Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001

From: Raul Dorfman <rauldorfman@operamail.com>

To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu

Subject: Sistemandi Seminar

Dear Nan Lux:

I have received several requests for additional information.

Please find attached a short summary about the seminar.

Thanks for your kind interest.

Best regards

Raul Dorfman, P. Eng.

Tel. & Fax: +5411 4552 5666

Estomba 2020, Buenos Aires, C1430EGL, Argentina

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rauldorfman@operamail.com

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Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001

From: Niall Palfreyman <niall.palfreyman@fh-weihenstephan.de>

To: K-12 discussion group <k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu>

Subject: Skills versus facts

Raul Dorfman wrote:

I will be glad in exploring with you the potential of using my methodology,

to teach the necessary skills to use the facts and "know how" in real systems

problem solving, and educational project planning.

Thanks very much for the offer, Raul - it sounds very interesting.

Unfortunately, with the workload of the coming semester I won't have

time to look into other tools that Stella right away. However I would

definitely be interested in hearing more about your viewpoint.

John Gunkler wrote:

1. They have learned how to memorize facts but haven't been taught (much)

how to improve thinking skills.

2. It is easier to memorize facts than to think.

3. Previous (poor) schooling has rewarded them for memorizing facts --

probably because their teachers found it easier to grade knowledge than

skills.

Out in the "real world," however, I find that people actually soon come to

value problem-solving skills much more than knowledge of facts. I look at

who gets promoted in management positions in business and it is almost

invariably those who are quickest to recognize and solve problems. In fact,

Yes, I think I agree John. I'm thinking in particular of various

previous colleagues of mine in industry who would probably not normally

be classified as "well-qualified", but who rose to dizzy heights by

virtue of having precisely those problem-solving skills you refer to. I

was actually thinking more of recruitment: my experience here in Germany

is that companies tend to recruit new graduates by reference to

accumulated facts (the squirrel metaphor) and product-specific

knowledge, rather than by reference to transferable skills, but it may

well be that my experience is limited in this regard. I would be very

interested in hearing your thoughts on how students can be taught to

improve thinking skills.

Thanks for all the answers to my original post, and sorry it's taken me

so long to answer! I've been away for the last two weeks, and will now

be away for the next week.

Cheers,

Niall Palfreyman.

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End of September, 2001