4.2 New ways of thinking and acting: systems practice

There are a wide variety of concepts and theories relating to management and managing. This unit is centred on the ideas and techniques that we believe define systems thinking, but it also draws upon concepts and theories from other areas where these are deemed to be useful. On top of this we see systems practice as requiring a readiness to use the experiential model of learning set out by Kolb, bringing theory and practice together in a meaningful way.

It may be helpful to set out what
Author(s): The Open University

3.4 Conclusion

The headings alongside each of the activities in this article were there to remind you of the three different types of learning to which you were introduced in Reading 2: memorising, understanding and doing. The three models of the learning process that I have discussed in the present reading – acquisitive, constructivist and experiential – have strengths particularly for each of these three kinds of learning.

Some learning goals require that we know information accurately and can r
Author(s): The Open University

3 The acquisitive model of learning

(Please refer to Reading 3: Models of the learning process, by Mary Thorpe) What happens when we learn? I shall explore three explanations, or models, of learning which attempt to answer this question. These three models have particular strengths and weaknesses. The point is not to choose between them, but to consider which one has the ‘best fit’ for different kinds of learning.

The three models are introduced in turn, and each is followed by an activity that invites you to apply th
Author(s): The Open University

Learning outcomes

After completing this unit you should be able to:

• assess your learning styles and capabilities, using a learning file in which to record your progress;

• describe the main definitions of learning as a process, and the role played by memorising, understanding and doing;

• explain the three main categories of theories about learning, namely the acquisitive, constructivist and experiential models of learning;

• discuss the main conceptions of
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3.2 The disaster

The 39-year-old Silver Bridge collapsed suddenly at about 5 p.m. on 15 December 1967 when the roadway was filled with rush-hour traffic – 37 vehicles were trapped on the roadway.

The first signs of collapse were later recounted by the survivors. Many occupants of the cars on the bridge had felt it ‘quivering’ before it fell. Most witnesses had then heard ‘cracking’ or ‘popping’ noises, some saying that it sounded like a ‘shotgun blast’. After this, the bridge started d
Author(s): The Open University

2.5 Corrosion processes: galvanic series

A similar concept to the electrochemical series that has been used by engineers for many years is the galvanic series (one example of which is shown in Table 2: here the list should be read down the columns rather than across the rows). It ranks metals and alloys in order of reactivity or
Author(s): The Open University

Introduction

Structural integrity is the study of the safe design and assessment of components and structures under load, and has become increasingly important in engineering design. It integrates aspects of stress analysis, materials behaviour and the mechanics of failure into the engineering design process.

This unit is an adapted extract from the Open University course Structural integrity: design
Author(s): The Open University

Acknowledgements

This unit was written by Ms Candida Clark

1.5 Tips on character creation

• Use a journal to build ideas for character.

• Consider all the influences that go into the making of your character: age, gender, race, nationality, marital status, religion, profession.

• Know about your character's inner life: what s/he wants, thinks, remembers, resents, fears, dreams, denies.

• Know about your character's behaviour, what s/he wears, buys, eats, says, works at and plays at.

• Kno
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Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should:

• have begun to identify your own strengths and weaknesses as a writer of fiction;

• have developed a general awareness of fiction writing;

• have developed a basic vocabulary to discuss fiction.

Acknowledgements

Except for third party materials and otherwise stated (see terms and conditions), this content is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Licence