SYSTEMS THINKING AND LEADERSHIP

PHE5STL

2020

Credit points: 15

Subject outline

Whether dealing with public health issues or trying to improve the performance of a hospital, many of the issues are complex, seemingly embedded within a web of interconnected and often contested causes. Push on one part of the system and something changes to counter the good work. Complexity is often used as shorthand for intractability. In this subject we consider if systems thinking provides the insights needed to grapple with complexity. Systems thinking is interested in the parts of a system and the connections among those parts, the structures established as a result of those connections and the behaviours those structures allow or discourage. Students examine the notion of systems, as an object of study and a way of thinking that changes the way we might look at health problems and work towards their solution, the language of systems, and its concepts, and some of the methods used to define issues, build consensus for action, and evaluate strategies to address problems.

School: Psychology and Public Health (Pre 2022)

Credit points: 15

Subject Co-ordinator: Alan Shiell

Available to Study Abroad/Exchange Students: Yes

Subject year level: Year Level 5 - Masters

Available as Elective: Yes

Learning Activities: N/A

Capstone subject: No

Subject particulars

Subject rules

Prerequisites: N/A

Co-requisites: N/A

Incompatible subjects: N/A

Equivalent subjects: N/A

Quota Management Strategy: N/A

Quota-conditions or rules: N/A

Special conditions: N/A

Minimum credit point requirement: N/A

Assumed knowledge: N/A

Learning resources

Systems Approaches to Managing Change: A practical guide

Resource Type: Book

Resource Requirement: Prescribed

Author: Reynolds M, & Holwell S.

Year: 2010

Edition/Volume: N/A

Publisher: Springer

ISBN: N/A

Chapter/article title: N/A

Chapter/issue: N/A

URL: N/A

Other description: N/A

Source location: N/A

Systems science and population health

Resource Type: Book

Resource Requirement: Prescribed

Author: El-Sayed & Galea

Year: 2017

Edition/Volume: N/A

Publisher: Oxford University Press

ISBN: N/A

Chapter/article title: N/A

Chapter/issue: N/A

URL: N/A

Other description: N/A

Source location: N/A

The Systems Thinking Playbook

Resource Type: Book

Resource Requirement: Recommended

Author: Sweeney LB & Meadows D.

Year: 2013

Edition/Volume: N/A

Publisher: Chelsea Green

ISBN: N/A

Chapter/article title: N/A

Chapter/issue: N/A

URL: N/A

Other description: N/A

Source location: N/A

Career Ready

Career-focused: No

Work-based learning: No

Self sourced or Uni sourced: N/A

Entire subject or partial subject: N/A

Total hours/days required: N/A

Location of WBL activity (region): N/A

WBL addtional requirements: N/A

Graduate capabilities & intended learning outcomes

Graduate Capabilities

Intended Learning Outcomes

01. Employ systems concepts to contemporary public health / health management problems and illustrate how these concepts might alter the approach we take to improving health.
02. Discuss selected systems methods, identify their purposes, determine how they could be used in practice to improve decision-making.
03. Assess situations and recommend the best systems methods for analysing, understanding and addressing the problem.
04. Compare and contrast different types of leadership and critique their role in addressing complex public health / health management challenges.

City Campus, 2020, LTU Term 5, Blended

Overview

Online enrolment: Yes

Maximum enrolment size: N/A

Subject Instance Co-ordinator: Alan Shiell

Class requirements

Scheduled Online ClassWeek: 37 - 42
Two 2.00 hours scheduled online class per week on weekdays at night from week 37 to week 42 and delivered via online.
Conducted online via zoom

Unscheduled Online ClassWeek: 37 - 42
Two 2.00 hours unscheduled online class per week on any day including weekend at night from week 37 to week 42 and delivered via online.
Online via LMS

Assessments

Assessment elementCommentsCategoryContributionHurdle%ILO*

4 mini exercises (1,500-words equivalent)Covers understanding of basic concepts and methods, and the format allows for rapid feedback as subject unfolds

N/AN/AN/ANo20SILO1, SILO2, SILO3, SILO4

Paired group work (1,000-words equivalent, per student)Demonstrate how to apply one of the covered systems methods to a contemporary health issue.

N/AN/AN/ANo30SILO2, SILO3

Written report (3,000-words)High quality written paper on the insights offered by systems thinking

N/AN/AN/ANo50SILO2, SILO3, SILO4