In this chapter we provide an overview of campus ecology and ecological systems theory as applied to the study of higher education, most often to research on college students. We describe Bronfenbrenner's developmental ecological model and its application of it to the study of college students. We then discuss affordances and limitations of this…

Integral to fostering computational thinking (CT) skills, which are increasingly essential in today's digital era, has been the shift of paper-based pictorial modeling activities to computational modeling. Research has indicated that modeling activities can advance students' understanding of a system's mechanism (i.e., systems thinking), such as…

Purpose: This research aimed to examine the impact of input, process, output, productivity and outcome variables on university research performance and the indicators that represent them in order to improve academic quality and contribute to government policy. Design/methodology/approach: The quantitative approach was used through a survey method…

Contribution: Model-based learning improves systems thinking (ST) based on students' prior knowledge and gender. Relations were found between textual, visual, and mixed question types and student achievements. Background: ST is essential to judicious decision-making and problem-solving. Undergraduate students can be taught to apply better ST, and…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused extreme hardships for K-12 schools throughout the United States, exacerbating existing challenges such as rising mental health concerns among students, teacher fatigue, and workforce shortages. This article examines the enduring impacts of the pandemic on students, school professionals, and school systems, and…

The use of Bayesian Knowledge Tracing (BKT) models in predicting student learning and mastery, especially in mathematics, is a well-established and proven approach in learning analytics. In this work, we report on our analysis examining the generalizability of BKT models across academic years attributed to "detector rot." We compare the…

It is well documented that implementing biosecurity on an animal farm is beneficial to the animal's health and wellness and in reducing the risk of production losses caused by diseases. However, compliance of biosecurity protocols has been shown to be low, and a lack of training has been blamed. A preliminary Systems Thinking model is presented to…

The majority of instructional design models have directed focus on instructional design activities such as analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. Criticisms regarding instructional design models have suggested that the use of these models provides instructional designers with a limited view of the design environment. This…

The current research study utilized a case study research method to test the theory that the creativity and innovative processes are a complex adaptive system. Through qualitative interviews with renowned creators, the current study categorized the data into eight characteristics of complex adaptive systems: path dependent, systems have a history,…

Understanding the world around us is a growing necessity for the whole public, as citizens are required to make informed decisions in their everyday lives about complex issues. Systems thinking (ST) is a promising approach for developing solutions to various problems that society faces and has been acknowledged as a crosscutting concept that…

Business Model Canvas (BMC) is a business model that must be mastered by students in the Bioentrepreneurship course as an initial provision for entering the entrepreneurial world, while in compiling Business Model Canvas (BMC) systematic thinking skills are needed. This study aims to provide an assessment instrument to measure students' system…

Tuition-dependent higher education institutions face myriad external and internal challenges, including waning public confidence, demographic shifts, systemic sluggishness, and reduced workforces. Research on higher education administration tends to focus on senior-level leaders, with the operational experience of rank-and-file administrators…

The field of college mental health is changing dramatically, and we are approaching a necessary paradigm shift in how "mental health" is defined and addressed. This paper will outline two primary forces impacting how we think about mental health and how a systems change perspective might help us understand what comes next. We will…

Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST) has received considerable attention over the last decades, inspiring a number of second language acquisition studies. This article examines the research from a critical epistemological point of view, starting from the Greek philosopher Cratylus, who concluded that remaining silent is the only way to be…

We face complex global issues such as climate change that challenge our ability as humans to manage them. Models have been used as a pivotal science and engineering tool to investigate, represent, explain, and predict phenomena or solve problems that involve multi-faceted systems across many fields. To fully explain complex phenomena or solve…