42082 Introduction to Complex Systems
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particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksThere are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
Through an introduction to complex systems and their characteristics, this subject allows the students to develop their knowledge and skills to deal with the so-called wicked problems they will encounter in practice, problems that do not lend themselves to 'solutions' but may allow some redress. Students will encounter and analyse complex systems and ways to cope with this complexity. This subject provides opportunities to students to assess the impacts of their interventions in such systems by considering the cultural, social, economic, institutional and technical aspects of these interventions.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Analyse cultural, social, economic, institutional and technical perspectives, and the opportunities and constraints they present in complex environments. (B.1) |
|---|---|
| 2. | Identify the appropriate mechanisms and tools to expose the social and environmental impacts of their interventions in complex systems, and the appropriate mechanism to deal with these (technical, legal, institutional, etc.) (C.1) |
| 3. | Identify and use techniques to cope with the uncertainty inherent in complex systems. (D.1) |
| 4. | Communicate understanding of systems and their management. (E.1) |
Teaching and learning strategies
Students will:
- Participate in pre-class preparation for in-class workshops.
- Engage collaboratively with issues with real systems in interactive in class workshops.
- Apply their acquired knowledge in dealing with complex systems in the group assignment.Students work in groups to tease out the systemic characteristics and complexity in the systems they work with and to assess the impacts of the decisions made in such environments.
- Develop reflective portfolio in which students will think about what they are learning and its implications, and of the feedback they receive from peers and academics.Students will relate their learning to life and career experiences.
- Use online discussion boards and blogs to post and discuss any issues about systems that raise concerns.Students find many items of current interest where systems concepts are essential.
Content (topics)
- Concept of systems
- Complex systems characteristics
- The notion of emergence
- Complex systems and IS
- Modelling and analysing complex systems
- Introduction to Agent Based Modelling
- Application areas
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Group Assignment
| Intent: | Allow students to collaboratively engage with complex systems and develop and demonstrate their understanding of such systems. |
|---|---|
| Type: | Project |
| Groupwork: | Group, group and individually assessed |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | Ten (10) pages maximum. |
Assessment task 2: Reflective portfolio
| Intent: | To allow students to use enquiry and reflective learning. |
|---|---|
| Type: | Reflection |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 40% |
| Length: | N/A |
Assessment task 3: Online Engagement
| Intent: | To allow students to engage in discussion/debate online to test their understanding of the material. |
|---|---|
| Type: | Exercises |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 10% |
| Length: | N/A |
Minimum requirements
To pass this subject, students must achieve an overall mark of 50% or greater.
Required texts
None – required readings will be available via the Canvas Reading List menu.
Recommended texts
Readings and references will be online.