Systems Approach - Characteristics of A System

Revision of 'A System':

•   is an entity (something that exists by itself, although it need not be of material existence)
•  has components
•   is goal oriented
•  comprises of input – processing –output

Characteristics of a System - moving towards system approach:

A system:

•  is a relative concept: : a system is studied in relation to other systems.

• can be open or closed: : can or cannot be influenced by its environment respectively.

• has its goals : : the main purpose of a system is to achieve its ultimate goals.

• has its constraints: : a system has its limitations and faces obstacles on its way to achieve its goal.

• needs to think of alternatives : : in order to attain its goals, a system as to overcome its limitations by searching for alternatives.

• needs to put in place a general feedback system : : when the intended goal is achieved, a feedback system is implemented wherein the achieved goal can be improved further. Lack of a feedback system hampers progress and thus will adversely affect the intended goal.

• it follows the trend of revisibility: : for improvising, the intended goals need to be revised and hence the process begins all over again. Thus, one can say that no one design is final.

Example:

Consider the department of curriculum development. The curriculum set is compared with the curriculum of different boards and the best of all boards is selected. (relative concept)The curriculum can be restricted to a single board or can include objectives of other boards. (open or closed systems)The ulterior goal is always to make a good human being out of the learner. Hence, the curriculum is set considering a holistic view and overall development of the learner. (ultimate goal)The department may face the constraints of budget, time and learners with special needs. (constraints)The curriculum framed is inclusive of simple and complex activities.(alternatives)The curriculum is tested by teachers for a stipulated period of time. Suggestions, comments and reviews are collected. (general feedback system)The collected feedback is thought over and revised, keeping in sync the changing needs of the society. (revisibility)