Example of a model with Vensim. You define concepts, the computer make the calculations dynamics

System Dynamics

Online Postgraduate University Course

OPINIONS

Karen Cordero
USA
'Juan, I FINISHED IT! Only a few gliches, but I worked it out! WOW, it works too! I even played around with some of the data to change the graphs, you can manipulate just about everything! So, can man truly identify the factors that influence and effect the environment in just about every facet?? ABSOLUTELY! Not only can we manipulate data, but we can manipulate true-life circumstances by ruining ecosystems as well as try to conserve and save them! This is really interesting!'


Malamati Nikolaos Vernadaki
Greece
'I have to admit that it was the most interesting course I have participate in my life!. I am so excited that in such a little time I have learned how a model works and it's possibilities in life. Everything I did was something new, and as I learned more, the more interesting the course became! I've learned how to think globally and to relate the variables so that I will have the result that I want.'

Reinhard Simon
Alemania
'Well, long time ago I was a university teacher for many years, I’ve got some experience in this job. So I must say, it is a very good course, no doubt about it, in the theoretical part as well as in the practical tasks. There are didactically well structured explanations followed by very skilfully put questions. These questions cannot be answered by simply reproducing of what is written in the textbook or in other sources. They force the student to think, which in turn increases the efficiency of learning to huge extends. Very good indeed, Juan, you’re an excellent teacher!'

Christian Longet
Francia
'I think the main interest of this method is that it leads to consider real problems in a different way (at least for me), to understand the behaviour even if we miss some aspects and to be able to draw the key points which are influential. Especially when we come from a scientific activity in the industry, we like to play with obvious and real items, like measurements, statistical data and so on. Most of the time we focus on this and try to find a solution by using classical methods. And sometimes it doesn't work! Because we forgot or we miss something. Now, very often, when I'm thinking about something I find oneself considering it using system dynamics method, and I'm surprised to see how we can handle the problem differently and better understand it, even without building a model.'

João Ferreira Dias
Portugal
'Congratulations to you and your team about the SD course. The texts, specially your books, are very well written and the selected exercises progressivelly allow to understand how to do SD modelling, as well as to know how to worlk with Vensiom software. And your immediate answer to all my emails, some of them late at night or on sundays!, encouraged me to work more. Thanks!'

Sabina Kuntner
Italy
'I liked the speed at which I received answers to my questions, the accuracy in replying to each aspect I enquired about, and the personal touch (the humor) that made taking part at this course very entertaining. Also you are very good at incouraging students, and reassuring them that they are doing a good job. '

Suzana Andonova
Rep. Macedonia
'It was a pleasure working with you and having you available almost 24 hours a day. For me this was a new experience and it is true that it makes you to start thinking on many details in different way, to observe the problem from completely different point of view, with a new approach in finding a solution for it. There were many questions that were coming in my mind during building models in this course, but most of them were very soon clarified through the modeling work and researching the available literature that was given on the CD. '

Arnaldo Vecchietti
Italy
'Taking part to the System Dynamics Course is the most exciting experience of distance learning I have ever had. Before this one I took a couple of different distance courses managed by an university and by an international business school. Both were interesting but really “cold”!. Good contents but no communication and involvement. No emotion in doing it. Where as this course have tourned up to be really fascinating. And I ‘m sure this depends on the teacher, and you are great on your job.'

Mark Mifsud
Malta
'1. The course was quite interesting. It built up slowly until the computer software simulation. 2. Excellent email facilities. 3. Excellent availibility of tutor.'

Andrea Bassi
Italy
'To sum up i can say that the most positive aspects of the course are:
- your service (fast reply, good explainattion of the exercices);
- the possiblity to install and use soft ware of simulation;
- the presence of different levels of diffficulty in the exercices;
- the material in the cd-rom.'

Ron Van Buskirk
USA
'I really enjoyed your course a lot. I liked how you presented the exercises in a progressive manner that made it really easy to pick up on using system dynamics.'

Paola Logli
Nouvelle Calédonie
I practise footing two or three time a week, early in the morning. Here in New Caledonia, it’s the end of the raining season. Yesterday morning, i wake up for my footing, and it’s was raining, I didn’t have really wish to go out. I thought that for about 4 months at year, I have less wishes to do sport. And immediately I was thinking a “ratio wishing” linked to a Pulse function in a model for analyse sport behaviours : at five in the morning…. What I try to tell is that I could never have this reflexion if I had followed a classic course, looking at a Power Point presentation with one teacher speaking. The pedagogy of this online course really push student to be involved. That’s means searching information in every form, reading, and thinking. Just find on the exercise a new sign (for exemple, a "delay marking), it wake up attention and it keeps it up, a “what’s is this stuff…”, it wake up interest, and then an actively searching, at the end, i believe using the mind and deeply integrated the lesson. I really think that this kind of pedagogy it’s excellent: it develops interest and attention, making the student a true actor of his course. Today, I know that I can clearly identify the small importants bricks (loops, feedbacks, relations between entities). I start to understand the graphics lines significations, and I know I’m able to following the road maps. I know that I’m not immediately able to build a good complex model, but I know that I can start with some simple ones, then merge with others, and try to run it, look at the results, compare them, etc. and I think to know where difficulties are (to find the right significant information, the relations, to be able to filter and simplify the context).