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Characterizing Undergraduate Students’ Systems-Thinking Skills through Agent-Based Modeling Simulation

Author

Listed:
  • Aparajita Jaiswal

    (Center for Intercultural Learning, Mentorship, Assessment and Research, Purdue University, Young Hall, Room 120 155 S. Grant Street, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA)

  • Tugba Karabiyik

    (Purdue Systems Collaboratory, College of Engineering, Purdue University, Grissom Hall, 315 Grant Street, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA)

Abstract

Systems thinking is an essential skill for the future workforce. This study focuses on understanding students’ systems-thinking process via an agent-based model simulation. This study aimed to help students to improve their systems-thinking skills. We used a systems-thinking skills development framework to investigate and characterize students’ agent-based simulation assignment in the undergraduate level systems-methods course at a university in the American Midwest. We identified and characterized patterns of students’ systems-thinking processes based on four criteria: thinking, decision making, action, and interpretation. We classified students into three categories based on their systems-thinking abilities and qualitatively identified the least and most prominent patterns the students exhibited.

Suggested Citation

  • Aparajita Jaiswal & Tugba Karabiyik, 2022. "Characterizing Undergraduate Students’ Systems-Thinking Skills through Agent-Based Modeling Simulation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-16, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:19:p:12817-:d:936071
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stefania Bandini & Sara Manzoni & Giuseppe Vizzari, 2009. "Agent Based Modeling and Simulation: An Informatics Perspective," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 12(4), pages 1-4.
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