Courses: SYSC 513: Systems Approach: Fall 2006

Systems Science Ph.D. Program, PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
George Lendaris 206 Harder House (10th & Market) (503)725-4988 lendaris@sysc.pdx.edu

Summary:

This course provides a practitioner-oriented definition of systems, including the importance of observer dependence and context, and ideas of meta-systems, subsystems (Lendaris); philosophical foundations, human dimensions, value systems and associated optimization/sub-optimization, casuistry, aspects of life-cycle project management, and economic decision making (Hall); inquiring systems (Mitroff & Turoff); key aspects of human learning organizations, systems thinking, and systems modeling (Senge); qualitative tools for the systems practitioner, including various graphical tools (Delp); and the multiple perspectives aspect of the systems approach, both "horizontal" and "vertical" (Lendaris, Hall, and Linstone).

This course fulfills a core SySc requirement.

Prerequisites:

• Graduate status or permission of the instructor.

Syllabus

Course Schedule

Assignments

Selected Readings (as PDF files):

Week 1

• Lendaris, G.G., IEEE, Vol. SMC-16, No.4, "On Systemmess and the Problem Solver: Tutorial Comments"
• Hall, IEEE, Vol.SSC-5, No. 2, "Three-Dimensional Morphology of Systems Engineering"

Week 3

• Mitroff & Turoff: "Tech. forecasting..."
• Turoff & Mitroff: "A case study..."

Week 7

• Warfield, Societal Systems, Ch. 3
• Lendaris, "On Human Aspects of Structural Modeling," excerpt

Week 10

• ISM Packet
  • Malone
  • Lendaris
  • Warfield

Teaching Style:

• Students read assigned papers and prepare "Cognitive Maps" as described in the Learning Thru Discussion text. Students participate actively in class discussions, including playing a leadership role. Sample Cognitive Map

Grade basis:

• Homework 1/3
• Class Participation 1/3
• Final Exam (take-home) 1/3