Engineering education reform has been a topic of discussion for the last twenty years. The concern has only intensified in recent years as stakeholders strive to improve quality in engineering education. Today, stakeholders are recognizing that one of the keys to successful engineering education reform is in taking a systems view of higher education. Academic departments within the higher education system are organized around academic disciplines for the purpose of creating, transferring, and applying knowledge in three principal areas: teaching, research and service. This study addresses the need for quality improvement in the engineering higher education system by first completing a literature review in order to identify recurring themes on the issue. A proposed systems view is presented. The thesis builds a case for viewing students as the primary stakeholder based on stakeholder theory concepts. The application of a systems view is then used to identify the impacts of the recurring issues on the identified stakeholders of the system. Recommendations are made to address the system’s issues.

This comparative case study aimed to explore the elements that align with Senge&rsquo / s framework of the Learning Organization, comprised of the disciplines of Personal Mastery, Shared Vision, Mental Models, Team Learning, and Systems Thinking, in the English Language Preparatory Programs of two selected higher education institutions to determine what characteristics of a learning organization they possess. In this study, qualitative case study method was employed. The study was conducted in two organizations, one (Organization A), part of a private Englishmedium university, and the other (Organization B), part of a public Englishmedium university, in Ankara, Turkey. The sample contained seven administrators and twenty-two instructors from Organization A and seventeen instructors and 3 administrators from Organization B. The data collected through semi-structured interviews were analyzed using content analysis technique. The findings revealed that both organizations are evolving towards a learning organization, but have not institutionalized the five disciplines to an ideal state yet. Organization A is doing somewhat better than Organization B as regards the disciplines of Team Learning and Personal Mastery / however, there is no considerable difference between the organizations in terms of the disciplines of Shared Vision, Mental Models and Systems Thinking. Overall, in both organizations there are impediments in terms of the development and achievement of personal visions, learning of individuals and teams, development of a shared vision, surfacing and questioning mental models, and acting from a comprehensive systems approach.

In order to make company work efficiently, managers often divide an enterprise into several functions or departments, such as sales, marketing, human resource, finance and manufacture. However, in this structure, managers would fail to see the wood for the trees. Because each department manager has to be responsible for his own performance, which may easily leads these managers to make decisions that are fit for their department instead of the whole company. Therefore, it¡¦s impossible for companies to make an optimized decision in a dynamic environment. As we enlarge space and time, we can find out that decisions may influence one by another, and the feedback of each decision has a long time delay which makes the manager try to see the wood for the trees even harder. For one manager who tries to show up his performance in a short time will leave the side effect which caused by time delay to other people. What even worse is they can¡¦t predict how much side effect is behind. In this research, we used system dynamics and systems thinking to develop our system dynamics model for the case study. And we developed a MFS(management flight simulator) as a learning tool. Students who manipulate this MFS can enrich their ability to see the wood for the trees. In this case study, we choose a factory which provide electronic product assemble services as a research object. The company was established since AD 1989 until now. After first five years hard working time, it started to grow up stably by keeping changing the product and service. In this industry, success is relied on product quality, price, service and delivery time. Only by making the optimized decision in this competition market can gain better performance. This thesis simulated the case company surface mount technology plant from 1995 to 2006 for 12 years. Students can make different decisions to obtain different equity and capital equipment to evaluate their performance. By different result, simulators can reconsider the structure which is behind the game and their own mental models. After learning from this virtual world, players will find out that their own mental models influencing the final result. From the result and experience, one simulator can accumulate their know-how for the next game. After experiencing this double loop learning process, player will finally learn how to make the best decisions by systems thinking for the real world. Keywords : System Dynamics¡BSystems Thinking¡BDynamic Complexity¡BEnterprise Modeling¡BManagement Flight Simulator¡BSurface Mount Technology(SMT)¡BElectronic Manufacturing Services(EMS)

Engineering education reform has been a topic of discussion for the last twenty years. The concern has only intensified in recent years as stakeholders strive to improve quality in engineering education. Today, stakeholders are recognizing that one of the keys to successful engineering education reform is in taking a systems view of higher education. Academic departments within the higher education system are organized around academic disciplines for the purpose of creating, transferring, and applying knowledge in three principal areas: teaching, research and service. This study addresses the need for quality improvement in the engineering higher education system by first completing a literature review in order to identify recurring themes on the issue. A proposed systems view is presented. The thesis builds a case for viewing students as the primary stakeholder based on stakeholder theory concepts. The application of a systems view is then used to identify the impacts of the recurring issues on the identified stakeholders of the system. Recommendations are made to address the system’s issues.

VitalSmarts® Crucial Conversations™ general program theory might be a possible countermeasure addressing organizational culture and communication factors affecting quality and safety. This practice inquiry reports: a VitalSmarts® Crucial Conversations™ general program logic model, a major medical center's Crucial Conversations™ historical implementation program logic model, a clinical exemplar central line associated blood stream infection program logic model; and, findings that describe the fidelity of the major medical center's Crucial Conversations™ historical implementation and clinical exemplar central line associated blood stream infection program logic model to the VitalSmarts® Crucial Conversations™ general program logic model. The results demonstrated there was no fidelity between the major medical center's Crucial Conversations™ program logic model and the VitalSmarts® Crucial Conversations™ general program logic model. The clinical exemplar CLABSI program logic model and VitalSmarts® Crucial Conversations™ general program logic model fidelity differed in intended outcomes. The results might suggest that program adaptability along with program fidelity are factors that influence program strength, and these factors must be uniquely balanced within organizational dynamics to realize intended outcomes. The formative evaluation and program logic model might be a feasible methodology and applicable tool for exploring quality and safety within complex adaptive systems, such as organizational culture, where constraints possibly could exclude more rigorous scientific methodologies until factors are more understood.

Developmental evaluation (Patton, 1994, 2011) is one of the latest approaches to be introduced into evaluation practice. It purports to support the development of social innovation by infusing evaluative thinking through collaboration between program clients and the developmental evaluator (Patton, 2011). In an attempt to build “practical knowledge” (Schwandt, 2008) about this emerging approach, this research seeks to investigate the capacity of developmental evaluation to support innovation. This thesis reports on a case study of the Assessment Pilot Initiative (API) where developmental evaluation was used to support the development of a novel approach to teacher education. Charged with a vision to innovate their own teaching practices and the learning of teacher candidates, the instructors of the case invited a developmental evaluator onboard in a yearlong collaboration. While the instructors, along with the developmental evaluator, were uncertain about the outcome of the initiative or how best to proceed, this engagement resulted in a novel adaptation of microblogging web technology (Twitter) that came to be piloted with a group of teacher candidates. This thesis presents an analysis of the development process and the contributions developmental evaluation made in enabling the development of the API. Such analysis is anchored in the records of the program development, and in the perspectives of the program clients and the developmental evaluator. Analyzing the program development records for developmental moments revealed certain trends and patterns that, when triangulated with interview data from program clients and with reflections from the developmental evaluator, provided intricate insights into how the development came about and of the contributions developmental evaluation made in this case. Development of API proceeded in a highly nonlinear, emergent process through six foci of development. Critical to addressing the uncertainty and complexity that might had otherwise inhibited development, developmental evaluation enabled a data-informed approach that lent a quality of responsiveness to the emergent, evolving nature of the initiative. The developmental evaluator was instrumental in identifying activities that helped make explicit values and assumptions underpinning the initiative and in structuring a learning framework to engage program clients in sense-making. The notion of design emerged from analysis as an important function of developmental evaluation. Implications of the findings are discussed. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2011-12-29 18:05:34.631

Thesis (MEng)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Performance management systems are integral to many organisations. On all levels of management such performance measurements are used to drive a desired behaviour and business units, departments, as well as individuals are rewarded for meeting or exceeding set targets. In large silo-structured organisations, divisions are particularly focused on their own targets and responsibilities. This may result in a diminished view of the effect their strategies and processes may have on overall stakeholder value. These divisions execute strategies to enhance the achievement of their own goal. The execution of these strategies sometimes hampers other divisions in meeting their goals. The net effect of this hampering may result in reduced stakeholder value. A mechanism is needed through which organisational divisions can evaluate the systemic environment, in order to identify hampering processes. The case may be that their processes are hampering other divisions, or that their processes as such are being hampered. The main objective of this research study was to develop such a mechanism. This mechanism emerged through a framework which can be used during investigations of hampering processes. Such investigation is conducted by following six predefined steps to guide the investigator in identifying the hampering factors. This framework was developed by combining primarily three disciplines: Systems thinking, Performance evaluation and Supplier perceived value. The evaluation framework was validated through three case studies. In all of the cases the framework delivered the expected result. It is thus concluded that organisations can apply the framework to help identify systemic environmental factors that may hamper business processes. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Prestasiebestuurstelsels maak ʼn integrale deel uit van die meeste organisasies. Prestasiebeoordeling word op alle vlakke van bestuur ingespan om die verlangde gedrag aan te moedig. Sake-eenhede, departemente en individue word vergoed indien hulle die gestelde doelwitte haal of oorskry. In groot silo-gedrewe organisasies is afdelings grootliks gefokus op hulle eie verantwoordelikhede en om hulle eie doelwitte te bereik. Gevolglik verminder dit soms die uitwerking wat die uitkomste van hulle strategieë en prosesse het op die belanghebbendes van die organisasie. Hierdie afdelings voer dus strategieë uit om hulle eie doelwitte te behaal. Soms verhinder hierdie strategieë ander afdelings om hulle doelwitte te bereik. Die basiese effek hiervan kan wees dat minder waarde aan die belanghebbendes deurgegee word. ‘n Organisasie het dus ʼn meganisme nodig om die sistemiese omgewing mee te evalueer en sodoende prosesse te identifiseer wat belemmer is of wat belemmering kan veroorsaak. Die hoofdoel van hierdie navorsingstudie was om so ʼn meganisme te ontwikkel. Hierdie meganisme het na vore gekom in ʼn raamwerk wat tydens ondersoeke gebruik kan word om belemmering te identifiseer. Die raamwerk is ontwikkel deur hoofsaaklik drie dissiplines in gedagte te hou: Sistemiese Benadering, Prestasie-beoordeling en die Begrip van verskafferwaarde. Die raamwerk is aan die hand van drie gevallestudies getoets en in al drie gevalle het die raamwerk die verwagte resultate opgelewer. Die gevolgtrekking is dus gemaak dat organisasies wel die raamwerk kan toegepas kan om die sistemiese omgewing te evalueer en sodoende die belemmering van prosesse op mikrovlak uit te wys.

The goal of this thesis is to understand how the Biomimicry Toolbox (BT), a practical tool for applying biomimicry, currently supports strategic thinking in order to create sustainable solutions. A pragmatic qualitative research approach was used, in which the BT was analysed through the lens of the Five Level Framework (5LF), a tool for planning and analysing in complex systems and the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, the application of the 5LF for sustainability endeavours. Interviews were conducted with people experienced with the BT. Results show that the BT has several aspects of strategic thinking. It supports the application of a systems perspective, provides a success goal to move towards and offers tools for a strategic process to follow. The authors conclude that the BT could benefit from including understanding of the patterns and structures of the social system in relation with the earth system. Also, it can benefit from including a section on upstream thinking helping users of the BT consider root causes. Lastly, it could benefit from a strategic approach for evaluating how sustainable solutions are and include a simple and clear prioritisation process. The improvements can make the BT more impactful in supporting societies transition towards sustainability.

Youth will be dealing with the global sustainability challenge that our world is currently facing. They are considered to play a crucial role as future leaders in the transition towards a more sustainable society. These leaders need an inherent understanding of the sustainability challenge that they are confronted with. This research explores how sustainability practitioners can use Theory U in order to help younger generations approach sustainability. Both the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) and Theory U informed this research as they use a systems thinking approach to deal with complexity. A qualitative research approach was chosen, and sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results revealed seven overarching themes around youth, youth and sustainability, and using Theory U with youth. The findings suggest that Theory U can support sustainability practitioners in working with youth as it offers a strong systems thinking approach, personal development, and connectedness for youth. Complementary with the FSSD’s rigorous approach to sustainability, Theory U offers great potential to youth and sustainability that is yet untapped. In equipping youth at an early age with leadership skills, capacities, and a wider awareness, Theory U can plant the seeds for future sustainability leaders to grow.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate how young children’s narration of an everyday object, the meatball, is a beneficial approach to systems thinking and if something emerges that could be useful in education for sustainable development in early childhood education. In a world of complexities, our role as participants in systems encompassing food, energy and waste is neglected in favor of drawing attention to individual events. Systems thinking is about understanding complexity, a key aspect of the resilience approach to sustainable development. Research shows valuable return-on-investments from early childhood education for sustainable development, but the field lack academic attention. The research method is case studies at pre-schools based on narrative inquiry. The study creates situations where children explore their own boundaries. Findings show that humans are largely missing from the children’s social-ecological system and a difference in the approach of acknowledging uncertainty vs. imaginary explanations to phenomena surrounding a meatball. It finds that zooming out from one familiar object is a simple way to introduce systems thinking in early childhood education and that narration is a useful approach to identify knowledge gaps.