Interdisciplinary Systems Thinking
- Academic year 2024-2025
- DP00AX01

Education information
Implementation date
05.02.2025 - 25.03.2025
Enrollment period
-
Education type
Field-specific studies
Alternativity of education
Optional
Location
Linnanmaa
Enrollment and further information
Registration to the course in Peppi with course code DP00AX01
Prof. Aarne Mämmelä (aarne.mammela(at)vtt.fi)
Coordinator Mirjami Jutila (mirjami.jutila(at)oulu.fi)
Education description
Course information in the Study Guide of the University of Oulu
Study Guide of the University of Oulu: https://opas.peppi.oulu.fi/en/
Course code: DP00AX01
Extent: 5 ECTS
Enrollment to the course through Peppi!
Learning outcomes:
The course shows how the different disciplines converge towards similar generic system models called archetypes, although the terminology is often different. The course breaks barriers between the disciplines and improves our creativity in our daily work so that we can collaborate in an interdisciplinary team to solve the most complex problems of our time.
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- appreciate the importance of systems thinking
- know the history of systems thinking
- understand system theories and generic system models called system archetypes
- understand the finiteness of human knowledge
Study Methods
- 13 sessions of face-to-face lectures (each 3 hours)
- 2 learning diaries
More detailed instructions for completing the course and instructions for operating in the Moodle course
- Lectures (39 hours)
- 1. learning diary on the textbook including chapters Wiener, Ashby, von Bertalanffy, Boulding, Forrester, Prigogine and Lewin by 28.2.2025. The diary includes a brief introduction, an about half a page summary of each chapter and a brief summary of what was learned, altogether 5-6 pages. In addition, there is a title page containing course and student information and table of contents. Paraphrasing of the text must be used, copying of other students' learning diaries and the use of AI are not allowed. Textbook: M. Ramage and H. Shipp, Systems Thinkers | SpringerLink 2nd ed. London: Springer, 2020 (open access with oulu.fi address)
- 2. learning diary on the lectures by 15.4.2025 including 9-13 sessions. The diary includes a brief introduction, an about half a page summary of each session and a brief summary of what was learned, altogether 6-7 pages. In addition, there is a title page containing course and student information and table of contents. Paraphrasing of the text must be used, copying of other students' learning diaries and the use of AI are not allowed. Orienting questions for the learning diary are possible in each lecture session.
The course is communicated through the Moodle course space and email.
Schedule
The course lectures completion period is 5.2.-25.3.2025
1. learning diary must delivered by 28.2.2025 and the 2. learning diary by 15.4.2025, both through Moodle.
Assessment scale
Pass / Fail
Assessment criteria
Face-to-face lectures with attendance of 9/13 to lectures to gain credits
Approved 1. and 2. learning diaries
Course feedback
We collect feedback with Peppi's Course Feedback tool and in Moodle.
Please give feedback on the course. Feedback can be used to develop this course.
You can give continuous feedback throughout the course. You will find a link to continuous feedback immediately at the beginning of the course in the section called "Feedback".