Semester in Dialogue: A Systems Thinking Approach to Dialogue‐Based Higher Education at Simon Fraser University

ABSTRACT

This paper addresses a gap in the application of systems thinking to higher education programme design. We use the Complexity Theory of Outcome Creation (CTOC), a structured model for working in complexity, to analyse Simon Fraser University's Semester in Dialogue (SiD)—an innovative undergraduate programme applying the ideas of dialogic pedagogy and community‐engaged teaching and learning. Drawing on our experience, we reflect on how systems thinking shaped SiD's design and student experiences. We applied CTOC's four types of human complexity to understand our student cohorts, which led to a course design that attempted to match their complexity. Furthermore, we demonstrate how CTOC's three dynamic capabilities—coordination, stewardship and adaptation—provide a viable design logic that empowers student agency. This application of systems thinking, particularly CTOC, offers a practical, process‐focused approach for educational innovation.