinking processes in clinical practice.

Focusing the lens: The infant's point of view. Discussion of "Brief interventions with parents, infants, and young children: A Framework for thinking".

PubMed

Jordan, Brigid

2011-11-01

This is a discussion of the article "Brief Interventions With Parents, Infants, and Young Children: A Framework for Thinking by Louise Emmanuel." Questions of symptom formation, the difference between a defense and developmental phenomena, and different therapeutic techniques are explored from the perspective of The Baby as Subject (an infant-parent psychotherapy approach developed at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia). The relationship between feeding difficulties and the dynamics of the infant-parent attachment relationship are discussed with reference to whether the infant's apparent self-sufficiency is interpersonally generated and whether bids for autonomy are a sign of healthy, age-appropriate developmental drives at play. The use of representational toys in infant-parent psychotherapy to enable infants and toddlers to represent their experience or for the therapist to visually express what he or she understands the infant's experience to be and thus to work directly with the infant's representations is outlined. In addition to the linguistic content of verbal interpretations, the infant is receptive to the experience of another thinking mind and the emotional language, facial expressions, and gestures that also convey to the baby the experience of being understood or misunderstood. Copyright © 2011 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Panarchy use in environmental science for risk and resilience ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Environmental sciences have an important role in informing sustainable management of built environments by providing insights about the drivers and potentially negative impacts of global environmental change. Here, we discuss panarchy theory, a multi-scale hierarchical concept that accounts for the dynamism of complex socio-ecological systems, especially for those systems with strong cross-scale feedbacks. The idea of panarchy underlies much of system resilience, focusing on how systems respond to known and unknown threats. Panarchy theory can provide a framework for qualitative and quantitative research and application in the environmental sciences, which can in turn inform the ongoing efforts in socio-technical resilience thinking and adaptive and transformative approaches to management. The environmental sciences strive for understanding, mitigating and reversing the negative impacts of global environmental change, including chemical pollution, to maintain sustainability options for the future, and therefore play an important role for informing management.

Teaching Higher Order Thinking in the Introductory MIS Course: A Model-Directed Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shouhong; Wang, Hai

2011-01-01

One vision of education evolution is to change the modes of thinking of students. Critical thinking, design thinking, and system thinking are higher order thinking paradigms that are specifically pertinent to business education. A model-directed approach to teaching and learning higher order thinking is proposed. An example of application of the…

Infusing Systems Thinking into Career Counseling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryan, Charles W.; Tomlin, James H.

2010-01-01

This study examined the role of career counselors in infusing systems thinking into occupational advising. The authors conducted a qualitative review and analysis of selected literature on systems thinking and analyzed trends for adaptation to career counseling practice. This analysis suggests that career counselors need to infuse systems…

A Framework for Fundamental Change in the Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorenzo, Albert L.; LeCroy, Nancy Armes

1994-01-01

Examines the underlying forces prompting fundamental change in community colleges to meet the requirements of the Information Age. Recommends that community colleges direct institutional energy toward thinking holistically, streamlining governance, redefining faculty roles, diversifying funding, increasing student options, assuring educational…

Imagination and Experience: An Integrative Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fettes, Mark

2013-01-01

Three variations of experience identified in the educational literature entail different ways of thinking about and developing learners' imaginations. The relationship between these different imaginative modes resembles shifts between different kinds of understanding in Kieran Egan's theory of imaginative development. From this theoretical…

Emotionally Intelligent Interventions for Students with Reading Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pellitteri, John; Dealy, Michael; Fasano, Charles; Kugler, John

2006-01-01

The construct of emotional intelligence provides a framework for understanding emotional processes in students with reading disabilities. The components of emotional intelligence include the perception of emotions, emotional facilitation of thinking, emotional knowledge, and emotional regulation. This article examines underlying affective…

Examination of the Computational Thinking Skills of Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korucu, Agah Tugrul; Gencturk, Abdullah Tarik; Gundogdu, Mustafa Mucahit

2017-01-01

Computational thinking is generally considered as a kind of analytical way of thinking. According to Wings (2008) it shares with mathematical thinking, engineering thinking and scientific thinking in the general ways in which we may use for solving a problem, designing and evaluating complex systems or understanding computability and intelligence…

Thinking shift on health systems: from blueprint health programmes towards resilience of health systems Comment on "Constraints to applying systems thinking concepts in health systems: A regional perspective from surveying stakeholders in Eastern Mediterranean countries".

PubMed

Blanchet, Karl

2015-03-03

International health is still highly dominated by equilibrium approaches. The emergence of systems thinking in international health provides a great avenue to develop innovative health interventions adapted to changing contexts. The public health community, nevertheless, has the responsibility to translate concepts related to systems thinking and complexity into concrete research methods and interventions. One possibility is to consider the properties of systems such as resilience and adaptability as entry points to better understand how health systems react to shocks. © 2015 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

How to Develop Critical Thinking Skills Within the Armys Officer Education System (OES) Earlier in an Officer’s Career

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-13

thinking emerges.”31 Military leaders should minimize bureaucracy when possible in an attempt to facilitate creative thinking . Consequently, a...AIR WAR COLLEGE AIR UNIVERSITY HOW TO DEVELOP CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS WITHIN THE ARMY’S OFFICER EDUCTION SYSTEM (OES) EARLIER IN AN...Force Dragon’s Heart.” iv Abstract Critical thinking skills are required by strategic leaders to solve complex problems in an environment

Understanding Global Change: Frameworks and Models for Teaching Systems Thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bean, J. R.; Mitchell, K.; Zoehfeld, K.; Oshry, A.; Menicucci, A. J.; White, L. D.; Marshall, C. R.

2017-12-01

The scientific and education communities must impart to teachers, students, and the public an understanding of how the various factors that drive climate and global change operate, and why the rates and magnitudes of these changes related to human perturbation of Earth system processes today are cause for deep concern. Even though effective educational modules explaining components of the Earth and climate system exist, interdisciplinary learning tools are necessary to conceptually link the causes and consequences of global changes. To address this issue, the Understanding Global Change Project at the University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) at UC Berkeley developed an interdisciplinary framework that organizes global change topics into three categories: (1) causes of climate change, both human and non-human (e.g., burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, Earth's tilt and orbit), (2) Earth system processes that shape the way the Earth works (e.g., Earth's energy budget, water cycle), and (3) the measurable changes in the Earth system (e.g., temperature, precipitation, ocean acidification). To facilitate student learning about the Earth as a dynamic, interacting system, a website will provide visualizations of Earth system models and written descriptions of how each framework topic is conceptually linked to other components of the framework. These visualizations and textual summarizations of relationships and feedbacks in the Earth system are a unique and crucial contribution to science communication and education, informed by a team of interdisciplinary scientists and educators. The system models are also mechanisms by which scientists can communicate how their own work informs our understanding of the Earth system. Educators can provide context and relevancy for authentic datasets and concurrently can assess student understanding of the interconnectedness of global change phenomena. The UGC resources will be available through a web-based platform and scalable professional development programming to facilitate systemic changes in the teaching and learning about climate and global change. We are establishing a diverse community of scientists and educators across the country that are using these tools, and plan to create local networks supported by UGC staff and partners.

Ethical preferences for the clinical practice of empowerment social work.

PubMed

Miley, Karla; DuBois, Brenda

2007-01-01

Social workers in health care and mental health benefit from interventions that integrate principles of contextual social work practice with standards for clinical practice. The authors articulate a conceptual framework for the ethical practice of social work that complements the social justice purpose. The sixteen ethical preferences in this framework are the ethics of care, autonomy, power, change, respect, critical thinking, praxis, discourse, critique, justice, contextual practice, inclusion, anti-oppression, advocacy, collaboration, and politicized practice.

Insights in Public Health

PubMed Central

Canyon, Deon V

2013-01-01

The strengthening of health systems is fundamental to improving health outcomes, crisis preparedness, and our capacity to meet global challenges, such as accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, reducing maternal and child mortality, combating HIV, malaria and other diseases, limiting the effects of a new influenza pandemic, and responding appropriately to climate change. To meet these complex needs, the Association of Schools and Programs in Public Health, the World Health Organization, and the Institute of Medicine promote systems thinking as the only sensible means to respond to issues that greatly exceed the normal capacity of health and medical services. This paper agrees with the application of systems thinking but argues that health organizations have misunderstood and misapplied systems thinking to the extent that the term has become meaningless. This paper presents the basic constructs of systems thinking, explains why systems thinking has been misapplied, examines some misapplications of systems thinking in health, and suggests how the concept can be applied correctly to medicine and public health to achieve the reason it was adopted in the first place. PMID:24377080

The Development of Strategic Thinking: Learning to Impact Human Systems in a Youth Activism Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, Reed; Hansen, David

2005-01-01

Human systems, including institutional systems and informal social networks, are a major arena of modern life. We argue that distinct forms of pragmatic reasoning or "strategic thinking" are required to exercise agency within such systems. This article explores the development of strategic thinking in a youth activism program in which young people…

Systems thinking and ethics in public health: a necessary and mutually beneficial partnership.

PubMed

Silva, Diego S; Smith, Maxwell J; Norman, Cameron D

2018-06-13

Systems thinking has emerged as a means of conceptualizing and addressing complex public health problems, thereby challenging more commonplace understanding of problems and corresponding solutions as straightforward explanations of cause and effect. Systems thinking tries to address the complexity of problems through qualitative and quantitative modeling based on a variety of systems theories, each with their own assumptions and, more importantly, implicit and unexamined values. To date, however, there has been little engagement between systems scientists and those working in bioethics and public health ethics. The goal of this paper is to begin to consider what it might mean to combine systems thinking with public health ethics to solve public health challenges. We argue that there is a role for ethics in systems thinking in public health as a means of elucidating implicit assumptions and facilitating ethics debate and dialogue with key stakeholders.

Systems thinking for understanding and predicting regional and local climate change effects on human health & well being: workshop process

EPA Science Inventory

EPA’s Systems Thinking Advisory Team (STAT) was engaged to guide a multi-disciplinary (health officials, modelers, climate change scientists, city planners, ecologists, and architects), multi-agency (EPA, CDC, State and Country officials) team in the use systems thinking, diagram...

An Antagonistic Dialogue about Chaordic Systems Thinking: Part I

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wafler, Toni

2004-01-01

This paper explores the added value of chaordic systems Thinking for organizational renewal, which is defined as transformation instead of reformation. The exploration is presented in the form of an antagonistic dialogue between two "voices," which develop commentaries from distinct theoretical inspirations, namely chaordic systems thinking (CST)…

Assessing System Thinking through Different Concept-Mapping Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brandstadter, Kristina; Harms, Ute; Grossschedl, Jorg

2012-01-01

System thinking is usually investigated by using questionnaires, video analysis, or interviews. Recently, concept-mapping (CM) was suggested as an adequate instrument for analysing students' system thinking. However, there are different ways with which to use this method. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine whether particular…

GMDPtoolbox: A Matlab library for designing spatial management policies. Application to the long-term collective management of an airborne disease

PubMed Central

Aubertot, Jean-Noël; Peyrard, Nathalie; Sabbadin, Régis

2017-01-01

Designing management policies in ecology and agroecology is complex. Several components must be managed together while they strongly interact spatially. Decision choices must be made under uncertainty on the results of the actions and on the system dynamics. Furthermore, the objectives pursued when managing ecological systems or agroecosystems are usually long term objectives, such as biodiversity conservation or sustainable crop production. The framework of Graph-Based Markov Decision Processes (GMDP) is well adapted to the qualitative modeling of such problems of sequential decision under uncertainty. Spatial interactions are easily modeled and integrated control policies (combining several action levers) can be designed through optimization. The provided policies are adaptive, meaning that management actions are decided at each time step (for instance yearly) and the chosen actions depend on the current system state. This framework has already been successfully applied to forest management and invasive species management. However, up to now, no “easy-to-use” implementation of this framework was available. We present GMDPtoolbox, a Matlab toolbox which can be used both for the design of new management policies and for comparing policies by simulation. We provide an illustration of the use of the toolbox on a realistic crop disease management problem: the design of long term management policy of blackleg of canola using an optimal combination of three possible cultural levers. This example shows how GMDPtoolbox can be used as a tool to support expert thinking. PMID:28982151

GMDPtoolbox: A Matlab library for designing spatial management policies. Application to the long-term collective management of an airborne disease.

PubMed

Cros, Marie-Josée; Aubertot, Jean-Noël; Peyrard, Nathalie; Sabbadin, Régis

2017-01-01

Designing management policies in ecology and agroecology is complex. Several components must be managed together while they strongly interact spatially. Decision choices must be made under uncertainty on the results of the actions and on the system dynamics. Furthermore, the objectives pursued when managing ecological systems or agroecosystems are usually long term objectives, such as biodiversity conservation or sustainable crop production. The framework of Graph-Based Markov Decision Processes (GMDP) is well adapted to the qualitative modeling of such problems of sequential decision under uncertainty. Spatial interactions are easily modeled and integrated control policies (combining several action levers) can be designed through optimization. The provided policies are adaptive, meaning that management actions are decided at each time step (for instance yearly) and the chosen actions depend on the current system state. This framework has already been successfully applied to forest management and invasive species management. However, up to now, no "easy-to-use" implementation of this framework was available. We present GMDPtoolbox, a Matlab toolbox which can be used both for the design of new management policies and for comparing policies by simulation. We provide an illustration of the use of the toolbox on a realistic crop disease management problem: the design of long term management policy of blackleg of canola using an optimal combination of three possible cultural levers. This example shows how GMDPtoolbox can be used as a tool to support expert thinking.

Lean thinking in hospitals: is there a cure for the absence of evidence? A systematic review of reviews

PubMed Central

Andersen, Hege; Røvik, Kjell Arne; Ingebrigtsen, Tor

2014-01-01

Objective Lean interventions aim to improve quality of healthcare by reducing waste and facilitate flow in work processes. There is conflicting evidence on the outcomes of lean thinking, with quantitative and qualitative studies often contradicting each other. We suggest that reviewing the literature within the approach of a new contextual framework can deepen our understanding of lean as a quality-improvement method. This article theorises the concept of context by establishing a two-dimensional conceptual framework acknowledging lean as complex social interventions, deployed in different organisational dimensions and domains. The specific aim of the study was to identify factors facilitating intended outcomes from lean interventions, and to understand when and how different facilitators contribute. Design A two-dimensional conceptual framework was developed by combining Shortell's Dimensions of capability with Walshes’ Domains of an intervention. We then conducted a systematic review of lean review articles concerning hospitals, published in the period 2000–2012. The identified lean facilitators were categorised according to the intervention domains and dimensions of capability provided by the framework. Results We provide a framework emphasising context by relating facilitators to domains and dimensions of capability. 23 factors enabling a successful lean intervention in hospitals were identified in the systematic review, where management and a supportive culture, training, accurate data, physicians and team involvement were most frequent. Conclusions In the absence of evidence, the two-dimensional framework, incorporating the context, may prove useful for future research on variation in outcomes from lean interventions. Findings from the review suggest that characteristics and local application of lean, in addition to strategic and cultural capability, should be given further attention in healthcare quality improvement. PMID:24435890

Toward an experimental account of argumentation: the case of the slippery slope and the ad hominem arguments

PubMed Central

Lillo-Unglaube, Marco; Canales-Johnson, Andrés; Navarrete, Gorka; Bravo, Claudio Fuentes

2014-01-01

Argumentation is a crucial component of our lives. Although in the absence of rational debate our legal, political, and scientific systems would not be possible, there is still no integrated area of research on the psychology of argumentation. Furthermore, classical theories of argumentation are normative (i.e., the acceptability of an argument is determined by a set of norms or logical rules), which sometimes creates a dissociation between the theories and people’s behavior. We think the current challenge for psychology is to bring together the cognitive and normative accounts of argumentation. In this article, we exemplify this point by analyzing two cases of argumentative structures experimentally studied in the context of cognitive psychology. Specifically, we focus on the slippery slope argument and the ad hominem argument under the frameworks of Bayesian and pragma-dialectics approaches, respectively. We think employing more descriptive and experimental accounts of argumentation would help Psychology to bring closer the cognitive and normative accounts of argumentation with the final goal of establishing an integrated area of research on the psychology of argumentation. PMID:25566112

Toward an experimental account of argumentation: the case of the slippery slope and the ad hominem arguments.

PubMed

Lillo-Unglaube, Marco; Canales-Johnson, Andrés; Navarrete, Gorka; Bravo, Claudio Fuentes

2014-01-01

Argumentation is a crucial component of our lives. Although in the absence of rational debate our legal, political, and scientific systems would not be possible, there is still no integrated area of research on the psychology of argumentation. Furthermore, classical theories of argumentation are normative (i.e., the acceptability of an argument is determined by a set of norms or logical rules), which sometimes creates a dissociation between the theories and people's behavior. We think the current challenge for psychology is to bring together the cognitive and normative accounts of argumentation. In this article, we exemplify this point by analyzing two cases of argumentative structures experimentally studied in the context of cognitive psychology. Specifically, we focus on the slippery slope argument and the ad hominem argument under the frameworks of Bayesian and pragma-dialectics approaches, respectively. We think employing more descriptive and experimental accounts of argumentation would help Psychology to bring closer the cognitive and normative accounts of argumentation with the final goal of establishing an integrated area of research on the psychology of argumentation.

Applying Evolutionary Thinking to the Study of Emotion

PubMed Central

Weisfeld, Glenn E.; Goetz, Stefan M. M.

2013-01-01

This paper argues for invoking evolutionary, functional thinking in analyzing emotions. It suggests that the fitness needs of normal individuals be kept in mind when trying to understand emotional behavior. This point of view is elaborated in sections addressing these topics: defining emotion; applying comparative analysis to the study of emotions; focusing on the elicitors and resulting motivated behaviors mediated by the various affects; recognizing that not all emotions have prominent, distinct facial expressions; acknowledging all of the basic emotions and not just some exemplars; crediting the more sensible Cannon-Bard theory over James-Lange; recognizing the more ancient, fundamental role of the limbic system in emotion compared with that of the neocortex; and analyzing socio-emotional interactions as they occur naturally, not just individual emotional behavior studied under artificial conditions. Describing the various facets and neuroendocrine mechanisms of each basic emotion can provide a framework for understanding the normal and pathological development of each emotion. Such an inventory, or ethogram, would provide a comprehensive list of all of the observable behavioral tendencies of our species. PMID:25379244

Child rearing in the "risk" society: on the discourse of rights and the "best interests of a child".

PubMed

Smeyers, Paul

2010-01-01

Due to a number of radical changes in society, the role of parents in the upbringing of their children has been redefined. In this essay, Paul Smeyers argues that "risk" thinking, and the technologization that goes with it in the context of child rearing, naturally leads to the rights discourse, but that thinking about the relation between parents and children in terms of rights confronts one with a number of insurmountable problems. The concept of the "best interests of a child" that is often invoked is, to say the least, not at all clear. Smeyers contends that while the discourse of rights is clearly important and relevant insofar as the relation between parents and the state are discussed, it impoverishes our understanding of relations of family members when used as an all-inclusive framework in that context. Therefore, he concludes that we must surpass the totalizing tendency of the transformation of the social realm into a system, of defining the relation between parents and children in technical terms, and of holding parents liable for their children's upbringing.

Challenges in scaling up biofuels infrastructure.

PubMed

Richard, Tom L

2010-08-13

Rapid growth in demand for lignocellulosic bioenergy will require major changes in supply chain infrastructure. Even with densification and preprocessing, transport volumes by mid-century are likely to exceed the combined capacity of current agricultural and energy supply chains, including grain, petroleum, and coal. Efficient supply chains can be achieved through decentralized conversion processes that facilitate local sourcing, satellite preprocessing and densification for long-distance transport, and business models that reward biomass growers both nearby and afar. Integrated systems that are cost-effective and energy-efficient will require new ways of thinking about agriculture, energy infrastructure, and rural economic development. Implementing these integrated systems will require innovation and investment in novel technologies, efficient value chains, and socioeconomic and policy frameworks; all are needed to support an expanded biofuels infrastructure that can meet the challenges of scale.

Global-to-local policy transfer in the introduction of new molecular tuberculosis diagnostics in South Africa.

PubMed

Colvin, C J; Leon, N; Wills, C; van Niekerk, M; Bissell, K; Naidoo, P

2015-11-01

Lack of innovation in diagnostics has contributed to tuberculosis (TB) remaining a global health challenge. It is critical to understand how new diagnostic technologies are translated into policies and how these are implemented. To examine policy transfer for two rapid molecular diagnostic tests, GenoType(®) MDRTBplus and Xpert(®) MTB/RIF, to understand policy development, uptake and implementation in South Africa. A policy transfer analysis framework integrating the key dimensions of policy transfer into one coherent model was used. Two phases of key informant interviews were undertaken with a wide range of stakeholders. Both tests were developed through innovative partnerships and responded to urgent public health needs. GenoType was introduced through a process that was more inclusive than that for Xpert. National policy and planning processes were opaque for both tests. Their implementation, maintenance and expansion suffered from poor communication and coordination, insufficient attention to resource implications, technical challenges and a lack of broader health systems thinking. Our analysis identified the risks and benefits of partnerships for technological innovation, the complex intersections between global and national actors and the impact of health systems on policy transfer, and the risks of rescue- and technology-focused thinking in addressing public health challenges.

Mixing Decks: Frameworks for Master's Scholarship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bamber, Veronica

2015-01-01

Postgraduate taught education in universities is under-researched compared to research on undergraduate learning and teaching. This results in two missed opportunities: making evidence-informed improvements to postgraduate taught education and integrating such improvements into thinking and practice. A commitment to evidence-informed improvement…

Highway Funding: It's Time to Think Seriously About Operations. A Policy Framework

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-09-01

This report describes the results of a major data gathering effort aimed at tracking deployment of nine infrastructure components of the metropolitan ITS infrastructure in 78 of the largest metropolitan areas in the nation. The nine components are: F...

Workplace Literacy: From Survival to Empowerment and Human Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhoder, Carol A.; French, Joyce N.

1994-01-01

Describes an effective literacy program in two hospitals, which benefited both the employer and employee by empowering participants to solve problems, think critically and creatively, and make decisions. Discusses criteria for effective workplace literacy programs, the program's framework, and program evaluation. (RS)

Student Learning: Education's Field of Dreams.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackwell, Peggy L.

2003-01-01

Discusses seven research-based benchmarks providing a framework for the student-learning-focused reform of teacher education: knowledge and understanding based on previous experience, usable content knowledge, transfer of learning/the learning context, strategic thinking, motivation and affect, development and individual differences, and standards…

Designing the framework for competency-based master of public health programs in India.

PubMed

Sharma, Kavya; Zodpey, Sanjay; Morgan, Alison; Gaidhane, Abhay; Syed, Zahiruddin Quazi; Kumar, Rajeev

2013-01-01

Competency in the practice of public health is the implicit goal of education institutions that offer master of public health (MPH) programs. With the expanding number of institutions offering courses in public health in India, it is timely to develop a common framework to ensure that graduates are proficient in critical public health. Steps such as situation assessment, survey of public health care professionals in India, and national consultation were undertaken to develop a proposed competency-based framework for MPH programs in India. The existing curricula of all 23 Indian MPH courses vary significantly in content with regard to core, concentration, and crosscutting discipline areas and course durations. The competency or learning outcome is not well defined. The findings of the survey suggest that MPH graduates in India should have competencies ranging from monitoring of health problems and epidemics in the community, applying biostatistics in public health, conducting action research, understanding social and community influence on public health developing indicators and instruments to monitor and evaluate community health programs, developing proposals, and involving community in planning, delivery, and monitoring of health programs. Competency statements were framed and mapped with domains including epidemiology, biostatistics, social and behavioral sciences, health care system, policy, planning, and financing, and environmental health sciences and a crosscutting domain that include health communication and informatics, health management and leadership, professionalism, systems thinking, and public health biology. The proposed competency-based framework for Indian MPH programs can be adapted to meet the needs of diverse, unique programs. The framework ensures the uniqueness and diversity of individual MPH programs in India while contributing to measures of overall program success.

Exploring the link between environmental identity, behaviors and decision making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freed, Allison

This study was conducted with undergraduate students at a large university to investigate the association between environmental identity, pro-environmental behaviors and environmental decision-making. This study explored how environmental identity as defined by Clayton (2003) influenced the type of pro-environmental behaviors individuals choose to participate in. Environmental decision-making based on Kahneman's (2003, 2011) System 1 and System 2 framework was also assessed in association with environmental identity. A survey including the Environmental Identity Survey (Clayton, 2003), the Environmentally Responsible Behaviors Index (Smith-Sebasto & D'Acosta, 1995), and a Decision Making Questionnaire were administered. After administering the surveys, eight participants were chosen for a 60-minute interview. The quantitative results of the study showed there was a significant relationship between environmental identity and participating in environmental behaviors more often. There was also a significant relation between environmental identity and making the decision to recycle in a fast and automatic way. The interview results showed that participants with both a strong and a weak environmental identity recycled often and thought it was a fast decision. The results of this study show that certain components of environmental identity are important, but other factors like the physical environment and social norms influence the thinking that goes into recycling more than environmental identity alone. This study provides evidence of the importance of social norms and environmental structures in fostering pro-environmental behaviors and influencing the type of thinking that goes into making environmental decisions. Keywords: environmental identity, environmental behaviors, System 1, System 2, recycling.

Developing the nuclear idea: concept, technique, and process.

PubMed

Billow, Richard M

2013-10-01

I introduce an approach to group that has remained undeveloped in the literature, but represents an essence of relationally oriented group psychotherapy. Evolving from the verbalizations and enactments through which the group symbolizes and becomes known-a nuclear idea takes shape. It emerges from the nucleus of the group process: co-created from intersubjective forces and locations that cannot be fully specified, yet may be possible to observe, name, and utilize clinically. Groups organize themselves by developing nuclear ideas, with the therapist's active participation. They are vehicles through which a group comes to think about its thinking: not only what it thinks, but also how it thinks, or chooses not to think, and when and why. Developing the nuclear idea provides a framework for how the therapist-and the group itself-goes about the task of containing. With its emphasis on meaning and the development of meaning as transformational, the concept of the nuclear idea supplements the whole group, interpersonal, and intrapsychic lenses through which the therapist comes to understand group experience and base interventions. Clinical vignettes illustrate how the therapist may develop nuclear ideas thematically, conceptualize further, and negotiate meaning with the co-participation of other group members.

Critical thinking of student nurses during clinical accompaniment.

PubMed

Uys, B Y; Meyer, S M

2005-08-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the methods of clinical accompaniment used by clinical facilitators in practice. The findings of the study also reflected facilitators' perceptions regarding critical thinking and the facilitation thereof. A quantitative research design was used. A literature study was conducted to identify the methods of accompaniment that facilitate critical thinking. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire developed for that purpose. Making a content-related validity judgment, and involving seven clinical facilitators in an academic institution, ensured the validity of the questionnaire. The results of the study indicated that various clinical methods of accompaniment were used. To a large extent, these methods correlated with those discussed in the literature review. The researcher further concluded that the concepts 'critical thinking' and 'facilitation' were not interpreted correctly by the respondents, and would therefore not be implemented in a proper manner in nursing practice. Furthermore, it seemed evident that tutor-driven learning realised more often than student-driven learning. In this regard, the requirement of outcomes-based education was not satisfied. The researcher is therefore of the opinion that a practical programme for the development of critical thinking skills during clinical accompaniment must be developed within the framework of outcomes-based education.

Policy experimentation and innovation as a response to complexity in China's management of health reforms.

PubMed

Husain, Lewis

2017-08-03

There are increasing criticisms of dominant models for scaling up health systems in developing countries and a recognition that approaches are needed that better take into account the complexity of health interventions. Since Reform and Opening in the late 1970s, Chinese government has managed complex, rapid and intersecting reforms across many policy areas. As with reforms in other policy areas, reform of the health system has been through a process of trial and error. There is increasing understanding of the importance of policy experimentation and innovation in many of China's reforms; this article argues that these processes have been important in rebuilding China's health system. While China's current system still has many problems, progress is being made in developing a functioning system able to ensure broad population access. The article analyses Chinese thinking on policy experimentation and innovation and their use in management of complex reforms. It argues that China's management of reform allows space for policy tailoring and innovation by sub-national governments under a broad agreement over the ends of reform, and that shared understandings of policy innovation, alongside informational infrastructures for the systemic propagation and codification of useful practices, provide a framework for managing change in complex environments and under conditions of uncertainty in which 'what works' is not knowable in advance. The article situates China's use of experimentation and innovation in management of health system reform in relation to recent literature which applies complex systems thinking to global health, and concludes that there are lessons to be learnt from China's approaches to managing complexity in development of health systems for the benefit of the poor.

Systems Thinking among School Middle Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaked, Haim; Schechter, Chen

2017-01-01

Systems thinking is a holistic approach that puts the study of wholes before that of parts. This study explores systems thinking among school middle leaders--teachers who have management responsibility for a team of teachers or for an aspect of the school's work. Interviews were held with 93 school coordinators, among them year heads, heads of…

Accommodation in the formal world of mathematical thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Sepideh; Schmidt, Ralf

2017-11-01

In this study, we examined a mathematician and one of his students' teaching journals and thought processes concurrently as the class was moving towards the proof of the Fundamental Theorem of Galois Theory. We employed Tall's framework of three worlds of mathematical thinking as well as Piaget's notion of accommodation to theoretically study the narratives. This paper reveals the pedagogical challenges of proving an elegant theory as the events unfolded. Although the mathematician was conscious of the students' abilities as he carefully made the path accessible, the disparity between the mind of the mathematician and the student became apparent.