Abstract for: Introduction to System Dynamics Modeling for Math and Science Instruction: Online Professional Development Opportunity

If System Dynamics (SD) modeling is to be infused in precollege, community college, and early undergraduate mathematics and science classrooms, instructors need to have an opportunity to receive training that would give them instruction in some of the core SD constructs (stock/flow structures, feedback loop analysis, designing dimensionless multipliers, etc.), best model-building practices, curriculum (model-building lessons), experience building the lessons they could use with their students, and experience designing some of their own introductory SD modeling lessons. This online course will provide such experiences for the math or science instructor who is new to SD modeling but who wants to start having his/her students build small models as part of their course of study. Four (quarter) credits from Portland State University will be available but not required. This workshop will present the structure of the online course and give participants an opportunity to build some small models. (Participants should bring laptops.) An online sequel course is being developed and will be available in a year. The sequel course will allow math and science instructors who want to expand their SD modeling capabilities to the next level, more independent model-building experiences, an opportunity to do so.