Moving online: reflections from conducting system dynamics workshops in virtual settings.

Abstract

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become increasingly important and necessary to conduct research and teaching activities online. While many universities quickly started the transition to online teaching, most in-person research activities were typically postponed. However, in order to not significantly delay research, researchers are increasingly seeking to conduct activities, such as workshops, in a virtual setting. Following this initial period of disruption, it is expected that many online or hybrid activities will continue to be used and, in some cases, may replace in-person interactions due to cost, time, convenience, and environmental concerns after the COVID-19 crisis has passed. Researchers and/or stakeholders are often geographically dispersed, which independently motivates the use of online or hybrid workshop activities. Different types of online activities and tools related to system dynamics have existed for some time. They include interactive simulation environments such as Climate Interactive’s widely used C-ROADS and En-ROADS models (e.g. Rooney-Varga et al., 2020) as well as purpose-built solutions for single workshops (e.g. Eker et al., 2018). There is online system dynamics training (https://www.systemdynamics.org/online-course-catalog) and programmes (Pavlov et al., 2014), and researchers have reported about online peer mentoring groups (Richardson et al., 2015; Suprun et al., 2020). The 2020 International Conference of the System Dynamics Society ran online and included a workshop by Michael Bean on delivering online simulations, particularly in teaching contexts. In addition, fuelled by the effects