Schedule

Back to Syllabus

For week, complete the assigned tasks moving from left to right, ending with a quiz in BrightSpace. The schedule will be updated periodically so please do not work ahead. Readings are annotated as in the following examples: M(1)~Meadows chapter 1, F(3)~Ford chapter 3 and R&G(2)~Railsback and Grimm chapter 2.



Schedule Activity
Week Date Topic Reading Media Exercise Discussion Assessment
1 Jan 12 Introduction to Modeling M(Intro) 10p
F(1) 14p
 Reading: Computational Models Overview Discussion Questions Quiz in Brightspace
Open Mon-Sun
2 Jan 19 Introduction to SD modeling M(1) 24p
F(2, 3) 14p, 8p
  1. Stella Intro (8:21 mins)
  2. Feedbacks (5:14 mins)
  3. Model components (6:49 mins)
  4. Causal loop diagrams (6:43 mins)
 Install Stella on your computer Discussion Questions Quiz in Brightspace
Open Mon-Sun
3 Jan 26 SD Basics F(4,6) 8p,12p
Start M(2) 40p
  1. System behavior (8:12 mins)
  2. First population model (12:18 mins)
  3. Second population model (8:25 mins)
  4. Sensitivity analysis (10:09 mins)

 Ex1: Population Growth
Discussion Questions Quiz in Brightspace
Open Mon-Sun
4 Feb 2 SD basics
F(7, 9)
10p,18p
Finish M(2)
  1. Optimization (5:18 mins)
  2. Calibration (10:02 mins)
  3. SD AI (4:02 mins)
  4. AI: Example (11:21 mins)
 Ex2: Logistic population growth
Discussion Questions Quiz in Brightspace
Open Mon-Sun
5 Feb 9 SD Intermediate modeling F(8, 20)
7p, 12p
M(3) 12p 		Reading: Climate Social Model Ex3: Predator Prey Dynamics
Discussion Questions Quiz in Brightspace
Open Mon-Sun
6 Feb 16 Homeostasis
ODD protocol 		M(4) 24p
F(10,21)
8p, 22p 		Reading: COVID SD model Simple climate model
Discussion Questions Quiz in Brightspace
Open Mon-Sun
7 Feb 23 ABM Basics M(5) 33p
F(11,23)
8p, 9p 		Reading: HANDY SD model Collapse model
Discussion Questions Quiz in Brightspace
Open Mon-Sun
8 Mar 2 Netlogo introduced M(6) 21p
R&G(1) 10p
R&G(2) 17p
  1. Video: Game of Life (6:32 mins)
 SD Project Option 1: Covid model
SD Project Option 2: HANDY model 		Discussion Questions Quiz in Brightspace
Open Mon-Sun
Mar 9 Spring Break
9 Mar 16 Emergence M(7) 21p
R&G(3) 11p
R&G(4) 12p
  1. Video: Fundamentals of Netlogo (3:21)
  2. Video: What is agent-based modeling? (5:56)
  3. Video: Tools of Agent-based modeling (6:53)
 Project time Discussion Questions Quiz in Brightspace
Open Mon-Sun
10 Mar 23 Observation
R&G(5,6)
12p, 18p
  1. Video: Fire model (8:59)
  2. Video: Schelling's model (9:37)
  3. Video: Overview and info tab (6:14)
 Mushroom hunting

Video: Mushroom hunter model (41:19 min)
Video: Plotting in NetLogo (6:39) 		Discussion Questions Quiz in Brightspace
Open Mon-Sun
11 Mar 30 Sensing R&G(7,8) 4p,13p
  1. Video: Interface Tab (8:05)
  2. Video: Turtles part 1 (6:02)
  3. Video: Turtles part 2 (2:58)
  4. Video: Patches and links (6:46)
 Butterfly Hilltopping

Video: Butterflies ch 4 (39:09)
Video: Butterflies ch 5 (40:23) 		Discussion Questions Quiz in Brightspace
Open Mon-Sun
12 Apr 6 Adaptive behavior & Parameterization R&G(9) 10p
R&G(10) 15p
  1. Video: Code Tab (7:45)
  2. Video: Properties (5:56)
  3. Video: Agent sets (13:02)
  4. Reading: ABM for COVID
 Butterfly Hilltopping: Observation
Discussion Questions Quiz in Brightspace
Open Mon-Sun
13 Apr 13 Understanding & Analysis, Sensitivity & Uncertainty R&G(11,20) 11p,13p
  1. Video: Simple Economy (2:07)
  2. Video: SE: Control (4:43)
  3. Video: SE: Set up (4:16)
  4. Video: SE: Go (4:11)
  5. Video: SE: Transect (2:05)

 NetLogo Project: Fire & forest model Discussion Questions Quiz in Brightspace
Open Mon-Sun
14 Apr 20 Modeling Summary & Future Directions R&G(21,22,23) 1p,12p,15p
  1. Video: Reporters (7:03)
  2. Video: Graphs (4:22)
  3. Video: Analysis (10:08)
  4. Video: Wrap up (3:33)
  5. Reading: CA for Fire
 Project time Discussion Questions Quiz in Brightspace
Open Mon-Sun
15 Apr 27 Modeling Summary & Future Directions Reading: Complex Systems
Project time Discussion Questions Quiz in Brightspace
Open Mon-Sun
16 4 May Final Projects due at 11:59pm on 8 May 2026