This module aims to help you engage with and improve complex situations that involve change in all areas of work, evaluate your own social structures and experiences of working groups, communities of practice, and networks, and consider possible future alternatives.
The module assumes that everyone is engaged in some form of practice –as a professional, a manager, a parent or a student. You’ll appreciate how your understanding and practice can influence change. You’ll need to think about your perspective and make assumptions explicit. The module begins by exploring the nature of change and systems practice and why there is a need to manage systemic change. It goes on to address a simple but profound question: What is it that you do when you do what you do? It then considers the implications of practice in a networked or interconnected world, where groups, teams, organisations, and even nations must work smarter together.
Some claim that we now live in a world of short-term projects with pre-specified goals that can no longer deal with the complexity and uncertainty we must manage. This module introduces ‘systemic inquiry’, an alternative way to organise programmes and projects – to better manage the complexity and uncertainty associated with, for example, adapting our institutions, organisations and practices for living, managing and governing in a climate emergency.
The future world will require more skills and understanding of flexible and adaptive managing – emphasising learning as we go and ensuring the learning changes our practice and organisations. A promising way to do this is with systemic inquiry. The module will enable you to start to organise and manage this type of practice – a form of research accessible to all.
More effective collaborative working will be a demand placed on more and more people. This will make new demands on meetings, teams, projects, committees, as well as interagency, cross-professional and cross-cultural groups. This module will consider the theory and practice of ‘social learning systems and communities of practice’ to develop your understanding of how separate groups might better work together using systems thinking in practice. You’ll be able to evaluate your processes, structures and experiences critically – in your working groups, communities of practice and networks – and consider possible alternatives for the future.
By understanding social learning systems and communities of practice, you’ll aim to develop capabilities for working with others in a practical way to bring about systemic change. You’ll learn from your systemic inquiries to design learning systems that can effect change that’s systemically desirable and culturally feasible. Social learning and communities of practice are at the forefront in managing. This material will be beneficial to those who have encountered organisational structures that unhelpfully separate interconnected issues of change (managing them in ‘silos’), or those who need to develop skills to work with multiple organisations.
You'll be able to do most of the work online or offline. We encourage you to use online forums to interact with other students in appreciating multiple perspectives, including your own.
By studying this module, you’ll be able to take stock of your experience; examine issues in your own working life; make sense of them using a range of innovative ideas, tools and techniques; and extend your competence as a professional. In our contemporary world, where all organisations face increasing uncertainty and complexity, the experience of our students is that completing our systems modules not only benefits them personally but is of great benefit to the organisation in which they’re employed.
The module will meet the needs of anyone engaged with taking action in situations that involve complex inter-connections, multiple stakeholder interests and have problematic boundaries. It will meet these needs by providing practical and conceptual foundations for managing in the broadest sense.
This module is ideal for those people who are in situations such as:
From the module, you will appreciate the limitations of many current ways of thinking and learn how they can exacerbate complexity, creating unintended consequences that can lead to systemic failure. When you finish, you should be able to think and act differently, not only as an individual but also in your work with others. Your ability to work with others will develop by understanding what social learning and communities of practice are and how you can participate in and contribute to both.
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Course work includes:
The module blends online activities and text-based material supported by module books. Practical exercises, video demonstrations, online discussions and web-based multi-media teaching ensure the ideas become grounded in your experience.
You can study this module on its own or use the credits you gain towards an Open University qualification.
TB872 is a compulsory module in our:
TB872 is an option module in our:
Sometimes you cannot count a module towards a qualification if you have already counted another module with similar content. To verify any excluded combinations with this module, check with an adviser before registering.
Managing change with systems thinking in practice (TB872) starts once a year – in November.
It will next start in November 2026.
We expect it to start for the last time in November 2027.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
There are no entry requirements for this module.
Although this module has no entry requirements, we recommend you have: that you have already done some study up to HNC, HND or bachelors degree level, or have equivalent experience from your employment.
Gaining prior awareness, knowledge and experience of systems thinking will help you benefit more from the course material – for example, by engaging with open educational resources on OpenLearn. A complete list of systems thinking resources is available on our School of Engineering and Innovation pages.
Written transcripts of audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Other alternative formats of the module materials may be available in the future.
This module uses web-based multimedia teaching and materials delivered online. Before you register, contact us about how accessible this will be to assistive technology if you use specialist hardware or software.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our disability support pages.
| Start | End | Register by | England fee |
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| 01 Nov 2026 | 30 Apr 2027 | 08 Oct 2026 | Not yet available* |
| *This start date is open for pre-booking, which means you can reserve your place ahead of the fees being confirmed. We’ll publish updated 2026/27 fees and funding information on the 25th of March. |
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in England.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to help with your tuition fees. To find out more, see Postgraduate tuition fee loans in Northern Ireland.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to help with your tuition fees. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in Scotland.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in Wales.
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Read more about Open University Student Budget Accounts (OUSBA).
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Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2026. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
