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Teaching the Technologies learning area using a thinking skills approach

This document outlines an approach to teaching digital technologies and design and technologies using thinking skills such as systems thinking, computational thinking, design thinking, futures thinking, and strategic thinking. It discusses each of these thinking skills in detail and provides examples of how they can be applied across the curriculum areas of digital technologies and design and technologies. The overall approach is to engage students in challenge-based learning projects that focus on solving complex problems using various thinking skills and collaborative processes.

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Teaching the Technologies learning area using a thinking skills approach
Dr Jason Zagami jason.zagami.info
Lecturer Griffith University School of Education and Professional Studies Gold Coast
Teaching
Research
Service
Curriculum Development
Thinking Skills
Systems Thinking Computational Thinking Design Thinking Futures Thinking Strategic Thinking
Digital systems: the components of digital systems: hardware, software and networks and their use Representation of data: how data are represented and structured symbolically Knowledge and Understanding Design and Technologies Digital Technologies Creating Solutions Technologies and society: the use, development and impact of technologies in people’s lives Technologies contexts: technologies and design across a range of technologies contexts
Engineering principles and systems Food and fibre production Food specialisations Materials and technologies specialisations
Information systems Information technology Software engineering Computer engineering
Investigating Generating Producing Evaluating Collaborating and Managing Defining Designing Implementing Evaluating Collaborating and Managing Processes and Production Skills Design and Technologies Digital Technologies Creating Solutions
Challenge Based Learning
Systems Thinking Computational Thinking Design Thinking Futures Thinking Projects
Systems Thinking Computational Thinking Design Thinking Futures Thinking Strategic Thinking
Systems Thinking Computational Thinking Design Thinking Futures Thinking Strategic Thinking Solutions Thinking
Once a new technology rolls over you, if you’re not part of the steamroller, you’re part of the road Stewart Brand
We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology and yet have cleverly arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. That’s a clear prescription for disaster Carl Sagan
It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity Albert Einstein
Systems Thinking Computational Thinking Design Thinking Futures Thinking Strategic Thinking Solutions Thinking
Global Warming Armed Conflicts Food Scarcity Clean Water Ageing Population Obesity Overpopulation Alternative Energy Education Health Care Epidemics Housing and Shelter Big Problems
Challenge Based Learning
Systems Thinking
Systems Thinking makes it possible to analyse and understand complex phenomena Systems Thinking
Instead of isolating smaller and smaller parts of the system being studied, systems thinking works by expanding its view to consider larger and larger numbers of interactions as an issue is being studied Systems Thinking
Thinking consists of two activities: constructing mental models and then simulating them in order to draw conclusions and make decisions Barry Richmond
Understanding the concept of a tree requires more information than is available through sensory experience alone.  It’s built on past experiences and knowledge.
Mental Models
The image of the world around us, which we carry in our head, is just a model. Nobody in his head imagines all the world… they have only selected concepts, and relationships between them, and uses those to represent the real system Jay Forrester
The problems we have created in the world today will not be solved by the level of thinking that created them Albert Einstein
We are limited in our capacity to form and reform mental models. Systems modelling allows us to move from “what” to “what if” and make our thinking visible The basic building blocks of dynamic models are stocks, flows, and loops
Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful George Box
A supermarket can be seen as any of the following kinds of systems, depending on the perspective: a "profit making system" … from the perspective of management and owners a "distribution system“… from the perspective of the suppliers an "employment system“… from the perspective of employees a "materials supply system“… from the perspective of customers an "entertainment system“… from the perspective of loiterers a "social system" …from the perspective of local residents a "dating system" …from the perspective of single customers
Students need learn to identify the properties of the various subsystems they explore, for example of a bicycle, and examine how they relate to the whole. Children tend to think of the properties of a system as belonging to individual parts of it rather than as arising from the interaction of the parts. A system property that arises from interaction of parts is therefore a difficult idea.
Students should already know that if something consists of many parts, the parts usually influence one another. Also they should be aware that something may not work as well (or at all) if a part of it is missing, broken, worn out, mismatched, or misconnected.
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Students can learn about the choices and constraints that go into the design of a bicycle system. Depending on whether the bicycle is intended for racing, mountain roads, or touring, influences its design and such choices as the type of tires, frame and materials, and drives and gears.
In addition, accommodating one constraint can often lead to conflict with others. For example, the lightest material may not be the strongest, or the most efficient shape may not be the safest or the most aesthetically pleasing. Therefore, every design problem lends itself to many alternative solutions, depending on what values people place on the various constraints.
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Subsystems could include: The Wheel Drivers & Gears Frames & Materials Brakes & Steering Aerodynamics Power System
Speed Safety Comfort Durability Endurance The Wheels Drivers and Gears Frames and Materials Brakes and Steering Aerodynamics Power System
Behaviour (changes) over time
Weather
Weather
Attendance
Tying Shoes
Experiments
Literature
Tortoise vs the Hare
As you are reading, look for key words such as: change transform revolution becoming more rose went up increased got higher grew/growth gained less fell went down decreased went lower declined lost Write down one or more quotes in each box. Circle key words of change and underline what you think is changing. Draw a line graph of how the quote shows change over time. Explain why the change occurs. Identifying Change Over Time in Text Quotes from book Change over time Why this might be occurring
Identifying Change Over Time in Text
Behaviour over time
Behaviour over time
Behaviour over time
Stocks and Flows
Stocks are the foundation of any system and are the elements that you can see, feel, count, or measure Stocks do not have to be physical Stocks
Reservoirs
Reservoirs
Reservoirs
Money
Air Quality
Air Quality
Air Quality
Animal Populations
Animal Populations
Human Populations
Stock changes over time Increasing Decreasing Oscillating Stable
Stocks change over time through the actions of a flow A stock is the present memory of the changing flows within a system Flow
The Waterhole
The Waterhole
The Waterhole 1:20
A feedback loop is formed when changes in a stock affect the flows into or out of that same stock Balancing feedback loops are stability seeking and try to keep a stock at a certain level or within a certain range Reinforcing feedback loops occur when a system element has the ability to reproduce itself or grow at a constant fraction of itself Loops
Marker Pen Scarcity
Population Change
Endangered Animals
Professional Development
Symbols A converter holds information or relationships that affect the rate of the flows, or that affect the content of another converter A connector indicates that changes in one element cause changes in another element; only changes a stock by going through an accompanying flow A flow represents actions or processes; transports “stuff”, concrete or abstract, that directly adds to or takes away from accumulation in a stock; the verbs in the system A stock represents an accumulation, concrete or abstract, that increases or decreases over time; the nouns in the system
Feedback Loops
Rumours Increasing or compounding Reinforcing Feedback
Avalanche Increasing or compounding Reinforcing Feedback
Epidemics Increasing or compounding Reinforcing Feedback
World Population Increasing or compounding Reinforcing Feedback
Soil Fertility Decreasing or collapsing Reinforcing Feedback
Predator / Prey Equalising / Oscillating Balancing Feedback
Fire Management Equalising / Oscillating Balancing Feedback
Growing Plants Causal Loops
Immunisation Causal Loops
Friendships Reinforcing Causal Loops
Types of loops Balancing Feedback
Connection Circle
Connection Circle
Causal Loop
Connection Circle
Causal Loop
Connection Circle