The Case for Systems Thinking in Undergraduate Engineering Education

Abstract

Systems Thinking is an approach to solving complex problems that cannot be solved using conventional means. It helps engineers design functional and reliable systems and it helps to understand why the world looks and behaves as it does. However, Systems Thinking is usually not integrated into undergraduate engineering curricula; instead, it is either taught as a stand-alone, independent program or course, or it is not taught at all. We believe that this is sub-optimal. In this position paper we seek to start a discussion by explaining what Systems Thinking is and its benefits, why it is important to teach it to undergraduate engineers, and how to teach it, using examples for each of the principal engineering disciplines. We also discuss obstacles and limitations and propose an approach to inculcating systems thinking into engineering curricula.