Keeping it pure – a pedagogical case study of teaching soft systems methodology in scenario and policy analysis
Purpose – Soft systems methodology (SSM) is well documented in the academic and management literature. Over the last 40 years, the methodology has come to be adapted depending on the tool users’ skills and experience in order to fit the problem. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate good teach...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Emerald Publishing
2016-09-01
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| Series: | Journal of Tourism Futures |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/JTF-12-2015-0052 |
| _version_ | 1798040211592052736 |
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| author | Ian Yeoman Una McMahon-Beattie Carol Wheatley |
| author_facet | Ian Yeoman Una McMahon-Beattie Carol Wheatley |
| author_sort | Ian Yeoman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose – Soft systems methodology (SSM) is well documented in the academic and management literature. Over the last 40 years, the methodology has come to be adapted depending on the tool users’ skills and experience in order to fit the problem. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate good teaching and learning practice from a pedagogical perspective. Design/methodology/approach – Dr Ian Yeoman of Victoria University of Wellington provides a personal reflection of how the methodology is used in the teaching and learning of TOUR301 Tourism Policy and Planning as a policy and scenario analysis method. Findings – The paper articulates the seven stages of SSM from problem situation unstructured, through to Rich Pictures, vision and guiding principles, policy solutions, comparisons, feasibility and implementation stages. The paper uses a series of teaching tasks to breakdown the complexity of the methodology thus guiding students and teachers in how to deploy the methodology in the classroom. Originality/value – The value of the paper demonstrates the reflective practice of SSM in action as an exemplar of good practice. The paper clearly articulates the stages of the methodology so students and teachers can adopt this approach in classroom environments following a scaffolding learning approach. The use of teaching tasks throughout the paper helps bring clarity and order thus enabling the teacher to effectively teach the subject and the students to learn. The most significant contribution of this paper is the articulation of good teaching practice in policy and scenario analysis which articulated through four learning lessons: facilitating a learning environment; the impact of visual thinking; political theory; the importance of incremental learning; and problem-based learning and international students. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T22:04:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-93ae21e3d8674b4195abff65f75bf920 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2055-5911 2055-592X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T22:04:20Z |
| publishDate | 2016-09-01 |
| publisher | Emerald Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Tourism Futures |
| spelling | doaj.art-93ae21e3d8674b4195abff65f75bf9202022-12-22T04:00:46ZengEmerald PublishingJournal of Tourism Futures2055-59112055-592X2016-09-012217519510.1108/JTF-12-2015-0052585373Keeping it pure – a pedagogical case study of teaching soft systems methodology in scenario and policy analysisIan Yeoman0Una McMahon-Beattie1Carol Wheatley2School of Management, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New ZealandDepartment of Hospitality and Tourism, Ulster University, Belfast, UKSchool of Management, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New ZealandPurpose – Soft systems methodology (SSM) is well documented in the academic and management literature. Over the last 40 years, the methodology has come to be adapted depending on the tool users’ skills and experience in order to fit the problem. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate good teaching and learning practice from a pedagogical perspective. Design/methodology/approach – Dr Ian Yeoman of Victoria University of Wellington provides a personal reflection of how the methodology is used in the teaching and learning of TOUR301 Tourism Policy and Planning as a policy and scenario analysis method. Findings – The paper articulates the seven stages of SSM from problem situation unstructured, through to Rich Pictures, vision and guiding principles, policy solutions, comparisons, feasibility and implementation stages. The paper uses a series of teaching tasks to breakdown the complexity of the methodology thus guiding students and teachers in how to deploy the methodology in the classroom. Originality/value – The value of the paper demonstrates the reflective practice of SSM in action as an exemplar of good practice. The paper clearly articulates the stages of the methodology so students and teachers can adopt this approach in classroom environments following a scaffolding learning approach. The use of teaching tasks throughout the paper helps bring clarity and order thus enabling the teacher to effectively teach the subject and the students to learn. The most significant contribution of this paper is the articulation of good teaching practice in policy and scenario analysis which articulated through four learning lessons: facilitating a learning environment; the impact of visual thinking; political theory; the importance of incremental learning; and problem-based learning and international students.https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/JTF-12-2015-0052TourismPolicyPedagogyScenario analysisFuturesSoft systems methodology |
| spellingShingle | Ian Yeoman Una McMahon-Beattie Carol Wheatley Keeping it pure – a pedagogical case study of teaching soft systems methodology in scenario and policy analysis Journal of Tourism Futures Tourism Policy Pedagogy Scenario analysis Futures Soft systems methodology |
| title | Keeping it pure – a pedagogical case study of teaching soft systems methodology in scenario and policy analysis |
| title_full | Keeping it pure – a pedagogical case study of teaching soft systems methodology in scenario and policy analysis |
| title_fullStr | Keeping it pure – a pedagogical case study of teaching soft systems methodology in scenario and policy analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Keeping it pure – a pedagogical case study of teaching soft systems methodology in scenario and policy analysis |
| title_short | Keeping it pure – a pedagogical case study of teaching soft systems methodology in scenario and policy analysis |
| title_sort | keeping it pure a pedagogical case study of teaching soft systems methodology in scenario and policy analysis |
| topic | Tourism Policy Pedagogy Scenario analysis Futures Soft systems methodology |
| url | https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/JTF-12-2015-0052 |
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