Information on individual educational components (ECTS-Course descriptions) per semester

No prerequisites.

Time slot: 20 February to 10 April 2025, on Thursdays from 6 pm and intensive training week (= Blockwoche) from 2 to 5 June 2025

For the intensive training week permanent attendance at the course must be ensured.

Course language: German

Course occupancy: Minimum 9 persons / maximum 18 persons

Course costs: None

Sustainability: Which of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals is particularly promoted depends on the systems being worked on.

Various approaches of systems theory (e.g. cybernetics, synergetics, chaos theory) and their application to questions of management and the design of living environments.

Characteristics of systems and transfer to application examples from different disciplines.

System definitions, boundaries of systems, networking, openness, processuality, feedback, feedback loops, non-linearity, self-organisation, pattern and structure formation, system archetypes, sustainability, etc.

Creation of multi-relational impact structures. Tools for the analysis, prediction and representation of systems and processes/system behaviour.

Theoretical models and practical exercises on cooperation and communication in interdisciplinary teams for the effective organisation of interdisciplinary cooperation in solving complex requirements.

Typical human errors in thinking when dealing with systems, ‘logic of failure’, system traps and their solutions.

System competence and system dynamics.

System-oriented modelling using impact networks and other supplementary methods (stakeholder analysis, balanced scorecard, scenario techniques, sensitivity analysis according to Prof. Vester, etc.) and construction of simulation runs using suitable software programmes (e.g. Heraklith III). Action plans are integrated.

Students know the basic factors of system competence.

Students are able to create a multi-relational structure of effects in relation to a real problem in companies/organisations.

Students are able to recognise and describe system archetypes based on case studies and justify solutions for system interventions.

Students are familiar with key factors that can lead to problems in interdisciplinary cooperation and know ways and means of ensuring effective interdisciplinary cooperation.

Students recognise system traps and typical errors of reasoning in the management of systems.

Students can apply various scenario techniques and use system-orientated methods and software to create system-dynamic models in interdisciplinary cooperation and simulate the effects of interventions in socio-technical systems.

Specialist input, reflections, exercises, system modelling with software, project group work, case studies, simulation games, scenario techniques, self-learning, own development project (in interdisciplinary teams).

Short technical paper on individual system archetypes, group work to create a system model and documentation of simulations with recommendations for action, group presentation.

Option 1: thematic link with "Gaming Simulation, Serious Play, Gamification" (6 ECTS), in WS 2025/26

Option 2: Master's thesis, preliminary work for this in the "Research Project: Gaming Simulation" (12 ECTS) - includes the theoretical background from "Systems Thinking" and "Gaming Simulation, Serious Play, Gamification".

For further questions please contact: willy.kriz@fhv.at 

Will be provided in ILIAS.

Face to face with self learning phases.