FIT2114 · Systems thinking and dynamics for decision support

Overview

This unit introduces you to systems thinking, system dynamics, and decision support as complementary approaches for understanding and addressing complex organisational and socio-technical problems. You will learn how to frame complex decision situations, analyse system structures and dynamic behaviour, and recognise feedback, delays, trade-offs, and unintended consequences. The unit develops your ability to model complex systems, explore alternative interventions, and evaluate possible outcomes to support better decision-making. You will connect systems analysis with the design of decision support approaches that help users monitor situations, compare options, and act on system-level insights. The unit also considers contemporary intelligent decision support, with attention to uncertainty, transparency, stakeholder impacts, and responsible decision-making.

Areas of study: Business information systems

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook publishes no assessment items for this unit yet.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Investigate complex organisational and socio-technical problems by framing decision situations, analysing system structures and identifying feedback, delays and unintended consequences;
2. Select and apply appropriate digital and AI-enabled approaches to support system modelling, intervention evaluation, and evidence-informed decision-making;
3. Design decision support approaches that enable users to monitor dynamic situations, compare options and act on system-level insights, attending to uncertainty and transparency;
4. Construct, verify and critique system-dynamics models of organisational and socio-technical systems, justifying modelling assumptions and using model outputs to explore alternative interventions;
5. Analyse business processes, decision points, and operational structures within dynamic systems to identify opportunities for improving performance, coordination, and system outcomes;
6. Evaluate intelligent decision support options and recommend approaches that are informed, responsible and stakeholder-aware.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled online and face to face learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated reading and preparation for scheduled teaching activities.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.