ABOUT THE STEPS PROJECT
We are researchers who provide resources to incorporate systems thinking into university classrooms.
Purpose
The purpose of the Systems Thinking for Educational Problem Solving (STEPS) toward a Sustainable Future project is to create innovative tools for teaching undergraduate students at land-grant universities how to incorporate systems thinking into their thought processes.
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STEPS researchers will create reusable learning objects (RLOs) that can be incorporated into any classroom using choose-your-own-adventure scenarios to gamify learning and enhance student engagement.
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Students who use these RLOs will be equipped to
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solve complex problems
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understand the context of climate change in various scenarios
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engage with real-life situations that improve systems thinking abilities.
Why Systems Thinking?
Many of the complex, wicked problems in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences are caused or made worse by climate change.​
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Today's university students will be responsible for facing and solving these problems throughout their careers. Linear, short-term solutions will not be enough to address system-wide impacts of climate change.
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Empowering students to think beyond their areas of expertise and incorporate systems thinking into agricultural and environmental contexts will prepare them to face current and future challenges.
Who are we?
We are a team of university teachers and researchers from multiple universities dedicated to integrating innovative methods for teaching systems thinking into our courses.
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Our team is focused on creating resources, researching their impact, and sharing those resources with others to create a well-prepared agricultural and environmental workforce from today's undergraduates at land-grant universities.
