Workshop 2016 July

Systems Literacy Workshop

To be held on Sunday, 17 July 2016, at the

INCOSE International Symposium in Edinburgh, Scotland

Workshop Leader: Peter Tuddenham (see Bio below)

Systems Literacy is an ongoing international, coordinated effort to create a greater awareness and understanding about “Systems” in engineering, society, schools and universities and to develop a comprehensive set of big ideas, supporting concepts and learning progressions. This workshop will further advance the work completed in the past 12 months since this project began in Berlin at the ISSS Conference last August.

Workshop Aims: The purpose of workshop is:

    1. To present the background, structure and process of other literacy efforts for the ocean, earth science, atmosphere, climate, and for other subjects that serve as models for Systems Literacy.

    2. To outline the need for Systems Literacy and to describe the development of content and process for System Literacy.

    3. To engage workshop participants in a participative design process to contribute to the development and design of the Systems Literacy initiative.

    4. To relate Systems Literacy big ideas and concepts to systems engineering and to model-based systems engineering (MBSE) in particular.

    5. To identify specific opportunities that will support educational activities for developing Systems Literacy for the general public, for engineers of all disciplines, and for systems engineering education and training.

    6. To identify contributions to Systems Literacy from subjects such as geosciences, biology, design, complexity, complex adaptive systems, natural systems, biomimicry and natural philosophy.

Workshop Objectives: At the end of the workshop you will be able:

    1. To describe the need for Systems Literacy in society and for systems engineers.

    2. To outline the roles of the various organizations involved in the Systems Literacy effort and also to help identify other possible partners in the effort.

    3. To make a contribution to developing an understanding of models and modelling principles and concepts for use in MBSE efforts.

    4. To join the global efforts to develop and promote Systems Literacy.

INCOSE is partnered on this project with the International Society for the Systems Sciences and the International Federation for Systems Research to help advance our understanding of the principles and concepts for Systems Literacy.

Biography:

Mr. Peter Tuddenham is founder of the College of Exploration, a global online learning network established in 1991. He is currently Vice President for Systems Education for the International Society for Systems Sciences. He obtained a BSc in Business from Regis University and went on to graduate study in Systems Design with Dr. Bela Banathy at Saybrook University. He studied Cybernetics and Systems with Professor Bill Reckmeyer at San Jose State University.

Mr Tuddenham began his working career when commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1973 as an Engineer Officer in the British Army’s Corps of Royal Engineers. He first encountered the topic of “Systems Behaviour” on the course of that name at the UK’s Open University in 1979. After moving to the USA in 1980 he worked as Corporate Communications Systems Manager for the Coors Brewing Company, in Golden, Colorado. He went on to be Strategic Issues Manager for the nuclear power utility Arizona Public Service in Phoenix, Arizona. He was a guest faculty for three years at the U.S. Army War College where he was a co-instructor on a course called “Creative Problem Solving for Systems Leadership”.

Throughout his career in business, government and academia encompassing human resources, public relations, corporate strategy, corporate information systems, executive development, issues management, environmental education and personal and organization development he has introduced systems and cybernetic ideas, theories and methodologies whenever possible. He is currently interested in developing a Systems Literacy Initiative across system, organizational and national boundaries.