Spring and Autumn
Due to administrative matters, the course in not offered spring 2021
While there exists much relevant knowledge about natural resources, they are frequently mismanaged, often with dramatic consequences for those involved. One aim of the course is to build solid intuitive understanding of the theories and principles underlying natural resources. A second aim is to help students develop the skills and competencies needed for proper management of for instance water reservoirs, fisheries, forests, animal herds, and climate, and to operate in product and quota markets.
For resource management, central topics are system descriptions, dynamics, economics, uncertainty and policy design. For management of commons problems, central topics are competitive games, regulation, and market-based institutions.
Express knowledge and understanding
Students know about cause and effect relationships of importance for resource management and are able to express this knowledge in 'stock and flow diagrams'. They understand how cause and effect give rise to developments over time such as equilibrium, growth, goal seeking, cycles, and overshoots.
Apply knowledge and understanding
Students are able to apply knowledge and understanding to manage natural resources and to operate in markets for products and quotas.
Make judgements
Students know how to distinguish between resources and their specific needs for policies or management strategies. They know about implementation problems and the need to consider second best solutions.
Communicate
Students are aware of likely misperceptions. They can use analogies, narratives, and illuminating historical data to communicate. Based on their own experience with challenging management tasks, they understand the need for proper simplification.
Develop learning skills
In particular, students develop learning skills to deal with dynamic problems. They know and can apply concepts such as stocks and flows, nonlinearity, feedback, delays, and policy in new situations. After passing the exam, simulation models and selected animations and simulators are made available for the students for personal use or for use in own teaching.
All applicants are responsible for checking that they have the needed background knowledge and computer equipment. To check, download the readiness-test, for more help download the FAQ:
Note that the course software is not compatible with the latest operating system (OS) on Mac computers. Make sure that you have an alternative computer available before you apply for the course.
This MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) makes use of Internet based interactive distance learning with on-line tasks and immediate answers, videos, analogies, animations, simulators, simulation models, games, and discussions. Students download one program to their desktops from which all course material is one mouse click away.
The course is organized in six chapters, four concerning resource management and two dealing with markets and policies to deal with commons problems. Each chapter has three main parts: Challenges, Learning-by-doing, and Applications.
In Challenges students either answer questions or make decision in simulators or multi-player games. In Learning-by-doing sessions, students are led by questions and hints to develop understanding on their own. Answers prompt immediate feedback. Debriefing videos summarize and generalize what has been learnt. Early chapters make extensive use of animated analogies to build experience/intuition before using formal simulation models. Later chapters rely on simulation models and an interactive tool to explore policies under uncertainty. In Applications, students make use of what they have learnt in realistic case studies, where own decisions may be compared to historical decisions.
A chat option allows students to engage in discussions.
Spring and autumn
Spring 2021 the exam is only offered to students who have passed compulsory assignment from earlier.
Department of Geography
advice.systdyn@uib.no
http://www.uib.no/rg/dynamics