- Current section: Introduction
- Learning outcomes
- 1 How to use this unit
- 1.1 What is a diagram?
- 1.2 Why do people use diagrams?
- 1.2.1 Influences on how we perceive diagrams
- 1.2.2 Visualisers and verbalisers
- 1.2.3 Gender and cognitive styles
- 1.2.4 Conveying information to others
- 1.2.5 Thinking through diagrams
- 1.2.6 Working with other people's diagrams – representing text as diagrams
- 1.2.7 Key points
- 1.2.8 Working with other people's diagrams – reading diagrams
- 1.2.9 Reading diagrams: questioning what they say
- 1.2.10 Key points
- 1.3 Why do systems thinkers use diagrams?
- 1.3.1 Systems thinking and concept
- 1.3.2 Systems diagrams and diagrams helpful for systems work
- 1.3.3 Diagrams for understanding
- 1.3.4 Diagrams for connectivity
- 1.3.5 Diagrams for further analysis and quantitative model building
- 1.3.6 Diagrams for diagnosis
- 1.3.7 Diagrams for planning and implementation
- 1.3.8 Diagrams for communication
- References
- Acknowledgements
- Module team
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Systems diagramming
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Pictures speak louder than words. But how can you use diagrams to...
Pictures speak louder than words. But how can you use diagrams to help you? This unit looks at how diagrams can be used to represent information and ideas about complex situations. You will learn how to read, draw and present diagrams to help illustrate how ideas or processes are connected.
After reading this unit you should be able to:
- appreciate diagrams as a powerful aid to thinking and acting;
- distinguish between systems diagrams and diagrams helpful in systems work;
- demonstrate sufficient skills to ‘read’ and ‘draw’ a wide range of diagrams, following given conventions, that help improve your understanding of a situation;
- select diagrams suited to the needs of the situation you are investigating and the purposes/preferences of you as the diagrammer.
- Duration: 12 hours
- Published on: Monday 25th July 2011
- Level: Introductory
- Posted under: Systems (Computer)
Systems diagramming
Introduction
Pictures speak louder than words. But how can you use diagrams to help you? This unit looks at how diagrams can be used to represent information and ideas about complex situations. You will learn how to read, draw and present diagrams to help illustrate how ideas or processes are connected.
This unit is from our archive and is an adapted extract from Systems thinking and practice: diagramming (T552) which is no longer taught by The Open University. If you want to study formally with us, you may wish to explore other courses we offer in this subject area [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .
Archive content
This is an extract from an Open University course which is no longer available to new students. If you found this interesting you could explore more free Systems (Computer) course units or view the range of currently available OU Systems (Computer) courses.
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