Category: 01- Systems Concepts

  • Holistic/Reductionist

    See previous post on Holistic and Reductionist views. Reductionist view – breaks system into sub-systems & individual functions. Can produce a lot of information on system operation. E.g. Different HND courses HND and Degree courses Individual tutors Individual support teams Performance of technical infrastructure Holistic view – looks at wider view of system. E.g. Number…

  • Stakeholders and Perspectives

    See previous post on Stakeholders and Perspectives. Stakeholders involved in the e-learning company are: Students – can have many perspectives. Some may be happy with studies, others having difficulties. Their perspective may change when they receive marks for exams or coursework. Recruitment/Enrolment/Payment Processing staff – perspectives can change according to targets set for them and…

  • Emergence and Dynamic Equilibrium

    Emergence: Elements that should emerge are happy qualified students. Unintended potential elements that could emerge are failed students. Equilibrium: maintained by using feedback and control mechanisms discussed earlier. Additionally: organisation will continually match student numbers to staff continually review student fees against those charged by competitors Organisation will try and ensure system is in balance…

  • Group Feedback

    This post covers my proposal to the group feedback question set within the lesson. System: Administration Purpose: System to ensure students are able to study for a qualification and for tutors to teach. Goals/Objectives: Provide information to potential students. Facilitate registration of students. Provide scheduling information to tutors. Provide assistance with general queries. Definition (what…

  • Sub-Systems and Hierarchy

    See previous posts on Sub-systems and Hierarchy. Previous concepts noted several sub-systems, these are controlling the transformation: Technology infrastructure, including tech staff Administration Quality measurement Tutor support Student support Each of the sub-systems would need analysis as if there were a system in their own right.

  • Control

    See previous post on Control. Control aspects: Student’s payment of fees: no payment means students remain potential students in environment. Results in no profit. Qualification pass rate: feedback – what needs to be improved, re-enforces transformation process. Student satisfaction: happiness factor. Use as positive feedback to improve good things and negative feedback to bad things.…

  • Inputs, Outputs and Transformation

    See previous post on Input and Output. Inputs Students Tutors Outputs Happy, qualified students. Act as form of positive feedback by encouraging others to become students. Quality assessment. Some used as feedback to improve students’ experience and quality of education. Direct feedback by way of self-assessment. Indirect feedback by way of quality reported to outside…

  • Boundary and Environment

    See previous posts on Boundary and Environment. If system can control component/element it is inside boundary and part of system. If system cannot control component/element but has influence on system it is in environment and outside system. Boundary will be defined so that: Students – study activities inside boundary, social & personal life in environment.…

  • System Purpose/Goals/Objectives

    See previous post on Goals and Objectives. Example: Global e-learning company. System definition: Provide distance learning throughout the world and some fixed site learning in the UK. It will use online materials and provide tutor support to students. In analysis of system, we should question our assumptions and ensure that what we think the system…

  • Time-Lag

    Many systems have processes with time-lag in their behaviour. Changes to systems’ behaviour do not occur immediately when a change to the inputs or transformation process is made.   Changes can take significant amount of time to take effect, therefore can be difficult to predict system behaviour. Unintended changes might not become apparent for significant…