There are three types of thinking which can be employed to solve problems:  Linear Thinking, Process Thinking, and Systems Thinking.

We like to think linearly.  It’s the First/Next mindset.  We learn addition first, then subtraction.  When following a recipe, we’re told what to do first, then next.  It’s simple.

We like simple.

The program is that life is not simple; however, we employ linear thinking so much is that we think we can solve ALL problems with it.  It’s a prevalent mindset in faith-based schools – “If only we had more money,” or “If only we had more students,” or “If only we had a better building,” and the “ors” can continue.

But this issues is not “or;” the issue is really “and.”

And sadly, that’s why we’re in so much trouble in so many fields today.

In education, it’s the thinking that first, we need to teach children better, so a set of core competencies are created, and next, we teach those competencies so that next, they’ll be able to score higher on tests so that next, more funding can come to those states that do well on standardardized testing.  We’ve all seen how well that approach has worked.

Process thinking is the If/Then mindset.  It considers the consequences and implies options.  It’s a step above linear thinking, and, in businesses, like manufacturing, it’s the consideration that outputs can be improved by taking a closer look at the process involved, and adjusting, modifying, or changing a part of that process to improve the pre-determined output, such as a better quality product, a more efficient process, or a more effective production consisting of fewer errors or inferior products.

In education, it’s the mindset that says, “If we need to get children to achieve at a certain level, we can do several things: prepare tests that challenge them and have the instruction provided which ensures they’ll do well on those tests; or, we can provide examples they can relate to so that they’ll be able to apply the knowledge in those examples to solve other problems that are presented to them as an assessment of their learning; or we can utilize new techniques, such as asking them to review the materials which would normally be distributed in class or accessed online, and then come to class the following day to discuss what they learned an how it could be applied in situations then presented by the instructor to small groups of students, where each person plays a particular role in solving the problem.

Then there’s systems thinking.  Check out the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Miy9uQcwo3U

if you’d like to see the key differentiator of systems thinking within a scientific construct.  While we’re most comfortable with analysis (which is the basis of process improvement efforts), we’re not very comfortable with the construct of synthesis, since we realize that everything has an effect on everything else.

In systems thinking, ALL the components need to be in play, in place, or examined, to first realize that an outcome will have an effect on something else.  Watch the video for a recent presentation telling how systems thinking can be applied in the classroom.