Work-in-Progress: Systems Thinking Applied to Higher Education Curricula Development

The educational landscape is a complex ecosystem consisting of interconnected systems, each serving distinct roles such as educators, students, administrators, digital resources, and educational objectives. Systems Thinking (ST) is a broad yet nuanced concept that describes an approach for understanding and managing complexity in real-world systems. The intricate interplay among the diverse components and functions makes the educational system particularly suited for the application of systems thinking principles. In this work-in-progress paper, we present a preliminary case study of the curriculum development process for the online M. S. in Systems Engineering program at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide. In particular, we examine weaknesses and limits of the current instructional design practices and demonstrate the utilization of systems thinking method to enhance the outcomes of the university's curriculum development, and ultimately lead to a positive influence on student learning.