IMT 586: Information Dynamics at the University of Washington

If you are a University of Washington graduate student interested in understanding the impact of information feedback on the systems in which we live and work, check out this winter's IMT 586 (also offered as INSC 586). This is the second year it's been offered, and I'm looking forward to exploring this field with a whole new group of you. If there's enough demand, we hope to offer the follow-on IMT 587 in the spring this year, so there's even more potential this year than there was last year.

If you are not a UW graduate student, but you are an interested professional who lives within commuting distance of UW, consider signing up, too. For any of you, studying system dynamics (okay, it's offered in the Information School, so we call it Information Dynamics) offers a great opportunity to learn a new way to make sense of the challenges we face and to find and test solutions.

Last year, all of the students brought their laptops to class. That let us create and explore computer models and simulations in class, which seemed to make for faster, more solid, and much more interesting learning. I hope to do even more of that this year. If you sign up and can bring your laptop, great. If you can't because you have a desktop machine, that's okay. We'll be fine as long as at least half the class brings laptops.

I look forward to seeing many of you in January! Please ask if you have questions.

System dynamics in Seattle

I just ordered texts for IMT 586, Information Dynamics I, in the Information School of the University of Washington, which reminds me to tell any of you at UW or within commuting distance who have been interested in system dynamics that we do plan on teaching system dynamics again this winter quarter. Registration starts November 7.

If there's enough interest, we hope to teach the follow-on IMT 587 in spring 2009. If you take IMT 586 this winter, consider leaving time in your spring schedule. If you took IMT 586 last year and would like to go further, think of IMT 587. If you've already got a system dynamics background (equivalent roughly to the first fourteen chapters of John Sterman's Business Dynamics) and would like to go straight to IMT 587, let's talk sometime before spring quarter enrollment.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Sneak peak: Information Dynamics I / II

If you are a current University of Washington graduate student or you live within commuting distance of the University of Washington and if you are interested in learning about system dynamics in an academic setting, put IMT 586 and IMT 587 on your calendar for the coming winter and spring quarters.

If you took IMT 586 last year or if you have a solid background in the material of the first half of John Sterman's Business Dynamics, put IMT 587 on your calendar for the coming spring quarter (yes, that's nine months away). We plan to offer it, assuming we have sufficient enrollment.

I'll make a fuller announcement as we get closer. Ask if you have questions, and let me know if you think you're interested: I'm curious and interested.