Readers of this book can quickly draw quickly from these 25 rare and accessible narratives that demonstrate diverse education problem definitions and solutions found by professionals employing principles of systems theory and systems thinking. These cases resonate from diverse institutional settings ranging from K-12 (urban and rural), higher education (college and university), and health care contexts. Written in the voice of instructional designers and others, the editors of this book offer a symphony for education practitioners. This is a must-read for leaders who can benefit from the many lessons learned and shared by systemic change leaders.
-Eugene G. Kowch, Associate Professor of Education at the University of Calgary, Canada
The authors provide a welcome introduction to systems thinking through carefully constructed teaching cases from the world of education and related topics. The cases enable systems thinking faculty and students to explore this growing field through many accessible yet detailed examples which demonstrate the value of a systems approach to addressing chronic, complex problems.
-David Peter Stroh, Founding Partner of Bridgeway Partners and Founding Director of AppliedSystemsThinking.com
I'm so pleased to recommend this book to all change agents. This text is an important addition to the literature in the field, particularly given the strong link to practice and the ability to apply the lessons from these cases to the ongoing activities of those who wish to understand the systemic implications of their own change agentry. Given the diversity of cases, there's something for everyone in this text. This one should be on any practitioner's bookshelf when looking to make system-wide change.
-Alison A. Carr-Chellman, Professor and Dean of the School of Education and Health Sciences at the University of Dayton, USA
