Marco A. Janssen

Fall 2024 Section B

Professor: Marco Janssen

Course content

This course offers an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of sustainability, delving into the dynamic interactions among social, ecological, and technical systems and their feedback loops. It focuses on understanding the Earth and its ecospheres, the impact of human activities on the Earth, and the influence of Earth’s ‘life support system’ on our futures.

This course treats the Earth as a collection of socio-ecological-technological systems and uses a systems thinking approach to understand sustainability challenges and opportunities that we face today and are projected to face in the future. Exploring various sustainability issues, students will practice decision-making processes to creatively solve those challenges.

The main goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of Earth systems and processes crucial for continued existence and viability of the integrated human-environmental wellbeing. It helps students develop foundational knowledge toward addressing sustainability challenges through viable, equitable, and regenerative approaches.

Agent-based modeling is a method to study the macro-level consequences of micro-level interactions of agents representing individuals, households, firms or other types of actors. Agent-based modeling is increasingly used for sustainability applications.

This is a project-based course where groups of students apply agent-based modeling to a few projects to learn about the use of modeling in sustainability, using Github and FAIR modeling practices, model analysis, and current developments in agent-based modeling.

We will use the modeling package NetLogo to implement the group projects. Students are expected to have good programming skills in order to benefit from this advanced course.

Fall 2023

Professor: Marco Janssen

Place: ??

Time: MW: 1.30pm-2.45pm

Pre-requisites: MAT 117 with C or better OR Mathematics Placement Test with a score of 50% or higher

Course content

Basic principles of sustainability have their roots in mathematics. How many people can planet earth sustain? What is the expected climate change due to current actions. In this course you will learn what mathematical tools are applied in sustainability science and other related social and life sciences. What are the basic principles that underlie these mathematical methods, and how you can apply them to basic problems.

A broad overview of different methods is given on how to use and develop mathematical models to practical problems such as statistics, probability, and population models. For each method, basic principles are provided and you will learn the first steps concerning how to represent these methods using formal mathematical techniques including developing equation-based relationships, plotting graphs, and, basic statistics.

Instructor: Marco Janssen

online course

Course content:

This course will equip students with concepts and methods to study the relation between groups of people and their common resources and public goods. Why are some communities successful in managing their common resources and not others? Students will learn the institutional analysis and development framework to evaluate such collective action problems. This approach of analysis will be applied to various sustainability questions from marine conservation and groundwater management to forest resources and climate change.

Required textbook:

J.M. Anderies and M.A. Janssen (2013) Sustaining the Commons, free eBook from the Center for Behavior, Institutions and the Environment.

Fall 2022

Professor: Marco Janssen

Place: online

Pre-requisites: MAT 117 with C or better OR Mathematics Placement Test with a score of 50% or higher

Course content

Basic principles of sustainability have their roots in mathematics. How many people can planet earth sustain? What is the expected climate change due to current actions. In this course you will learn what mathematical tools are applied in sustainability science and other related social and life sciences. What are the basic principles that underlie these mathematical methods, and how you can apply them to basic problems.

A broad overview of different methods is given on how to use and develop mathematical models to practical problems such as statistics, probability, and population models. For each method, basic principles are provided and you will learn the first steps concerning how to represent these methods using formal mathematical techniques including developing equation-based relationships, plotting graphs, and, basic statistics.

Fall 2022

Professor: Marco Janssen

Place: WCPH 192

Time: MW: 1.30pm-2.45pm

Pre-requisites: MAT 117 with C or better OR Mathematics Placement Test with a score of 50% or higher

Course content

Basic principles of sustainability have their roots in mathematics. How many people can planet earth sustain? What is the expected climate change due to current actions. In this course you will learn what mathematical tools are applied in sustainability science and other related social and life sciences. What are the basic principles that underlie these mathematical methods, and how you can apply them to basic problems.

A broad overview of different methods is given on how to use and develop mathematical models to practical problems such as statistics, probability, and population models. For each method, basic principles are provided and you will learn the first steps concerning how to represent these methods using formal mathematical techniques including developing equation-based relationships, plotting graphs, and, basic statistics.

Spring 2022

Course number: 35309

Professor: Marco Janssen

TuTh: 4.30 – 5.45 pm , TBD

Course content

Agent-based modeling is a method to study the macro-level consequences of micro-level interactions of agents (individuals, households, neighborhoods, etc.). In this course students will learn the basics of agent-based modeling and how this method is applied to topics in sustainability, such as water governance, energy systems, conservation and climate change. Besides learning the basic methodology, students will work in groups on an applied project.

The class reading will review the literature and a significant part of the class will be devoted to get hand-on experience in learning to develop agent-based model in NetLogo.

There is no official pre-requisite for this course, but it is expected that the participants have basic programming experience.

Course format

Lectures, discussions, programming assignments, group project

Required Book: Marco A. Janssen (2020) Introduction to Agent-Based Modeling: intro2abm.com

Other readings will be provided at the beginning of the semester.

Fall 2021

Professor: Marco Janssen

Course number: 75538

Place: BDH201

Time: MW: 1.30pm-2.45pm

Pre-requisites: MAT 117 with C or better OR Mathematics Placement Test with a score of 50% or higher

Course content

Basic principles of sustainability have their roots in mathematics. How many people can planet earth sustain? What is the expected climate change due to current actions. In this course you will learn what mathematical tools are applied in sustainability science and other related social and life sciences. What are the basic principles that underlie these mathematical methods, and how you can apply them to basic problems.

A broad overview of different methods is given on how to use and develop mathematical models to practical problems such as statistics, probability, and population models. For each method, basic principles are provided and you will learn the first steps concerning how to represent these methods using formal mathematical techniques including developing equation-based relationships, plotting graphs, and, basic statistics.

Description

Course number: 29160/29161

Instructor: Marco Janssen

Session B: March 15 – April 30

Location: Online

Meet L General Studies Requirement

Course content:

This course will equip students with concepts and methods to study the relation between groups of people and their common resources and public goods. Why are some communities successful in managing their common resources and not others? Students will learn the institutional analysis and development framework to evaluate such collective action problems. This approach of analysis will be applied to various sustainability questions from marine conservation and groundwater management to forest resources and climate change.

Required textbook:

J.M. Anderies and M.A. Janssen (2013) Sustaining the Commons, free eBook from the Center for Behavior, Institutions and the Environment.

Fall 2020

Professor: Marco Janssen

Course number: 74219

Place: ARML1-30

Time: TTh: noon-1.15pm

Pre-requisites: MAT 117 with C or better OR Mathematics Placement Test with a score of 50% or higher

Course content

Basic principles of sustainability have their roots in mathematics. How many people can planet earth sustain? What is the expected climate change due to current actions. In this course you will learn what mathematical tools are applied in sustainability science and other related social and life sciences. What are the basic principles that underlie these mathematical methods, and how you can apply them to basic problems.

A broad overview of different methods is given on how to use and develop mathematical models to practical problems such as statistics, probability, and population models. For each method, basic principles are provided and you will learn the first steps concerning how to represent these methods using formal mathematical techniques including developing equation-based relationships, plotting graphs, and, basic statistics.

Fall 2020

Course number: 94451

Professor: Marco Janssen

TuTh: 5.00 – 6.40 pm , Cowden 124

Course content

Agent-based modeling is a method to study the macro-level consequences of micro-level interactions of agents (individuals, households, neighborhoods, etc.). In this course students will learn the basics of agent-based modeling and how this method is applied to topics in sustainability, such as water governance, energy systems, conservation and climate change. Besides learning the basic methodology, students will work in groups on an applied project.

The class reading will review the literature and a significant part of the class will be devoted to get hand-on experience in learning to develop agent-based model in NetLogo.

There is no official pre-requisite for this course, but it is expected that the participants have basic programming experience.

Course format

Lectures, discussions, programming assignments, group project

Required Book: Marco A. Janssen (2020) Introduction to Agent-Based Modeling: intro2abm.com

Other readings will be provided at the beginning of the semester.

Description

Course number: 31978

Instructor: Marco Janssen

Session C: January 13-May 1

Time: 1:30pm-2.45pm

Location: Farmer Education Building 328

Course content:

This course will equip students with concepts and methods to study the relation between groups of people and their common resources and public goods. Why are some communities successful in managing their common resources and not others? Students will learn the institutional analysis and development framework to evaluate such collective action problems. This approach of analysis will be applied to various sustainability questions from marine conservation and groundwater management to forest resources and climate change.

Required textbook:

J.M. Anderies and M.A. Janssen (2013) Sustaining the Commons, free eBook from the Center for Behavior, Institutions and the Environment.

Fall 2019

Professor Marco Janssen

Course number: 92149/92150

Place: Wexler Hall A102

Time: TTh: 4.30pm-5.45pm

Course content:

Games are used as research tools, intervention mechanisms and educational approaches. In this class we look at games that capture collective action problems such as social and commons dilemmas, which are core dilemma situations underlying many sustainability challenges. Examples are the management of shared resources, such as fisheries and groundwater. Students will learn how such games are be used in experiments to study how people make decisions, how games are used by NGOs as intervention tools, and how games can be used in education to explore complex decision making problems. During the semester we will play various games and study their underlying institutional structure. Finally, students will create in groups their own variation of an existing game.

Fall 2019

Professor: Marco Janssen

Course number: 74512

Place: Artisan Court at the Brickyard 270

Time: TTh: noon-1.15pm

Pre-requisites: MAT 117 with C or better OR Mathematics Placement Test with a score of 50% or higher

Course content

Basic principles of sustainability have their roots in mathematics. How many people can planet earth sustain? What is the expected climate change due to current actions. In this course you will learn what mathematical tools are applied in sustainability science and other related social and life sciences. What are the basic principles that underlie these mathematical methods, and how you can apply them to basic problems.

A broad overview of different methods is given on how to use and develop mathematical models to practical problems such as statistics, probability, and population models. For each method, basic principles are provided and you will learn the first steps concerning how to represent these methods using formal mathematical techniques including developing equation-based relationships, plotting graphs, and, basic statistics.

Fall 2018

Professor: Marco Janssen

Course number: 82557

ONLINE

Pre-requisites: MAT 117 with C or better OR Mathematics Placement Test with a score of 50% or higher

Course content

Basic principles of sustainability have their roots in mathematics. How many people can planet earth sustain? What is the expected climate change due to current actions. In this course you will learn what mathematical tools are applied in sustainability science and other related social and life sciences. What are the basic principles that underlie these mathematical methods, and how you can apply them to basic problems.

A broad overview of different methods is given on how to use and develop mathematical models to practical problems such as statistics, probability, and population models. For each method, basic principles are provided and you will learn the first steps concerning how to represent these methods using formal mathematical techniques including developing equation-based relationships, plotting graphs, and, basic statistics.

Fall 2018

Course number:  83006

Professor: Marco Janssen

TuTh: 5.00 – 6.40 pm , Cowden 124

Course content

Agent-based modeling is a method to study the macro-level consequences of micro-level interactions of agents (individuals, households, neighborhoods, etc.). In this course students will learn the basics of agent-based modeling and how this method is applied to topics in sustainability, such as water governance, energy systems, conservation and climate change. Besides learning the basic methodology, students will work in groups on an applied project.

The class reading will review the literature and a significant part of the class will be devoted to get hand-on experience in learning to develop agent-based model in NetLogo.

There is no official pre-requisite for this course, but it is expected that the participants have basic programming experience.

Course format

Lectures, discussions, programming assignments, group project

Required Book: Steven F. Railback and Volker Grimm (2011) Agent-based and Individual-based Modeling: A Practical Introduction, Princeton University Press

Other readings will be provided at the beginning of the semester.

Course number: 24308 & 22661

Instructor: Marco Janssen

Online Course

Session B: March 12-April 27

Course content:

This ONLINE course will equip students with concepts and methods to study the relation between groups of people and their common resources and public goods. Why are some communities successful in managing their common resources and not others? Students will learn the institutional analysis and development framework to evaluate such collective action problems. This approach of analysis will be applied to various sustainability questions from marine conservation and groundwater management to forest resources and climate change.

Required textbook:

Required books

J.M. Anderies and M.A. Janssen (2013) Sustaining the Commons, free eBook from the Center for Behavior, Institutions and the Environment.

Fall 2017

Professor: Marco Janssen

Course number: 84909

ONLINE

Pre-requisites: MAT 117 with C or better OR Mathematics Placement Test with a score of 50% or higher

Course content

Basic principles of sustainability have their roots in mathematics. How many people can planet earth sustain? What is the expected climate change due to current actions. In this course you will learn what mathematical tools are applied in sustainability science and other related social and life sciences. What are the basic principles that underlie these mathematical methods, and how you can apply them to basic problems.

A broad overview of different methods is given on how to use and develop mathematical models to practical problems such as statistics, probability, and population models. For each method, basic principles are provided and you will learn the first steps concerning how to represent these methods using formal mathematical techniques including developing equation-based relationships, plotting graphs, and, basic statistics.

Fall 2017

Course number:  85539

Professor: Marco Janssen

TuTh: 5.00 – 6.40 pm , Cowden 124

Course content

Agent-based modeling is a method to study the macro-level consequences of micro-level interactions of agents (individuals, households, neighborhoods, etc.). In this course students will learn the basics of agent-based modeling and how this method is applied to topics in sustainability, such as water governance, energy systems, conservation and climate change. Besides learning the basic methodology, students will work in groups on an applied project.

The class reading will review the literature and a significant part of the class will be devoted to get hand-on experience in learning to develop agent-based model in NetLogo.

There is no official pre-requisite for this course, but it is expected that the participants have basic programming experience.

Course format

Lectures, discussions, programming assignments, group project

Required Book: Steven F. Railback and Volker Grimm (2011) Agent-based and Individual-based Modeling: A Practical Introduction, Princeton University Press

Other readings will be provided at the beginning of the semester.

Course number: 26413 & 28796

Instructor: Marco Janssen

Online Course

Session B: March 13-April 28

Course content:

This ONLINE course will equip students with concepts and methods to study the relation between groups of people and their common resources and public goods. Why are some communities successful in managing their common resources and not others? Students will learn the institutional analysis and development framework to evaluate such collective action problems. This approach of analysis will be applied to various sustainability questions from marine conservation and groundwater management to forest resources and climate change.

Required textbook:

Required books

J.M. Anderies and M.A. Janssen (2013) Sustaining the Commons, free eBook from the Center for Behavior, Institutions and the Environment.

Fall 2016

Course number:  91309

Professor: Marco Janssen

TuTh: 5.00 – 6.40 pm , Cowden 124

Course content

Agent-based modeling is a method to study the macro-level consequences of micro-level interactions of agents (individuals, households, neighborhoods, etc.). In this course students will learn the basics of agent-based modeling and how this method is applied to topics in sustainability, such as water governance, energy systems, conservation and climate change. Besides learning the basic methodology, students will work in groups on an applied project.

The class reading will review the literature and a significant part of the class will be devoted to get hand-on experience in learning to develop agent-based model in NetLogo.

There is no official pre-requisite for this course, but it is expected that the participants have basic programming experience.

Course format

Lectures, discussions, programming assignments, group project

Required Book: Steven F. Railback and Volker Grimm (2011) Agent-based and Individual-based Modeling: A Practical Introduction, Princeton University Press

Other readings will be provided at the beginning of the semester.

Fall 2016

Professor: Marco Janssen

Class number: 90457

ONLINE

Pre-requisites: MAT 117 with C or better OR Mathematics Placement Test with a score of 50% or higher

Course content

Basic principles of sustainability have their roots in mathematics. How many people can planet earth sustain? What is the expected climate change due to current actions. In this course you will learn what mathematical tools are applied in sustainability science and other related social and life sciences. What are the basic principles that underlie these mathematical methods, and how you can apply them to basic problems.

A broad overview of different methods is given on how to use and develop mathematical models to practical problems such as statistics, probability, and population models. For each method, basic principles are provided and you will learn the first steps concerning how to represent these methods using formal mathematical techniques including developing equation-based relationships, plotting graphs, and, basic statistics.

Course number: 31748

Instructor: Marco Janssen

Online Course

Session B: March 14-April 29 

Course content:

This ONLINE course will equip students with concepts and methods to study the relation between groups of people and their common resources and public goods. Why are some communities successful in managing their common resources and not others? Students will learn the institutional analysis and development framework to evaluate such collective action problems. This approach of analysis will be applied to various sustainability questions from marine conservation and groundwater management to forest resources and climate change.

Required textbook:

Required books

J.M. Anderies and M.A. Janssen (2013) Sustaining the Commons, free eBook from the Center for Behavior, Institutions and the Environment.

Spring 2016

Course number: 27211

Instructor: Marco Janssen

Class hours Tuesday 4:30pm-7:15.

Location: Wrigley Hall 202

Course content:

Sustainability research is performed through a variety of methods, such as field-based research, experiments and formal modelling. This course examines how different methods have promoted various theoretical developments related to collective action and the commons. The course also demonstrates the importance of cross-fertilization involving multi-method research across traditional boundaries. Students learn which questions to address with which methods and how methods can complement each other. The students will work towards a multimethod research proposal during the course to demonstrate the acquired knowledge.

Required text book:

Poteete, A.R., M.A. Janssen and E. Ostrom (2010). Working Together: Collective Action, the Commons, and Multiple Methods in Practice, Princeton University Press.

Fall 2015

Course number:  81282

Professor: Marco Janssen

TuTh: 3.00 – 4.15 pm , Cowden 124

Course content

Agent-based modeling is a method to study the macro-level consequences of micro-level interactions of agents in social phenomena like cooperation, diffusion, foraging and complex societies. In this course students will learn the basics of agent-based modeling and how this method is used to study social systems in ancient and modern times. Further attention is given how to test agent-based models and combine them with other (empirical) methods.

Topics that will be discussed are: methodology of modeling, complex adaptive systems, cellular automata, agent-based modeling, model analysis, pattern oriented modeling, model documentation, and applications like foraging behavior, diffusion processes, evolution of cooperation, etc.

The class reading will review the literature and a significant part of the class will be devoted to get hand-on experience in learning to develop agent-based model in NetLogo. Each student has a project on an application of their own interest and work on this during the semester.

There is no official pre-requisite for this course, but it is expected that the participants have basic programming experience. Those who have never done any computer programming should first take another course, such as AML 430 Social Simulation (Spring semester course).

Course format

Lectures, discussions, individual research project,  programming assignments

Required Book: Steven F. Railback and Volker Grimm (2011) Agent-based and Individual-based Modeling: A Practical Introduction, Princeton University Press

Other readings will be provided at the beginning of the semester.

[This course meets general studies CS requirement and meets Science and Society requirements]

Spring 2015

Instructor: Jacopo Baggio & Marco Janssen

Class number: 17925/17717

Hybrid Course

Lecture: Wednesday 09:00 AM – 10:15 AM 

Cowden 124

Course content

This course introduces simulation techniques to study sociality in human and animal societies. We especially focus on collective action, the ability of groups to cooperate and coordinate to achieve outcomes that are not possible by one individual.

The students would have an opportunity to learn agent-based modeling and learn how they are applied to study social phenomena. Besides the study of the techniques, the students derive a brief introduction to relevant theories in the life and social sciences. The students will have hands on experience in writing simulation models of a number of social phenomena. 

Topics covered in the course are: complex adaptive systems, emergence, networks, agent-based modeling, collective action, social dilemmas, evolution of cooperation.

Course format

Hybrid, Lectures, computer lab, home work assignments,

Lecture notes

Ebook with models will be provided for this course.

Software

The freeware simulation package NetLogo is used during the course.

Course number: 78150

Fall 2014

Professor: Marco Janssen

Hybrid course

T 10:30AM – 11:45AM

Location: Social Sciences 105

Course content

This course will equip students with concepts and practical tools to study the relation between groups of people and their common resources. Students are gradually introduced to methods to identify the diversity of institutional arrangements and analyze their effectiveness. Examples of topics covered include digital commons, environmental management, and urban environments.

Required books

J.M. Anderies and M.A. Janssen (2013) Sustaining the Commons, free eBook from the Center for the Study of Institutional Diversity.

Fall 2014

Course number: 85508

Professor: Marco Janssen

TuTh: 3.00 – 4.15 pm , Cowden 124

Course content

Agent-based modeling is a method to study the macro-level consequences of micro-level interactions of agents in social phenomena like cooperation, diffusion, foraging and complex societies. In this course students will learn the basics of agent-based modeling and how this method is used to study social systems in ancient and modern times. Further attention is given how to test agent-based models and combine them with other (empirical) methods.

Topics that will be discussed are: methodology of modeling, complex adaptive systems, cellular automata, agent-based modeling, model analysis, pattern oriented modeling, model documentation, and applications like foraging behavior, diffusion processes, evolution of cooperation, etc.

The class reading will review the literature and a significant part of the class will be devoted to get hand-on experience in learning to develop agent-based model in NetLogo. Each student has a project on an application of their own interest and work on this during the semester.

There is no official pre-requisite for this course, but it is expected that the participants have basic programming experience. Those who have never done any computer programming should first take another course, such as AML 430 Social Simulation (Spring semester course).

Course format

Lectures, discussions, individual research project,  programming assignments

Required Book: Steven F. Railback and Volker Grimm (2011) Agent-based and Individual-based Modeling: A Practical Introduction, Princeton University Press

Other readings will be provided at the beginning of the semester.

[This course meets general studies CS requirement and meets Science and Society requirements]

Spring 2014

Professor: Marco Janssen

Class number: 20786/20466

Hybrid Course

Lecture: Monday 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM 

Cowden 124

Course content

This course introduces simulation techniques to study sociality in human and animal societies. We especially focus on collective action, the ability of groups to cooperate and coordinate to achieve outcomes that are not possible by one individual.

The students would have an opportunity to learn agent-based modeling and learn how they are applied to study social phenomena. Besides the study of the techniques, the students derive a brief introduction to relevant theories in the life and social sciences. The students will have hands on experience in writing simulation models of a number of social phenomena. 

Topics covered in the course are: complex adaptive systems, emergence, networks, agent-based modeling, collective action, social dilemmas, evolution of cooperation.

Course format

Hybrid, Lectures, computer lab, home work assignments,

Lecture notes

Ebook with models will be provided for this course.

Software

The freeware simulation package NetLogo is used during the course.

[This course meets general studies MA requirement]

Spring 2014

Professor: Marco Janssen

Class number: 17309  /

Tuesday and Thursday: 9.00-10.15.

Schwada 250

Pre-requisites: MAT 117 with C or better or MAT 194: EFM (with skills mastered for MAT 142 if completed) OR Mathematics Placement Test with a score of 32% or higher

Course content

Throughout the history of civilizations, mathematics has been developed both to solve practical problems and for its aesthetic beauty. In modern times, many of puzzles in the life and social sciences can be addressed with the help of mathematics. In this course you will learn what mathematical tools are applied in the life and social sciences, what the basic principles are that underlie these mathematical methods, and how you can apply them to basic problems.

In this course we discuss applications to sustainability, public health, social networks, and economic development. A broad overview of different methods is given on how to use, develop and mathematical models to practical problems. For each method, basic principles are provided and you will learn the first steps concerning how to represent these methods using formal mathematical techniques including developing equation-based relationships, plotting graphs, and, basic statistics.

Fall 2013

Course number: 80688

Professor: Marco Janssen

TuTh: 1.30 – 2.45, Cowden 124

Course content

Agent-based modeling is a method to study the macro-level consequences of micro-level interactions of agents in social phenomena like cooperation, diffusion, foraging and complex societies. In this course students will learn the basics of agent-based modeling and how this method is used to study social systems in ancient and modern times. Further attention is given how to test agent-based models and combine them with other (empirical) methods.

Topics that will be discussed are: methodology of modeling, complex adaptive systems, cellular automata, agent-based modeling, model analysis, pattern oriented modeling, model documentation, and applications like foraging behavior, diffusion processes, evolution of cooperation, etc.

The class reading will review the literature and a significant part of the class will be devoted to get hand-on experience in learning to develop agent-based model in NetLogo. Each student has a project on an application of their own interest and work on this during the semester.

There is no official pre-requisite for this course, but it is expected that the participants have programming experience. Those who have never done any computer programming should first take another course, such as AML 430 Social Simulation (Spring semester course).

This course aims to students in the life and social sciences and will especially focus on models of social and social-ecological systems. If you want to work on topics like cancer development, cyber security or drones, this course is not appropriate for you.

Course format

Lectures, discussions, individual research project,  programming assignments

Required Book: Steven F. Railback and Volker Grimm (2011) Agent-based and Individual-based Modeling: A Practical Introduction, Princeton University Press

Other readings will be provided at the beginning of the semester.

Course number: 80204

Fall 2013

Professor: Marco Janssen

Hybrid course

T 10:30AM – 11:45AM

Location: DISCVRY 350

Course content

This course will equip students with concepts and practical tools to study the relation between groups of people and their common resources. Students are gradually introduced to methods to identify the diversity of institutional arrangements and analyze their effectiveness. Examples of topics covered include digital commons, environmental management, and urban environments.

Required books

J.M. Anderies and M.A. Janssen (2013) Sustaining the Commons, free ebook from the Center for the Study of Institutional Diversity.

[This course meets general studies CS requirement and meets Science and Society requirements]

Spring 2013

Professor: Marco Janssen

Class number: 24469/24959

Hybrid Course

Lecture: Wednesday 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM 

Cowden 124

Course content

This course introduces simulation techniques to study sociality in human and animal societies. We especially focus on collective action, the ability of groups to cooperate and coordinate to achieve outcomes that are not possible by one individual.

The students would have an opportunity to learn agent-based modeling and learn how they are applied to study social phenomena. Besides the study of the techniques, the students derive a brief introduction to relevant theories in the life and social sciences. The students will have hands on experience in writing simulation models of a number of social phenomena. 

Topics covered in the course are: complex adaptive systems, emergence, networks, agent-based modeling, collective action, social dilemmas, evolution of cooperation.

Course format

Hybrid, Lectures, computer lab, home work assignments,

Lecture notes

Ebook with models will be provided for this course.

Software

The freeware simulation package NetLogo is used during the course.

Fall 2010

Course number: 24533

Professor: Marco Janssen

Seminar: Monday & Wednesday from 1.30 – 2.45,  Cowden 124

Course content

This course provides an overview of experimental methods, in the lab and in the field, as used in various social sciences including psychology, economics, anthropology and political science. We focus on the application of experimental methods to problems of collective action and the commons. The methodology as used in the different disciplines is critically discussed based on recent literature. Each student will work out an individual project in which an experiment is designed to test hypotheses. At the end of the course we will run actual pretests with the experimental designs of the students.

Required books:

D. Friedman and S. Sunder (1994) Experimental Methods: A Primer for Economists, Cambridge University Press.

Dörner, D. 1996. The Logic of Failure: Recognizing and Avoiding Error in Complex Situations, Perseus Books.

Poteete, A., M.A. Janssen and E. Ostrom, 2010. Working Together. Collective Action, the Commons, and Multiple Methods in Practice. Princeton University Press.

Additional reading. Each week a number of recent publications are discussed.

Course number: 84279

Fall 2012

Professor: Marco Janssen

Hybrid course

Th 10:30AM – 11:45AM

Location: ECG G224

Course content

This course will equip students with concepts and practical tools to study the relation between groups of people and their common resources. Students are gradually introduced to methods to identify the diversity of institutional arrangements and analyze their effectiveness. Examples of topics covered include sports, digital commons, environmental management, and urban environments.

Required books

J.M. Anderies, M.A. Janssen and E. Ostrom (2012) Rules, Games and Society, manuscript textbook will be provided on Blackboard

Fall 2012

Course number: 85097

Professor: Marco Janssen

TuTh: 4.30 – 5.45, Cowden 124

Course content

Agent-based modeling is a method to study the macro-level consequences of micro-level interactions of agents in social phenomena like cooperation, diffusion, foraging and complex societies. In this course students will learn the basics of agent-based modeling and how this method is used to study social systems in ancient and modern times. Further attention is given how to test agent-based models and combine them with other (empirical) methods.

Topics that will be discussed are: methodology of modeling, complex adaptive systems, cellular automata, agent-based modeling, model analysis, pattern oriented modeling, model documentation, and applications like foraging behavior, diffusion processes, evolution of cooperation, etc.

The class reading will review the literature and a significant part of the class will be devoted to get hand-on experience in learning to develop agent-based model in NetLogo. Each student has a project on an application of their own interest and work on this during the semester.

There is no official pre-requisite for this course, but it is expected that the participants have basic programming experience. Those who have never done any computer programming should first take another course, such as AML 430 Social Simulation (Spring semester course).

Course format

Lectures, discussions, individual research project,  programming assignments

Required Book: Steven F. Railback and Volker Grimm (2011) Agent-based and Individual-based Modeling: A Practical Introduction, Princeton University Press

Other readings will be provided at the beginning of the semester.

[This course meets general studies CS requirement]

Spring 2011

Professor: Marco Janssen

Class number: 16257/23472 (lab)

Lectures: Monday/Wednesday 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM

Engneering Cntr G319

Lab: Tuesday 10.30 AM -11.45 AM 

Engineering Cntr G 238

Course content

What make certain blogs popular? Why have ancient societies collapsed? These and other questions on social phenomena can be studied by the use of computer simulation. This course introduces computer simulation to study social processes such as diffusion of knowledge and culture, cooperation and conflict, crowd behavior, and foraging. Gradually students will learn to use the software and build their own models. Furthermore, a brief introduction to relevant social science theories is given. The students will have hands on experience in developing simple simulation models of a number of social phenomena.  The class also has a number of small assignments and one final project.

Topics covered in the course are: complex adaptive systems, emergence, cellular automata, agent-based modeling, social dilemmas, crowd behavior, diffusion processes, social network models, artificial societies.

Course format

Lectures, discussion, computer lab, home work assignments, group research project

Lecture notes

Lecture notes will be provided for this course.

Software

The freeware simulation package NetLogo is used during the course.

Fall 2010

Course numbers: 82671 / 82672

Professor: Marco Janssen

Seminar: Wednesday from 4.40 – 7.30, PSA 108

Computer lab: Thursday from 4.40 – 7.30, COOR-L1-72

Course content

Agent-based modeling is a method to study the macro-level consequences of micro-level interactions of agents in social phenomena like cooperation, diffusion, foraging and complex societies. In this course students will learn the basics of agent-based modeling and how this method is used to study social systems in ancient and modern times. Further attention is given how to test agent-based models and combine them with other (empirical) methods.

Topics that will be discussed are: methodology of modeling, complex adaptive systems, cellular automata, agent-based modeling, model analysis, pattern oriented modeling, model documentation, and applications like foraging behavior, diffusion processes, evolution of cooperation, etc.

The class reading will review the literature and a significant part of the class will be devoted to get hand-on experience in learning to develop agent-based model in NetLogo. Each student has a project on an application of their own interest and work on this during the semester.

There is no official pre-requisite for this course, but it is expected that the participants have basic programming experience. Those who have never done any computer programming should first take another course, such as AML 430 Social Simulation (Spring semester course).

Course format

Lectures, discussions, individual research project,  programming assignments

Readings will be provided at the beginning of the semester.

Course number: 82624

Fall 2010

Professor: Marco Janssen

Seminar: Tuesday from 4.40 – 7.30,  Mohave Hall A 125

Course content

This course provides an overview of experimental methods, in the lab and in the field, as used in various social sciences including psychology, economics, anthropology and political science. We focus on the application of experimental methods to collective action problems. The methodology as used in the different disciplines is critically discussed based on recent literature. Each student will work out an individual project in which an experiment is design to test a hypothesis. At the end of the course we will run actual pretests with the experimental designs of the students.

Topics discussed include: methodology of controlled experiments, field and lab experiments, public good and common pool resources,  dynamic decision making, communication, costly sanctioning, analysis of experimental data.

Required books:

D. Friedman and S. Sunder (1994) Experimental Methods: A Primer for Economists, Cambridge University Press.

Dörner, D. 1996. The Logic of Failure: Recognizing and Avoiding Error in Complex Situations, Perseus Books.

Additional reading. Each week a number of recent publications are discussed.

[This course meets general studies CS requirement]

Spring 2010

Professor: Marco Janssen

Class number: 22427/18301

MoWeFr; 10:45AM – 11:35AM 

Engneerng Cntr G324

Course content

What make certain blogs popular? Why have ancient societies collapsed? These and other questions on social phenomena can be studied by the use of computer simulation. This course introduces computer simulation to study social processes such as diffusion of knowledge and culture, cooperation and conflict, crowd behavior, and foraging. Gradually students will learn to use the software and build their own models. Furthermore, a brief introduction to relevant social science theories is given. The students will have hands on experience in developing simple simulation models of a number of social phenomena.  The class also has a number of small assignments and one final project.

Topics covered in the course are: complex adaptive systems, emergence, cellular automata, agent-based modeling, social dilemmas, crowd behavior, diffusion processes, social network models, artificial societies.

Course format

Lectures, discussion, computer lab, home work assignments, group research project

Lecture notes

Lecture notes will be provided for this course.

Software

The freeware simulation package NetLogo is used during the course.

Course number: 17164

Spring 2010

Professors: Marco Janssen

TuTh 9:00AM – 10:15AM

Location: Phys Ed Building 148

Course content

This course will equip students with concepts and practical tools to study the relation between groups of people and their common resources. Students are gradually introduced to methods to identify the diversity of institutional arrangements and analyze their effectiveness. Examples of topics covered include sports, digital commons, environmental management, and urban environments.

Required books

Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein (2009) Nudge: Improving decisions about Health, Wealth and Happiness. Penguin Books

Elinor Ostrom (1990) Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action, Cambridge University Press

[This course meets general studies MA requirement]

Fall 2009

Professor: Marco Janssen

Class number: 86536

Tuesday and Thursday: 9.00-10.15. Physical Sciences A 106

Course content

Throughout the history of civilizations, mathematics has been developed both to solve practical problems and for its aesthetic beauty. In modern times, many of puzzles in the life and social sciences can be addressed with the help of mathematics. In this course you will learn what mathematical tools are applied in the life and social sciences, what the basic principles are that underlie these mathematical methods, and how you can apply them to basic problems. 

A model is a simplified representation of reality, and mathematical models are used to find solutions for practical problems. Students will learn the basic steps in developing a model, analyze it and to test it on actual data.

This course will provide a broad overview of different methods that applied mathematicians use to develop models and how they apply them to practical problems. For each method, basic principles are provided and you will learn the first steps concerning how to represent these methods using formal mathematical techniques including developing equation-based relationships, plotting graphs, and, solving equations using computer software. 

Course format

Lectures,  computer lab, home work assignments,

Required book

Elizabeth S. Allman and John A. Rhodes (2006) Mathematical Models in Biology: An Introduction, Cambridge University Press

Software

We will use Maple 12 which is available via ASU MyApps.

Schedule:

1. Overview of course (August 25 & 27)

What can you expect in this course? Discussion of the syllabus and overview of the course. What are the expected competencies? What are the expectations with regard to homework and exams? Some practical examples will be discussed how mathematics has helped to solve important problems in life and social sciences..

2. The history of mathematics (September 1 & 3)

In this week we will discuss important discoveries in the history of mathematics and we will show that important mathematical innovations are the result of solving concrete problems. We will discuss examples from Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, Egypt and China as well as more recent examples like the work of Isaac Newton who showed that the motion of objects on Earth and of celestial bodies can be explained by the same mathematical model.

3. Organization of Data (September 8 & 10)

When we use mathematics in the life and social sciences we typically use data to define the problem we would like to solve. What are the different types of data? How does one effectively describe data by tables and graphs? How does one calculate the average and variance of data?

Required readings: Chapter 2 of Johnson and Bhattacharyya (2006) 

4. Graphical analysis of Data (September 15 & 17)

This week we will look at the different ways to graphically look at data, and discuss time plots, box plots, histograms, scatter plots, bar charts, etc.

Required readings: Chapter 2 of Johnson and Bhattacharyya (2006) (Reading material)

5. How to construct a model (September 22 & 24)

What is a mathematical model? What is a system? What are variables and parameters? How do we represent phenomena in life and social sciences in a mathematical way? We will discuss a number of examples of models in different application areas of the life and social sciences.

Required readings: Chapter 1 and 2 of Otto and Day (2007)

6. Difference equations (September 29 & October 1)

Systems are fundamentally defined by how they change over time. How do we represent change of a system? We introduce difference equations to define how state variables change between one time period and the next.. We illustrate this with a number of examples including population dynamics, the build up of CO2 in the atmosphere, and the changes of balances in bank accounts. 

Required readings: Section 1.1 and 1.2 of Allman and Rhodes (2006)

7. Analyzing the Dynamics of Models (September 6 & October 8)

We continue with difference equation models, and illustrate some methods to analyze the dynamics graphically over time.

Required Readings Section 1.3-1.5 of Allman and Rhodes (2006)

8. Linear models and Matrices (October 13 & 15)

The matrix is an important tool in applied mathematics. We will discuss this week the basics of matrices and matrix algebra.

Required Readings: Section 2.1 of Allman and Rhodes (2006)

9. Projection Matrices (October 20 & 22)

This week we will discuss how matrices can be used to study populations that include subgroups, like freshman, sophomore, juniors, and seniors in a student population. Using such linear models, we can study the change in the composition of these groups over time. We can apply this technique to models forest growth, disease spreading, and demographics.

Required Readings: Section 2.2 of Allman and Rhodes (2006)

10. Models of Predators and Prey (October 27 & 29)

So far we have looked at single populations, but populations of different species interact, whether these are biological species or different social groups. Predator-prey models are general set of models that capture interactions between different populations.

Required Readings: Sections 3.1, 3.2, and 3.4 of Allman and Rhodes (2006)

11. Models of Infectious Diseases (November 3 & 5)

An important application of mathematics is the study of infectious diseases. How do different diseases – from the flu to AIDS – spread through a population, and can we find insights from mathematical models that may help us to eradicate these diseases?

Required Readings: Sections 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3 of Allman and Rhodes (2006)

12. Probability (November 10 & 12)

What is your chance of winning the lottery? Or getting infected by influenza? How do we characterize such phenomena? We introduce the concept of probability and discuss a number of applications in the life and social sciences.

Required Readings: Sections 4.2 and 4.3 of Allman and Rhodes (2006)

13. Fitting Models to Data (November 17 & 19)

How do we fit models to data? Suppose you have developed a mathematical model and want to test it on empirical data. How to change the parameters to get the best fit of the model to the data. An introduction to the methods of least squares is discussed..

Required reading: Chapter 8 of Allman and Rhodes (2006).

14 Networks (December 1 & 3)

There is an increasing use of networks to study biological and social systems. What are networks? How do we represent them graphically and using equations? What are the different types of networks? We will discuss examples on how networks are used to study the spread of diseases and the flow of information in the Blogosphere.

Required reading: Steven H. Strogatz (2001), Exploring Complex Networks, Nature 410: 268-276.

Spring 2009 

Professor: Marco Janssen

Class number: 22640

TuTh 10:30AM – 11:45AM 

Location: Engneerng Cntr G G324

Course content

What make certain blogs popular? Why have ancient societies collapsed? These and other questions on social phenomena can be studied by the use of computer simulation. This course introduces computer simulation to study social processes such as diffusion of knowledge and culture, cooperation and conflict, crowd behavior, and foraging. Gradually students will learn to use the software and build their own models. Furthermore, a brief introduction to relevant social science theories is given. The students will have hands on experience in developing simple simulation models of a number of social phenomena.  The class also has a number of small assignments and one final project.

Topics covered in the course are: complex adaptive systems, emergence, cellular automata, agent-based modeling, social dilemmas, crowd behavior, diffusion processes, social network models, artificial societies.

Course format

Lectures, discussion, computer lab, home work assignments, group research project

Required book

John H. Miller and Scott E. Page (2007) Complex adaptive systems: An introduction to computational models of social life, Princeton University Press.

Software

The freeware simulation package Netlogo is used during the course.

Fall 2008

Course number: 81427 / 86216

Professor: Marco Janssen

TTH 12:00 – 1:15

Engineering Center G G238

Course content

Agent-based modeling is a method to study the macro-level consequences of micro-level interactions of agents in social phenomena like cooperation, diffusion, foraging and complex societies. In this course students will learn the basics of agent-based modeling and how this method is used to study social systems in ancient and modern times. Further attention is given how to test agent-based models and combine them with other (empirical) methods.

Topics that will be discussed are: methodology of modeling, complex adaptive systems, cellular automata, agent-based modeling, model analysis, pattern oriented modeling, model documentation, and applications like foraging behavior, diffusion processes, evolution of cooperation, etc.

The class reading will review the literature and a significant part of the class will be devoted to get hand-on experience in learning to develop agent-based model in NetLogo. Each student has a project on an application of their own interest and work on this during the semester.

There is no pre-requisite for this course, although it is helpful if you have some programming experience. This is an interdisciplinary course for students in the social and life sciences.

Course format

Lectures, discussions, individual research project,  programming assignments

Required book

John H. Miller and Scott E. Page (2005) Complex adaptive systems: An introduction to computational models of social life, Princeton University Press.

Readings will be provided at the beginning of the semester.

Spring 2008

Professors: Marco Janssen and Amber Wutich

TuTh 9:15AM – 10:30AM

Location: Agricultural Building 113

Course content

This course will equip students with concepts and practical tools to study the relation between groups of people and their common resources. Students are gradually introduced to methods to identify the diversity of institutional arrangements and analyze their effectiveness. Examples of topics covered include sports, digital commons, environmental management, and urban environments.

Required book

Elinor Ostrom (1990) Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action, Cambridge University Press

Professor: Marco Janssen

TTH 1:40 – 2:55

Computing Commons 237

Course content

Agent-based modeling is a method to study the macro-level consequences of micro-level interactions of agents in social phenomena like cooperation, diffusion, foraging and complex societies. In this course students will learn the basics of agent-based modeling and how this method is used to study social systems in ancient and modern times. Further attention is given how to test agent-based models and combine them with other (empirical) methods.

The class reading will review the literature and a significant part of the class will be devoted to get hand-on experience in learning to develop agent-based model in Netlogo. For examples of projects in a similar course see the brief project descriptions of last year.

There is no pre-requisite for this course, although it is helpful if you have some programming experience. This is an interdisciplinary course where you will get exposed to theories and tools from various social and computational sciences. Students who are not willing to learn to work with students from other disciplines should not sign up for this course.

Course format

Lectures, discussions, group research project, individual programming assignments

Draft syllabus

Recent article in Science on Research opportunities in Virtual worlds

Recent article in Nature on “social sciences goes virtual”

Readings:

Book: John H. Miller and Scott E. Page (2007) Complex Adaptive Systems: An introduction to Computational Models of Social Life, Princeton University Press

Additional papers provided during semester.

Spring 2008

Professors: Marco Janssen and Amber Wutich

TuTh 9:15AM – 10:30AM

Location: Agricultural Building 113

Course content

This course will equip students with concepts and practical tools to study the relation between groups of people and their common resources. Students are gradually introduced to methods to identify the diversity of institutional arrangements and analyze their effectiveness. Examples of topics covered include sports, digital commons, environmental management, and urban environments.

Required book

Elinor Ostrom (1990) Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action, Cambridge University Press

Spring 2007

Professor: Marco Janssen

TTH 3:15 – 4:30

COOR L1-64

Course content

Introduction to the use of computer simulation for the study of social phenomena like cooperation, diffusion and foraging. Students will learn the basics of cellular automata and agent-based models, evolutionary programming and networks and how these techniques are used to study social systems in ancient and modern times. Further attention is given how to test simulation models and combine them with other (empirical) methods. Applications in anthropology, political science, geography and psychology are discussed.

Students will work in group projects to apply the techniques to concrete research questions. The groups will consist of both social science and computer science students and the composition will be based on personal interests. For examples of projects see the brief project descriptions of last year.

There is no pre-requisite for this course, although it is helpful if you have some programming experience. If you have not much programming experience you will learn some basic programming in NetLogo . Students with more advanced programming experience, can chose between NetLogo and Repast.

This is an interdisciplinary course where you will get exposed to theories and tools from various social and computational sciences. Students who are not willing to learn to work with students from other disciplines should not sign up for this course.

Course format

Lectures, discussions, group research project, individual programming assignment.

Fall 2006

Professor: Marco Janssen

TTH 1:40 – 2:55

ECG G319

Course content

This course introduces simulation techniques to study social processes such as diffusion of knowledge and culture, cooperation and conflict, crowd behavior, and foraging. The students would have an opportunity to learn agent-based modeling and learn how they are applied to study social phenomena. Besides the study of the techniques, the students derive a brief introduction to relevant social science theories. The students will have hands on experience in writing simulation models of a number of social phenomena.  The class also has a number of small assignments and one final project.

Topics covered in the course are: complex adaptive systems, emergence, cellular automata, agent-based modeling, social dilemmas, iterative games, spatial games, crowd behavior, diffusion processes, social network models, artificial societies.

Students will work in group projects of social scientists and computer scientists to apply the techniques to concrete research questions. 

Course format

Lectures, discussion, computer lab, student, group research project

Required book

Nigel Gilbert and Klaus Troitzsch (2005) Simulation for the Social Scientist, second edition, Open University Press.

Software

The freeware simulation package Netlogo is used during the course.

Fall 2006

Professors: Marty Anderies and Marco Janssen

TTH 10:40 – 11:55

LL 230

Course content

Institutions, rules that structure interactions between people, are studied by various disciplines including political science, economics, sociology and anthropology. The analysis of how institutions are formed, how they operate and change, and how they influence behavior in society is the focus of this course. We will discuss the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework and the application of game theory to study institutions. We will also cover experimental research and individual decision making. Students will learn to identify the diversity of institutions that we use to govern our lives, and to apply a number of analytical tools to understand the implications of different types of institutional arrangements, especially in the context of natural resource and environmental management.

Course format

Lectures, discussions, individual project

Required book

Elinor Ostrom (2005) Understanding Institutional Diversity, Princeton University Press.

Professor: Marco Janssen

TTH 3:15 – 4:30

CPCOM 107

FINAL PROJECTS: OPEN HOUSE MAY 9: 2pm-4pm, Matthews Hall 103

Course content

Introduction to the use of computer simulation for the study of social phenomena like cooperation, diffusion and foraging. Students will learn the basics of systems dynamics, cellular automata and agent-based models, evolutionary programming, neural networks and network growing models and how these techniques are used to study social systems in ancient and modern times. Further attention is given how to test simulation models and combine them with other (empirical) methods.

Students will work in group projects to apply the techniques to concrete research questions. Example of research questions might relate to:

– what effect the aggregation of settlements in early state development?

– what affect the change in diffusion patterns of products from kin-ship to trade networks?

– why do strangers cooperate on the electronic highway?

– what affects social hierarchies in primate societies?

– why do individuals contribute to open-source software?

– how does stigma affect the spreading of HIV?

– when does polarization of options occur?

– why are bestsellers and blockbusters have the highest consumption in the first week of availability?

The groups will consist of both social science and computer science students and the composition will be based on personal interests.

Course format

Lecture, discussion, computer lab, student, group research project

Software

The freeware simulation package NetLogo is used during the course.

Instructor: Marco Janssen

Associate Instructor: Lalitha Viswanath

Description: Techniques and tools to understand and simulate social phenomena like cooperation, gossip, segregation, urban sprawl, fashion and traffic jams. Computational worlds provide insight in emergent phenomena in the real world. As a project students will build an artificial world in which their social agents eat, work, cooperate, have conflicts, gossip and have sex.

Topics include:

– emergence, micro motives and macro behavior, and complex adaptive systems

– cellular automata, game of life

– agent-based models

– diffusion processes, tipping points, fads and fashion

– social dilemmas, cooperation

– foraging, competition, artificial social societies

We will use Netlogo for implementing a number of simulation models.

In the second half of the course the participants will work on a project in groups of about 4 participants.

Prerequisites: Ideally some hands-on programming. Minimally I210 or equivalents.

Lecture: Monday/Wednesday, 9:30-10:15AM in Informatics room 107

Lab: Tuesday, 11.15AM-12.05PM (room 109). This is voluntary lab time starting at February 1.

Office hours Marco Janssen: Thursday, 9.00AM-Noon. Annex of Mathers (408 North Indiana Avenue) Room 227.

Office hours Lalitha Viswanath: Monday, 10.15AM -1PM, Informatics 313

Course Policy

Schedule

Reading Material

Axelrod, R. (1984) Evolution of Cooperation, New York: Basic Books (required reading)

Epstein, J.M. and R. Axtell (1996). Growing Artificial Societies (required reading)

Schelling, T. (1978). Micromotives and macrobehavior. New York: W. W. Norton

Links

Netlogo

Game of Life

Sugarscape [error]

Flocking boids

Fall Semester 2003: 

Tuesday, 2:30-3:45P and Thursday 2:30-3.45P SPEA 270

Instructor: Marco Janssen

Conceptual and computational models that integrate human activities and ecological dynamics are increasingly used to support environmental policy, such as global climate change, and to study interactions between humans and the environment. The development or use of such models requires familiarity with various topics from different disciplines such as economics, ecology, computer science, political science, anthropology, geography, etc. This course provides an introduction to the building blocks of integrated modeling, such as ecological dynamics, individual and collective decision making. The participants derive an overview of relevant theories from various disciplines, and are illustrated how to integrate them in a common framework. Furthermore, the participants derive a basic introduction to use software to build simulation models.

The software that is used, Vensim and NetLogo, are freeware and downloadable from the internet. This software is user friendly and contains a lot of demo models. During the course various topics will be illustrated with models in Vensim and Netlogo, and the students are expected to perform exercises with these models.

An important part of the course is the research project, which is preferable related to the thesis subject of the students. The resulting research paper can report on actual modeling performed by the student, or a more conceptual discussion on integrated modeling.

Course requirements: 

A Paper Proposal is due after 7 weeks. It must include a “Statement of Problem”, procedures and a “Preliminary Annotated Bibliography” (25% of grade). Final paper due on the last class meeting date (counts 50% of grade).

Participation in class is 25% of final grade. 

Schedule of the course

September 2: Introduction to the course

September 4: Historical overview of integrated modeling.

September 9: Basic concepts of System Dynamics

September 11: Advanced concepts of System Dynamics

September 16: System Dynamics Programming using Vensim

September 18: – No class – or guest lecture

September 23: Population Biology

September 25: Demographics and Health         

September 30: Multiple stable states and resilience

October 2: Resilience theory in practice

October 7: Cellular automata

October 9: Agent-based modeling (ABM)

October 14: Introduction to programming ABM

October 16: Experimental design of agent-based models

October 21: Biogeochemical cycles

October 23: Industrial Ecology

October 28: Progress reports of student projects

October 30: Progress reports of student projects

November 4: Individual decision making

November 6: Models of learning

November 11: Social networks

November 13: Social dilemmas, and evolution of cooperation

November 18: Laboratory experiments and ABM

November 20: Institutional analysis and development framework

November 25-27: Thanksgiving break

December 2: Evolution of rules

December 4: Integrated modeling of ancient societies

December 9: Calibration and validation

December 11: Participatory use of models