Abstract:

Today, it is more important than ever to be able to understand the complexity of the problems that surround us. We are in an era in which information abounds, mutates, and multiplies at a speed that we are unable to comprehend. In the same way, the factors generating and demanding information appear and disappear without us being able to understand their dynamics in time to control it.

The aforementioned is a characteristic of complex systems, so there is a need to train professionals who can understand the chaotic and dynamic behaviors of today's world. However, learning about complexity and complex systems is not much regulated, and it is necessary to approach it adequately so that learning about it becomes effective, efficient, and has an impact in the long term when the trainees have to put into practice what they learn.

The Complexity and Complex Systems topics are hard to introduce from a theoretical perspective and even harder for mathematical engineering junior students. We present the design of the artifacts used to introduce these topics taking advantage of the systems thinking skills that students have learned through specific sessions using The Beer Game, a pedagogical tool to introduce holistic thinking from a practical and interactive approach.

The students have been previously trained to think holistically and have been introduced to the System Dynamics terminology and concepts. Our hypothesis is that through this systemic thinking students are better prepared to assimilate the concepts related to the Complexity and Complex Systems fields. To assess so, we designed some artifacts introducing contents and designed an assessment form that captures their perception of the topics of interest. We analyze the results of experiencing these artifacts and forms and give an overview of the next steps in the process of validating our hypothesis.

Keywords:

The Beer Game, Systems Thinking, Complex Systems, Complex Problems, Complexity, System Dynamics.