SYSTEMS TEACHING
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3479 ▶ |
| Object type | General information |
A number of universities have launched programs for systems teaching. Unfortunately, most of them were partial and generally dominated by some more specific systems applications as systems analysis, systems dynamics, systems engineering, or conceived merely as a kind of vague humanistic cultural complement.
In the first case they were frequently considered by specialists as useless, and even a hindrance in technical applications because of their “fuzzy” character. In the second case, they were merely viewed as an ornament without real content. In all cases, they were evaluated as not leading to any specific professional activity (which is of course not the point, even if the “job” is the main concern of nearly all students). As a result, they were generally shunted of downright suppressed.
One of the best recent attempt to introduce a “Master of Systems science” degree has been at the operational research school of University of Valencia, Spain. (L. FERRER FIGUERAS, 1992, p.1168-74).
One wonders:
- if systems teaching should not be first based on the study of practical situations (generally messes!) in a great variety of fields;
- if it should not be introduced already at high school and introductory college level, not as a specific subject matter, but as a methodology perfusing all subject matters;
- if the same methodology should not be promoved at universities, for example in extra-curricular discussions; and inter-departmental research programs on complex situations.