2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Systems Thinking with a Focus on Engineering

Presented at Systems Engineering Division (SYS) Technical Session 1

Systems thinking is a holistic approach that focuses on understanding how different elements within a complex system interact and influence each other. It involves analyzing the relationships and dependencies that shape the behavior of the entire system, rather than just focusing on individual components. It is most useful when problems are complex, interdisciplinary, and outcomes are unpredictable due to the lack of a full understanding of the cause-and-effect chains that involve recursive loops and non-linear dynamic factors and variables. This paper describes the development and implementation of a graduate course in systems thinking and provides details about the topics, approaches, and student feedback. Course topics include logical foundations of systems thinking, the systems engineering process, the causal loop diagram technique, systems thinking as a feedback control loop, system requirements and design, system integration and testing, system evaluation and validation, and systems thinking applications.

Authors

Dr. Rafic Bachnak Marymount University [biography]

Dr. Bachnak is professor of engineering at Marymount University and currently serving as Interim Dean. Prior to joining Marymount, he was professor of electrical engineering at Penn State University-Harrisburg where he served in several positions, including School Director, Graduate Program Head, Director of the STEM Summer Enrichment Program, and Director of the Smart Home Research Initiative. Dr. Bachnak is a life senior member of IEEE and has been involved with ABET accreditation since 2000.
Abhilasha Mishra Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg, The Capital College [biography]

Abhilasha is a graduate student in Engineering Management at Pennsylvania State University, with a strong background in software engineering and extensive experience in developing systems to address complex engineering challenges. Building on their professional experience in system design and integration, Abhilasha applies systems thinking principles to better understand the interdependencies within dynamic engineering systems. Their current research focuses on integrating systems thinking approaches into the engineering curriculum, aimed at improving decision-making and problem-solving in complex, interdisciplinary environments. By combining practical industry expertise with academic research, Abhilasha is committed to advancing the development of more adaptable, efficient, and resilient engineering systems.

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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