Integrating Dynamic Modeling and Simulation into Your Courses webinar series
Each webinar in this ongoing series will be presented by a guest professor from a different field.
Presenters will highlight how they incorporate dynamic modeling into their courses and give tips
and tricks they've learned along the way. View the schedule for upcoming webinars and access previous
webinars below.
Learn how to incorporate dynamic modeling and simulations into your civil engineering courses with Dr. Rajib
Mallick from the University of Texas at El Paso. Dr. Mallick has taught civil engineering for over twenty-three
years. In this webinar, he discusses how he introduces the principles of system dynamics, demonstrates them with
respect to problems in transportation engineering, and helps develop strategic views of problems and solutions to
facilitate the development of policies that would lead to long-term benefits.
Dr. Russell Richards highlights how he has used system dynamics modeling to engage with students at the University of
Queensland, both in terms of students specifically studying the use of system dynamics and those studying other disciplines.
He has sought to merge gamification and system dynamics to develop bespoke models that can be used in the classroom to
provide an immersive experience. This seminar showcases some of these gamified models—all of which have been
designed using Stella Architect, and some of which have subsequently been transferred to gaming software (Unity3D).
This journey into gamification has been a learning experience for Dr. Richards himself, and he will not only cover
what went well but also what didn’t.
Convincing your administration
Professors are often required to show their administration how software is beneficial to their curriculum before
they can adopt it. Several of our partners have offered the following points that are beneficial when presenting
dynamic modeling and simulations to their administrators.
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What is dynamic modeling? Dynamic modeling is a problem-solving tool. It shows how a complex system
reacts to various inputs or events over time and can indicate weaknesses before they become major issues.
Models help predict behavior and allow people to conduct trial and error simulations to determine the best
outcomes and optimize performance.
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How will it improve the current curriculum? Incorporating dynamic modeling into your courses will
reinforce the core concepts of the field. Modeling is a wonderful teacher. As students model complex
problems, they achieve a greater understanding of the system as it currently exists, what factors could
be causing the problem, and solutions that have been or could be applied.
Stepping back and taking a systemic view allows students to look beyond the linear problem-solving
perspective and identify pitfalls and knowledge gaps. Models allow them to visually see how different
sectors (i.e. species, departments) interact and the impact each has on the system. They begin to acknowledge
quick fixes that work today may not be the best for the future.
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How will it impact students? By studying dynamic modeling, students learn to take responsibility
for their education. Instead of simply taking a result at face value from books or lectures, they discover
facts for themselves by developing what-if scenarios and seeing how they play out. Topics that interest
them can be explored deeper, creating excellent opportunities for projects, capstones, or theses.
Students' knowledge evolves as they work through the modeling process to find the optimal solution.
They also learn that problem solving is a social, collaborative process. To determine a problem’s
systemic causes, they must often rely on not only their modeling skills, but on the perspectives of
experts and stakeholders. To make an impact with their findings, they must develop a model that
communicates effectively to the public. These skills are highly sought after and will benefit their careers.
Student engagement
“Today’s students are tomorrow’s faculty, so it is important to inspire them.” -Dr. Rajib Mallick
We have had the privilege to see many spectacular student projects. To celebrate their work and
illustrate the diverse projects students have successfully completed using dynamic modeling, we have
created a “Show us your work” challenge.
We invite students to send us a three-to-five-minute video overview of their completed modeling
project. We will post high-quality videos on our social media channels to both highlight and share
the student’s work.
**Videos should be no more than five mins. Students should submit their social media handles so
we can tag them in our posts. Submissions can be sent to support@iseesystems.com with the subject
‘Show us your work’ challenge.
Bibliography
These books and papers are recommended by our partner professors.
Fisher, D. (2017). Modeling Dynamic Systems: Lessons for a First Course. Lebanon, NH. isee systems, inc. Learn more.
Meadows, D. (2008). Thinking in Systems. White River Junction, VT. Chelsea Green Publishing. Learn more.
Richmond, B. (2004). Introduction to Systems Thinking: Standard Edition. isee systems,inc. Learn more.
Roberts, N. (1983). Introduction to Computer Simulation: The System Dynamics Approach. Reading, MA. Addison-Wesley. Learn more.
Senge, P. (2006). The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization. New York, NY. Doubleday. Learn more.
Mallick, R. (2023). System Dynamics for Complex Problems in Pavement Engineering. Raton, FL. CRC Press. Learn more.
Hargroves, J. (1998). Dynamic Modeling in the Health Sciences. New York, NY. Springer Science+ Business Media. Learn more.
Sterman, J. (2000). Business Dynamics: Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World. New York, NY. McGraw-Hill Education. Learn more.
Ford, A. (2009). Modeling the Environment. 2nd ed. Washington, DC. Island Press. Learn more.
Jägerskog, A. S. (2020). Using Visual Representations to Enhance Students’ Understanding of Causal Relationships in Price. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 65(6), 986–1003. Learn more.
Wheat, I. David. (2024). Useful Macroeconomics. Kendall Hunt Publishing. Learn more.
Grading Causal Loop Diagrams
Kastens, K.A., Wakeland, W., Shipley, T.F. (2024). Developing and Field-testing a Rubric for Evaluating Students' Causal Loop Diagrams. Proceedings of the International Systems Dynamics Conference. Learn more.