Republic of the Philippines

Laguna State Polytechnic University

ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

LSPU Self-Paced Learning Module (SLM)

Course Principles of Systems Thinking
Sem/AY First Semester/2020-2021
Module No. 1
Lesson Title WHAT IS SYSTEMS THINKING?
Week
1
Duration
Date Oct. 11-15, 2021
Description This lesson will discuss system structure in modifying system behavior in order to gain
of the the benefits of true systems thinking analysis. Hence, students will be introduced to
Lesson causal loop diagramming and feedback loops.

Learning Outcomes
Intended Students should be able to meet the following intended learning outcomes:
Learning  Recognize the concepts of systems thinking.
Outcomes
Targets/ At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
Objectives  analyze the given problem/issue through causal loop diagram and feedback loops

Student Learning Strategies

Online Activities A. Online Discussion via Google Meet

(Synchronous/ You will be directed to attend in a Four-Hour class discussion on
scientific research in psychology. To have access to the Online
Asynchronous) Discussion, refer to this link: ____________________.

The online discussion will happen on Oct. 11 , 2021, from_________________.

(For further instructions, refer to your Google Classroom and see the
schedule of activities for this module)

B. Learning Guide Questions:

1. What makes a system thinker?
2. What are the types of thinkers?
Note: The insight that you will post on online discussion forum using Learning Management
System (LMS) will receive additional scores in class participation.

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: SYSTEMS THINKING

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

Lecture Guide
Systems Thinking is the art and science of making reliable inferences about
behavior by developing an increasingly deep understanding of underlying structure.

Cultivating this "art and science" leads to routine use of correct mental models
that see the world as a complex system whose behavior is controlled by its dynamic
structure, which is the way its feedback loops interact to drive the system's behavior.  The
term systems thinking is preferred to holistic or whole systems, which have looser and
more intuitive meanings, and emphasize understanding the whole rather than the
dynamic structure of the system.

Systems thinking is not stepping back to look at the whole, the big picture, or a
higher level. Nor is it realizing that when a butterfly flaps its wings in one place, that could
cause a hurricane far away. This helps, but does not lead to the major insights that emerge
when the feedback loop structure of the system becomes visible. When this happens night
becomes day. Systems thinking is the first step to an even higher level: system dynamics,
where instead of just thinking in terms of system structure you model it (Barry Richmond,
1987).

Systems thinking is a way of thinking about, and a language for describing and
Offline Activities understanding, the forces and interrelationships that shape the behavior of systems. This
(e-Learning/Self- discipline helps us to see how to change systems more effectively, and to act more in tune
Paced) with the natural processes of the natural and economic world (Peter Senge's The Fifth
Discipline Fieldbook).

• Systems Thinking has been defined as an approach to problem solving, by viewing

"problems" as parts of an overall system, rather than reacting to specific part,
outcomes or events and potentially contributing to further development of
unintended consequences. Systems thinking is not one thing but a set of habits or
practices within a framework that is based on the belief that the component parts
of a system can best be understood in the context of relationships with each other
and with other systems, rather than in isolation. Systems thinking focuses on
cyclical rather than linear cause and effect.

2 kinds of thinkers

• Everyone in the world can also be divided into two groups based on how they see
the world around them: event oriented thinkers and system thinkers.

• Most people, probably over 95%, are event oriented. 

They see the world as a rag tag collection of parts and events. Each event
has a cause and if you want to solve a problem, find the cause and fix
that. Applying this mind set to the global environmental sustainability problem,
they see people’s misbehavior as the cause of the problem. The solution, then, is

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: SYSTEMS THINKING

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

to get them to stop behaving so irresponsibly. This can be done with laws stating
what to do and not to do, plus emotional appeals to be nice to the environment.
When that solution fails, as it has for over 40 years, they just throw up their hands
and call it a hard problem. This mindset is also known as Classic Activism.

• Systems thinkers see the problem entirely differently. 

They see immense positive feedback loops causing swarms of agents to

exploit the Earth for their own benefit and population growth. This mode becomes
unsustainable when negative feedback loops finally start to push back as
environmental limits are approached. They don’t see people’s misbehavior as the
problem. Instead, they see the structure of the system as causing that
misbehavior. To solve the problem, system structure must be understood and
changed, so that feedback loops can be redesigned to cause people to behave
sustainably as a natural part of their everyday existence. This takes far more work
than writing a few quick new laws and pleading to save the world.

Systems thinking revolves around a handful of concepts that anyone who is determined
to learn can master, with study and practice. The key concepts are:

All systems are composed of inter-connected parts. The connections cause

behavior of one part to affect another. All parts are connected. A change to any part or
connection affects the entire system.

The structure of a system determines its behavior. Structure is the pattern of part

connections, which is how the system is organized. System behavior is at least a
thousand times more dependent on connections than parts because that’s what
determines how the parts work together. To understand a system’s gross behavior,
understand its structure. To change a system’s gross behavior, change its structure.

System behavior is an emergent phenomenon. How a system behaves cannot be

determined by inspection of its parts and structure. This is because parts are tightly
coupled, the parts and structure are constantly changing, feedback loops are present,
nonlinear relationships exist, behavior paths are history dependent, the system is self-
organizing and adaptive, emergent behavior is counterintuitive, time delays exist, the
human mind has very limited calculation abilities, etc. Once you realize how complex
the behavior dynamics of even a simple system really is, you will never again assume
you can look at a system and predict how it will behave.

Feedback loops control a system’s major dynamic behavior. A feedback loop is a

series of connections causing output from one part to eventually influence input to that
same part. This circular flow results in large amplification, delay, and dampening
effects, which is what causes the gross behavior of the system. Every part is involved in
one or more feedback loops. Systems have more feedback loops than parts, which
causes unimaginable complexity. Feedback loops are the main reason a system’s

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: SYSTEMS THINKING

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

behavior is emergent.

Complex social systems exhibit counter intuitive behavior. The problems of such

systems therefore cannot be solved using intuition and our everyday problem solving
methods. The use of intuitive methods to solve difficult complex social system
problems is a common trap, so common the entire environmental movement has fallen
into it. Only analytical methods using tools that fit the problem will solve difficult
complex social system problems. The first such tool to adopt is true systems thinking.
The second one is a process that fits the problem. The third one, unless it is an easy
problem, is system dynamics.
The Principles of Systems Thinking
1. A feedback loop is system structure that causes output from one node to eventually
influence input to that same node.
2. A feedback loop is either reinforcing or balancing.
3. The behavior of all dynamics systems is generated by its feedback loops. Therefore:
4. The important behavior of a system emerges from its key feedback loops.(The key
principle)
5. The behavior of a large complex system is generally so counterintuitive that it cannot be
correctly understood without modeling the system's key feedback loops.
The impetus for this short list began with an email from a new PHD in Germany. He was
attempting to learn systems thinking to augment his other skills and was encountering
trouble. He was suffering from: "a chaotic reading manner with inability to organise the
data and information that I am adding to my mind every day" as he attempted to "orderly
and systematically" develop a systems thinking view of his problem domain.
The problem was so bad that: "I feel that my knowledge is too basic and narrow to write a
paper about systems thinking with respect to" his current project. So, to help him out I
proposed using the above principles as a foundational framework. Understand the
principles. Then use them to systematically decide what to read, what to learn, and where
to focus.
Note that the fifth principle implies one must learn how to model if one is to become an
expert systems thinker. That opens the door to a whole new way of thwinking....

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: SYSTEMS THINKING

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

Engaging Activities

1. Distinguish which is Reinforcing Loop and Balancing Loop.

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: SYSTEMS THINKING

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

L/M
+
OFFICIAL BRIBERY

bureaucracy
M/L

gov’t. policy

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: SYSTEMS THINKING

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

L/M
+

OFFICIAL BRIBERY

L/M
suffering

basic public services

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: SYSTEMS THINKING

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

Performance Tasks

PT 1

Directions: Make a reinforcing loop and a balancing loop with 5 variables each considering “health
pandemic” as the issue.

Understanding Directed Assess

Rubric for three basic research questions and three applied research questions (PT 1)

2 / NEEDS
5 / EXCELLENT 4 / VERY GOOD 3 / AVERAGE 1 / UNACCEPTABLE
IMPROVEMENT

This paper is clear and This paper is mostly The writer is beginning to Topic is not well-defined As yet, the paper has no
focused. It holds the focused, and has some define the topic, even and/or there are too clear sense of purpose or
reader's attention. good details. though development is many topics. central theme. To extract
Ideas Relevant details enrich still basic or general. meaning from the text,
the central theme. the reader must make
inferences based on
sketchy or missing details.

The organization Paper (and paragraphs) The organizational Sentences within The writing lacks a clear
enhances and showcases are mostly organized, in structure is strong paragraphs make sense, sense of direction. Ideas,
the central idea or order, and makes sense enough to move the but the order of details, or events seem
theme. The order, to the reader. reader through the text paragraphs does not. strung together in a loose
Organization
structure of information without too much or random fashion; there
is compelling and moves confusion. is no identifiable internal
the reader through the structure.
text.

The writing has an easy The writing mostly flows, The text hums along with The text seems choppy The reader has to
flow, rhythm, and and usually invites oral a steady beat, but tends and is not easy to read practice quite a bit in
cadence. Sentences are reading. to be more businesslike orally. order to give this paper a
Sentence
well built, with strong than musical, more fair interpretive reading.
Fluency
and varied structure that mechanical than fluid.
invites expressive oral
reading.

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: SYSTEMS THINKING

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited
The writer demonstrates The write understands The writer shows The writer seems to have Errors in spelling,
a good grasp of standard good writing conventions reasonable control over a made little effort to use punctuation,
writing conventions (e.g., and usually uses them limited range of standard conventions: spelling, capitalization, usage, and
spelling, punctuation, correctly. Paper is easily writing conventions. punctuation, grammar and/or
capitalization, grammar, read and errors are rare; Conventions are capitalization, usage, paragraphing repeatedly
Conventions
usage, paragraphing) minor touch-ups would sometimes handled well grammar and/or distract the reader and
and uses conventions get this piece ready to and enhance readability; paragraphing have make the text difficult to
effectively to enhance publish. at other times, errors are multiple errors. read.
readability. distracting and impair
readability.

The form and The format only has a The writer's message is The writer's message is The reader receives a
presentation of the text few mistakes and is understandable in this only understandable garbled message due to
enhances the ability for generally easy to read format. occasionally, and paper is problems relating to the
Presentation the reader to understand and pleasing to the eye. messily written. presentation of the text,
and connect with the and is not typed.
message. It is pleasing to
the eye.

Adopted from:https://www.coursehero.com/file/41388589/EDRD-430-COOPER-Rubricdocx/

Learning Resources

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: SYSTEMS THINKING