Systems thinking of pre- and in-service science and engineering teachers

Systems thinking is an important skill in science and engineering education. Our study objectives were (1) to create the basis for a systems thinking language common to both science education and engineering education, and (2) to apply this language to assess science and engineering teachers’ systems thinking. We administered two assignments to teacher teams: first, modelling the same adapted scientific text, and second, modelling a synthesis of peer-reviewed articles in science and engineering education, with teams selecting a topic from a list and summarising them. We assessed those models using a rubric for systems thinking we had developed based on our literature review of this topic. We found high interrater reliability and validated the rubric’s theoretical construct for the system aspects of function, structure and behaviour. We found differences in scores between the assignments in favour of the second assignment, for two attributes of systems thinking: ‘expected outcome/intended purpose’ and ‘main object and its sub-objects’. We explain the first attribute difference as stemming from the modellers’ domain expertise as science or engineering teachers, rather than as scientists or engineers, and the second attribute difference – from the larger amount of information available for modelling the articles synthesis assignment. The theoretical contribution of this study lies in the definition of the systems thinking construct as a first step in establishing a common language for the science education and engineering education communities. The study's methodological contribution lies in the rubric we developed and validated, which can be used for assessing the systems thinking of teachers and potentially also of undergraduate students.     

Interdisciplinarity and Systems Thinking: some implications for engineering education and education for industry

AS developments in science and technology accelerate the processes of social change, it becomes necessary to redefine educational objectives in engineering education. This paper examines some of the reasons for dissatisfaction with the limitations of single-discipline approaches to education, analysing these from a systems perspective. The paper considers the development of systems thinking in relation to engineering and raises some of the implications of systems thinking and systems methodologies for the planning of an interdisciplinary course. Finally, it refers to the course in technology and management at the University of Bradford, which is unified by a systemic philosophy and methodology, and considers the value added by such an approach, in human terms.     

The faculty perspective on holistic and systems thinking in American and Australian mechanical engineering programmes

This research effort examined current mechanical engineering educational programmes in America and Australia to determine the degree of holistic, systems thinking of each programme. Faculty from ten American universities and ten Australian universities participated in online surveys and interviews. Resulting data analysis and interpretation suggest that holistic, systems thinking is present in both American and Australian engineering educational programmes, although it is more prevalent in Australian programmes. Specific examples of educational opportunities (courses, projects, extracurricular activities, research experiences) that integrate complex systems study are described in the full paper. This study is currently limited a small sample size within two countries, but it would be very useful to expand the study to a larger population and to include European sites to gain a fuller picture of the state of holistic, systems thinking in higher education.     

基于工程思维视角的我国“卓越工程师教育培养计划”

摘要：普通思维是以现实中的个人和集体为主体,以发现客观对象的存在形式和内在规律为目的的科学逻辑思维。与一般思维不同,工程思维是以工程眼光看待世界和处理问题的思考方式,其具有非线性、超协调逻辑性、集成性的思维特点。基于工程思维的视角,提出加强校企深度合作、教学方式强调超协调逻辑性、课程体系体现系统性和整合性的工程思维培养路径。     

ChatGPT技术热潮下教育变革的挑战和对策

ChatGPT问世不久后便在全球引发强烈关注,并对教育产生剧烈冲击。ChatGPT在教育领域的快速应用与其自身具有的宜人性、广能性、高效性特征密切相关。ChatGPT挑战了教育领域长期以来固有的基本原则：第一,它一方面会推动对教育培养思维目标的重新定位,引发社会需求的思维技能结构的变化,另一方面它也会惰化人的思维;第二,它会让人们重新审视人机交互这一观念,并挑战传统的师生互动原则和教学关系;第三,它会解构乃至威胁传统的教育和学术伦理。要回应这些挑战,需要聚焦培养批判性思维、伦理道德价值思维、提示语工程、创造性思维、决策思维、专业思维六大教育目标,以人机协作为核心,重构教学观念和教学过程,适时调整并重视教育和学术伦理建设。     

工程力学教学中的创新教育探究

在工程力学课程教学中进行创新思维培养,将创造心理学和建构主义教育理论与工程力学教学相结合,认识创新教育中思维的培养要素,实现创新教育所需的环境,确定工程力学教育中创新教育的目标,将会推动创新人才的培养。     

基因工程虚拟实验室的设计与实现

基因工程是一门非常注重实践的课程,但其实验具有价格贵,周期长的特点,因而虚拟实验室的创建有助于缓解实验资源与教学需求之间存在的矛盾。本文依托广东省高校现代教育技术“151工程”项目“基因工程虚拟实验室”的工作,对基因工程虚拟实验室的设计与实现进行了探讨,以期为同类虚拟实验室或相关学习资源的开发和应用提供思路和借鉴。     

卓越工程师工程思维的基本特征及培养模式研究

卓越工程师培养在我国高等工程教育中占有重要的战略地位,关系我国创新能力的提升。卓越工程师的思维特征在其创造性的工程实践活动中扮演着重要的角色。介绍了思维的基本方式以及科学思维、技术思维和工程思维的联系与区别。进一步深入剖析了卓越工程师工程思维的基本特征,提出了创造性思维是卓越工程师的核心特征。最后,简单探讨了卓越工程师工程思维培养的基本途径。     

数学教育中的素质教育分析

数学从小学到高中被作为三大主科,在大学时,又是理工类学生必修之课,由此可见数学是非常重要的。我国提倡素质教育,因此数学教学中也要进行素质教育。本文从数学教育中创新思维能力的培养、数学教育中学生智力发展的培养、数学教育中德育的培养、数学教育中人文素质的培养以及数学教育中美育价值的培养这几个方面对数学教育中的素质教育进行了分析。     

理工科大学生思想政治课的方法探索

接受是高校思想政治课的根本追求,也是难点所在。对于理工科大学生这一特殊群体而言,思维习惯不一致、人文知识基础薄弱、思想上不够重视是他们在思想政治课上的较有共性的不足,鉴于此,调整授课内容,体现其内在逻辑;处理教学内容使其通俗易懂;综合运用各种教学手段,营造温馨教学氛围;打造魅力型教师等方法的综合运用,对提高理工科大学生思想政治课的接受度将尤为重要。     

略谈工科学生的形象思维能力培养——音乐教育对学生创新精神和能力培养的探讨

本文从工科院校音乐教育的角度 ,提出工科院校的音乐教育在培养学生审美能力的同时 ,还要注意工科学生的形象思维能力培养 ,从而使作为创造性思维能力所必须的抽象思维和形象思维得到均衡发展。对工科学生的形象思维能力培养 ,主要通过在音乐教育教学过程中 ,依据音乐艺术和音乐教学的规律及工科学生的特点 ,对联想和创造性想象的能力培养来体现。     

现代工程图学教育研究

在探讨实质性教学改革阶段,工科院校的图学教学体系正在不断完善。如何才能将图学教育的新框架搭建得更好,如何利用这个新体系培养学生的工程设计能力和创造性思维,这些,都是在教学改革过程中不容忽视的问题。本文在对全国性工程图学教育最新发展的调查研究后作了一些探讨。     

光电信息工程专业创新实践教学体系的探索与研究

为应对当前光电子产业特别是光电显示行业对专业人才的新需求,通过有机整合光电信息工程专业的实践教学体系,建立以光电显示为主要特色的专业创新教学实践基地,构建多层次实践教学平台,建立课堂教学和实践环节之间的桥梁,营造让＂学生带着问题来,拿着成果走＂的创新实践氛围,形成＂理论与实践并重＂的实践训练培养模式,激发学生的创新思维和创新意识,有效提高学生的实践动手能力和综合素质,从而达到强化专业的内涵发展,实现特色专业的快速成长的目标.     

大学生毕业设计教学中的创新设计

创新设计体现了人们依据社会需要,运用科学技术原理,创造性地构思产品的完整思维过程。是设计构思的高智商思维活动。在大学教育中,教师带领学生在这种高智商思维活动的隧道中行进一段路,将会使学生探寻出一条超常规、跨越式的创新兴业之道。文章探讨的是在大学生毕业设计教学中如何认识创新设计并实施创新设计教学,通过教学过程实现学生的工程能力、创新能力、创造性思维的培养。     

Re-orientation in Systems Thinking?—Some remarks on the methodological and ideological traits of technological reproduction [l]

In the past, a positivistic orientation has dominated as much in technical as in scientific problem-solving. This kind of positivistic hegemony has been manifested both methodologically and ideologically and ontologically. Systems thinking in technological reproduction has followed and supported this utilitarian economic ideology. Nevertheless, many social and ethical problems of technological development imply that the ontological basis of this traditional paradigm is inadequate. Hence, re-orientation of the paradigm is required where the scope of systems thinking is enlarged. However, in spite of many attempts to integrate non-technical studies into engineering education, little has yet been achieved. The positivistic engagement is an important restriction of the whole system of knowledge but there are also social mechanisms causing structural inertia. In this article based on the Finnish experience, the political and professional interest defence of engineers is presented as an example of such mechanisms. In Finland the pressure to increase the non-technical elements in engineering curricula has come mainly from authorities, but a reform of the basic examinations in the universities in the 1970s and a secondary school reform in the 1980s have changed only slightly the contents of engineering education.     

素质教育中释放学生思维的探讨

素质教育倡导思维的开放性，多元性，当代社会也要求社会人具有开阔的思维，随机应变的能力。大学教学作为教育的最后一环应当担负培养社会合格人才的责任。本文从工科课堂教学方法出发，对传统和新形势下课堂教学方式提出了一些个人见解，在实践教学中取得了一定的效果。     

Systems Thinking: when engineering education calls itself into question

When systems thinking was considered relevant to the Ecole Superieure d'lngenieurs de Marseille (ESIM) engineering curriculum, nobody realised to what extent it would modify the spirit and the structure of it. Neither did anybody foresee that it would play the role of a mirror where the educational system would have to look itself in the face! The main steps in re-structuring the curriculum and the broad lines of thinking developed along the lines of the systems approach are presented here. Strangely enough, systems thinking has apparently had more impact on programmes and on teaching than on the engineering faculty's practices... up to now.     

Taking critical thinking,creativity and grit online

Technology has the potential to facilitate the development of higher-order thinking skills in learning. There has been a rush towards online learning by education systems during COVID-19; this can therefore be seen as an opportunity to develop students’ higher-order thinking skills. In this short report we show how critical thinking and creativity can be developed in an online context, as well as highlighting the importance of grit. We also suggest the importance of heuristic evaluation in the design of online systems to support twenty-first century learning.

     

The impact of system specifics on systems thinking

Present and future social and ecological challenges are complex both to understand and to attempt to solve. To comprehend the complex systems underlying these issues, students need systems thinking skills. However, in science education, a uniform delineation of systems thinking across contexts has yet to be established. While there seems to be consensus on a number of key skills from a theoretical perspective, it remains uncertain whether it is possible to distinguish levels of systems thinking, and if so, how they would be determined. In this study, we investigated the impact of the specifics of a system on the skills and levels of systems thinking. We administered a 36-item multiple-choice test to 196 Grade 5 and 6 students. For our analysis, we followed a quantitative approach, applying a systems thinking model that incorporates the latest insights on the levels and skills of systems thinking in geography to the context of ecology. By following an Item Response Theory approach, we confirmed a set of systems thinking skills that are necessary to understand complex systems in ecology: identifying system organization, analyzing system behavior, and system modeling. We examined whether individual skill levels can be distinguished to determine whether a system's general principle or system-specific features cause difficulty for students. Our results indicate that system specifics, such as type of relation within ecosystems (e.g., predator–prey), appear to determine the formation of levels. Students struggled most with the difference between basic, direct cause-and-effect relationships and indirect effects. Once they understood the relevance of indirect relationships in moderately complex systems, a further increase in complexity caused little additional difficulty. Accordingly, we suggest that systems thinking should be examined from a variety of perspectives. To promote interdisciplinary learning, a systems thinking model that defines key commonalities across fields while leaving space for system specifics is needed.     

土木工程专业土力学实验教学中的问题与改革措施简

实验课在高等教育培养面向工程应用的高级人才过程中起着关键作用,是培养学生动手能力、观察能力、创新思维的主要实践环节。土木工程专业课程具有很强的工程实践性,而实验课是连接理论教学与工程实践的桥梁。通过对土木工程专业土力学实验课的现状分析,提出当下土力学实验课中存在的问题,并针对这些问题提出相应的改革思路与方法,为提高土木工程专业实验课的教学效果、培养应用与创新型工程技术人才提供有益的参考。