A Curriculum Unit for Promoting Complex System Thinking: The Case of Combined System Dynamics and Agent Based Models for Population Growth

Calls for school curricula to increase students’ exposure to complex systems are clearly warranted, given the topic’s learnability and the increasing prevalence of such systems. This study deepens our understanding of 16 ninth graders’ system thinking by identifying some cognitive aspects involved in the acquisition process while studying specially designed simulation-based curriculum for a full semester. Students manipulated two simulation-types: (a) providing a top-down view of the system behavior – based on the system dynamics model, and (b) providing a bottom-up view of the same system – based on the agent-based model. Contrasting these simulation outputs scaffold students’ ability to relate the system macro and micro levels. We focused on complex system conceptual knowledge (dynamic equilibrium) and diverse system thinking modes (stochastic or dynamic thinking) by examining students’ written and computerized products and pre-posttests results. A significant improvement in most students’ system thinking abilities has been found. Implications for school science instruction are discussed.