Systems Thinking in Higher Education: Defining Mental Models to Shift Perspective

Mental models are assumptions and beliefs people develop over time based on their lived experiences. Systems thinkers actively strive to understand the implicit and explicit mental models at play in a system. The ladder of inference is a tool that helps clarify mental models as a pathway to understand how knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes influence actions. Participants in this workshop will be introduced to the concept of mental models, how they influence student learning, and generate potential activities for implementation in the classroom.