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Teaching |
Teaching Mission
To engage students in systemic thinking about dynamic problems, particularly economics and economic policy issues, and develop students' system dynamics modeling skills.
Courses
At the University of Bergen in Norway, I teach modeling to international students in the two-year master's degree program in system dynamics. My primary autumn course is called "The System Dynamics Modeling Process I" (GEO-SD304). Students learn to define problems dynamically, develop hypotheses for problematic dynamic behaviour, formulate and validate computer simulation models, and design policies to improve systemic behaviour. Beginning in the spring 2010, a new course (GEO-SD 308, "The System Dynamics Modeling Process II) will be offered. The new course will give special emphasis to a key purpose of modeling--improving the behaviour of social systems by designing feasible and robust policies while avoiding adverse unintended consequences. Students will gain experience using a structured method for policy design and evaluation that reflects an informed view of institutional and cultural constraints on policy feasibility and outcomes, including costs and benefits. Students will also develop skills for interacting with those for whom the modelling work is done, including elicitation of information about the dynamic problem, relevant organizational procedures, and potential obstacles to implementing new policies.
I also teach distance learning courses in macroeconomics (ECO 201) and microeconomics (ECO202) to U.S. students at Virginia Western Community College, using an interactive computer simulation model of the U.S. economy called MacroLab. In additiion, 2009 marks the second opportunity for an SD approach to applied microeconomics (GRA 6037) with graduate students at ISM University of Management and Economics in Lithuania.
Guest Lectures
Chemnitz Technical University, Germany (2007)
Brandenburg Technical University at Cottbus, Germany (2007)
University of Talca, Chile (2007)
Staffordshire University, U.K. (2007)
Cairo University, Egypt (2007)
Thesis Students
Junaid Hassan. "Capturing the Dynamics of Panic Disorder: A System Dynamics Translation of the Contemporary Biological and Psychological Conceptualization of Panic Disorder" (2008)
Alexander Focus. "The AIDS Epidemic in Tanzania: A System Dynamics Approach for Policy Development." (2008)
Huang Lizhen. "Can System Dynamics Improve Project Management Teaching? An Experimental Study." (2008)
Hu Qian. "Modeling Oscillatory Shortage of Electricity Generating Capacity in China: A System Dynamics Approach." (2008)
Ying Wenjun. "Portfolio Contracts In Supply Chain Risk Management: Analysis of Procurement Strategy with System Dynamics Models." (2008)
Maria González Galvis. "Can System Dynamics in the Classroom have Effects that Go Beyond the Classroom? An Experiment with Civics Instruction." (2008)
Margarita Cruz Barrientos. "Evaluating System Dynamics as a Tool for Teaching History." (2007)
Juan Pérez Velásquez. "A Policy Analysis Study to Reduce the Impact of Fluctuations in Colombia's Coffee Market: A System Dynamics Approach."
Mai Adel Ibrahim. "Employment and Unemployment in Egypt: A System Dynamics Approach for Policy Assessment."
Doaa El-Kordy Ahmed Amin. "An Experimental Study for Assessing a System Dynamics-based Training Process for Software Project Management"
Baobing An. "Project Management of a Marine Crane Enterprise using System Dynamics."
Haiyan Yan. "Improving the Profit Margin in the Household Appliance Industry: A System Dynamics Perspective."