Category: 02 – Understanding Systems
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Sub-Systems and Hierarchy
See previous posts on Sub-systems and Hierarchy. Previous concepts noted several sub-systems, these are controlling the transformation: Technology infrastructure, including tech staff Administration Quality measurement Tutor support Student support Each of the sub-systems would need analysis as if there were a system in their own right.
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Control
See previous post on Control. Control aspects: Student’s payment of fees: no payment means students remain potential students in environment. Results in no profit. Qualification pass rate: feedback – what needs to be improved, re-enforces transformation process. Student satisfaction: happiness factor. Use as positive feedback to improve good things and negative feedback to bad things.…
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Inputs, Outputs and Transformation
See previous post on Input and Output. Inputs Students Tutors Outputs Happy, qualified students. Act as form of positive feedback by encouraging others to become students. Quality assessment. Some used as feedback to improve students’ experience and quality of education. Direct feedback by way of self-assessment. Indirect feedback by way of quality reported to outside…
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Boundary and Environment
See previous posts on Boundary and Environment. If system can control component/element it is inside boundary and part of system. If system cannot control component/element but has influence on system it is in environment and outside system. Boundary will be defined so that: Students – study activities inside boundary, social & personal life in environment.…
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System Purpose/Goals/Objectives
See previous post on Goals and Objectives. Example: Global e-learning company. System definition: Provide distance learning throughout the world and some fixed site learning in the UK. It will use online materials and provide tutor support to students. In analysis of system, we should question our assumptions and ensure that what we think the system…
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Time-Lag
Many systems have processes with time-lag in their behaviour. Changes to systems’ behaviour do not occur immediately when a change to the inputs or transformation process is made. Changes can take significant amount of time to take effect, therefore can be difficult to predict system behaviour. Unintended changes might not become apparent for significant…
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Non-Linearity
Many systems display non-linear behaviour i.e. their outputs are not directly proportional to their inputs. Non-linear systems do not satisfy superposition principal, or superposition property. For all linear systems, net response at given place and time caused by two or more stimuli is sum of responses which would have been caused by stimuli individually. If input A…
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Holistic and Reductionist views
Holistic Concept that system is greater than the sum of its parts, see the Bicycle and Central Heating systems for examples. Trying to identify all connections to systems environment, view is limited to that environment. By looking beyond the holistic or systemic view, we would be considering the ecological view recognising “the fundamental interdependence of…
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Transformation
System in some way performs a transformation on its inputs from the environment and then sends them as outputs back to the environment. Transformation occurs to support system purpose, goals and objectives. No transformation then no system.
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Perspectives and Stakeholders
It is vital to identify stakeholders and their level of interest in the system. Different stakeholders may have different perspectives – a view on something at a point in time. Perspectives can change in light of new information or change in circumstance. Example: Perspectives of a bicycle Environmentalist – mode of transport with minimal impact…