2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The Impact of Systems Thinking Education on Engineering Students' Approach to Real-World Challenges

This paper explores the impact of systems thinking education on engineering students by analyzing their ability to apply these principles to complex real-world problems. A three-year longitudinal study was conducted, where students, after completing a Systems Thinking course, were interviewed to assess their understanding and practical application of systems thinking in a case study focused on Jordan's water shortage. The study aimed to evaluate how students integrated social, environmental, and technical dimensions into their analysis and the types of opportunities they identified as potential solutions.
The analysis draws on conceptual frameworks such as Barry Richmond’s Systems Thinking model and opportunity identification theory, enabling a comprehensive evaluation of student responses. The data, gathered from interviews and student projects, are thematic coded and were able to identify key opportunities categorized into three areas: New Products and Technologies, New or Improved Services, and Policy and Government Changes.
Findings from the study highlight that most opportunities identified fell within the Policy and Government Changes category, emphasizing regulatory reforms as crucial for addressing complex societal problems. Additionally, while students identified technological innovations, many proposals focused on systemic and policy-oriented changes. This underscores the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and critical thinking, illustrating that future engineers must go beyond technical solutions and engage with broader systemic factors to address "wicked problems" effectively. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of systems thinking in equipping students to frame complex problems holistically and identify multifaceted opportunities for change.

Authors

Amin Azad University of Toronto [biography]

Amin is a doctoral student at the University of Toronto’s Department of Chemical Engineering, pursuing a collaborative specialization in Engineering Education. Amin focuses on applying Systems Thinking Principles to Engineering Education and assessing its learning outcomes when solving wicked problems, especially in the field of Entrepreneurship through his research and teachings. Amin obtained his MASc. and BASc from the University of Toronto, both in Industrial Engineering, and has worked as a consultant and researcher in tech companies. Amin’s hobbies include exploring the outdoors, trying new food, and traveling.
Dr. Emily Moore P.Eng. University of Toronto [biography]

Professor Emily Moore is the Director of Troost Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering (ILead) at the University of Toronto. She leads research and teaches on topics such as how engineers lead and learn to lead both as students and in practice. She has published on engineering leadership, equity in engineering, and incorporating systems thinking into complex decision making.

Emily was appointed as Director of ILead in October, 2018 after more than twenty years in industry. Emily started her career at the Xerox Research Centre of Canada scaling up new materials and processes from the lab to manufacturing. In her 11 years at Xerox, Emily learned a great deal about leading teams and developing new products, becoming a manager and Principal Engineer. Emily then spent 10 years at Hatch, a global engineering firm serving the mining, energy and infrastructure sectors. Emily led international teams to develop new product and service offerings and to deliver major projects, first as the Director of Technology Development and then as Managing Director, Water. Emily was also the inaugural chair of Hatch’s Global Diversity and Inclusion efforts. Emily holds a Bachelor Degree in Engineering Chemistry from Queen’s University and completed a Doctorate in Physical Chemistry from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. In 2016 Emily was recognized as one of 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining and received the SCI Canada Kalev Pugi Award.

Emily continues her involvement with industry by serving on boards, including Metrolinx (2019-2024), Chemtrade Logistics, International Petroleum, and the Canadian Mining Innovation Council.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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