First-year class: Applying systems and creative thinking to complex challenges

Systems thinking and creative thinking are complementary skills for addressing challenges, solving problems, and envisioning outcomes. Both skills are crucial for many professions. MIT first-year students are presently not systemically learning structured approaches for applying these skills. The proposed project will involve the design, implementation, and evaluation of a Spring ’22 first-year class under the auspices of the NEET program. Students will learn fundamental concepts related to systems thinking and creative thinking and apply approaches, methods, and tools for systems thinking and creative thinking taken from model-based systems engineering, management science, cognitive psychology, and educational research. The proposed project will build on previous d’Arbeloff awards.