Systems thinking curriculum as "strategy"


Güven Ç.

International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management, vol.1, no.2, pp.53-61, 2010 (Scopus) identifier

Abstract

The number of Industrial Engineering Departments has recently grown to more than 30 in Turkey, and competition for good students is tough. Most departments follow conventional industrial engineering curricula based on the North American model where systems concepts and systems thinking are not as much in focus as quantitative analysis and mathematical modelling. The IE Department of Middle East Technical University has a tradition of emphasising the systems approach and has recently decided to develop an educational strategy by expanding and building upon this tradition. It is thought that emphasising critical systems thinking is a prerequisite for making effective use of mathematical models and for effective IE practice. This paper reports on the methodology and the process of curriculum planning as strategy.