“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn” (Benjamin Franklin).
Despite Franklin’s advice, the “Read, Remember and Recite” model of learning permeates our schools in the way that “Command and Control” permeates our organisations.
Recite means that things stay the same. At a point in our evolution when we most need creativity, we still teach compliance and this leads to people unable to think and decide for themselves. They simply follow orders and that leads to disasters like Grenfell Tower and looming disasters like Climate Change.
The recitation model is based on telling (often with explanations or proofs). It is reinforced with rewards for compliance and punishments for non-compliance. The rewards are qualifications, and the promise of a "good career." The punishments are being bottom of the class or the threat of the dole queue. Children's environments are micro-managed by we adults to avoid failure. Yet failure can be a source of huge learning and dealing with failure teaches us creativity and resilience.
Systems thinkers (myself included!) have attempted to introduce new ways of learning about systems in schools. Generally, the focus has remained on learning in the safety of a classroom. Imagine what could happen if we gave children the agency and freedom to intervene in real systems and create real change, outside the classrooms, in their own communities!
# The Four I’s:
The 4i's
1) Identifying Issues (IMPACT); 2) Mapping the system (INTERACTIONS); 3) Identifying leverage points & their consequences (INSIGHT); and 4) Making it happen (INTERVENTION). These are the 4i's of systemic learning by doing.
Since 2018 I have been pursuing a vision to bring systems thinking to children. I launched my project at OR60 and reported on progress at OR61. Recently I had a revelation: What if we created a new educational system rewarding the 4i's in practice?
# What is the initiative?
See the Systems brings systems action to local communities around the world.
Teams from schools and other associations will compete to map systemic issues within their local communities, design /prototype proposed solutions, and validate / implement their ideas while measuring the resulting qualitative and quantitative impacts.
Participants partner with experienced mentors, systems/OR practitioners from organisations such as the ORS (Operational Research Society), SCiO and INCOSE (International Council for Systems Engineering), actively sharing their learnings via social media and other platforms.
The program will encourage activities which sustain long term positive benefits. Entries will be judged on ingenuity, leverage, engagement, and quality of evaluation.
See the Systems aims to empower young people by introducing tools and supporting agency so the participants make a real difference in their worlds.
# How is it different / complementary to other initiatives?
See the Systems was inspired by Oxford University's "Map the System” competition for university students and Kerry Turner’s involvement with systems since 1987. See the Systems extends Map the System to a bigger community of children and the general public. It extends the scope from systems mapping and analysis to systems intervention and evaluation.
Kerry has been on a track to bring the systems perspective to children since 2018 when she enrolled to do a PhD evaluation study of the potential impact of students understanding systems on UK education. She has worked in schools and home ed groups in the UK, India and Colombia. See the Systems synthesises and integrates the learning from these initiatives and continues to learn with the participants and collaborators.
# What is the benefit?
See the Systems fosters individual agency and empowerment, inclusive creativity, cross-domain collaboration and social citizenship among marginalized youth. It fosters the next generation of systems thinkers/modellers, building relationships for future internships and employment opportunities. It democratizes systems thinking for young people as they begin their academic careers and engages young people in systems thinking and action.
# How is it to be structured, organised and funded?
See the Systems is being energised by a small team of people passionate about systems. The team manages a network of engaged organisations providing support and advocacy. As the initiative grows over time we envisage employing some of the bright young people who have participated in the programs.
See the Systems will be operated by volunteers. Creative patterns are emerging where employees in organisations can have paid time off work to mentor in the program.
# Trials
As I write, we are running a trial of the scheme in a school in Oregon, USA. We are planning a trial with the OR Society and STEM Ambassadors in the UK later this year. We anticipate further trials in India and Australia.
[Insert images of Oregon projects]
# To find out more and get involved
We are actively seeking OR practitioners to mentor in the scheme. Kerry will be presenting a workshop on See the Systems in the Making an Impact stream at OR63. You can find out more via her fedwiki pages here: http://kerry.tries.fed.wiki/view/about-kerry/view/see-the-systems-partners
You can also contact Kerry directly via email: kerry.l.turner@googlemail.com or mobile: +44 7853896127.