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Systems thinking: An experimental course for college freshmen

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Abstract

An experimental interdisciplinary freshman course called “The Systems Approach to the Universe” was taught at North Carolina State University in the Spring of 1986. The goals of the course were to introduce principles of general systems theory; to provide examples through lectures and readings of applications of these principles in a wide variety of fields and disciplines; and to introduce and provide practice in critical questioning and evaluation. This paper outlines what was done, how it worked, and how the instructors and the students assessed the experience afterwards.

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He received his B.Ch.E. from the City College of New York, and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Princeton University. Barbara A. Soloman is Coordinator of Advising for the Academic Skills Program and Lecturer in the University Studies Program at North Carolina State University. She received her B.S. in mathematics from the City College of New York and her M.S. in mathematics from North Carolina State University.

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Felder, R.M., Soloman, B.A. Systems thinking: An experimental course for college freshmen. Innov High Educ 12, 57–68 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00889602

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