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Got Risk? The Role of Risk Analysis in High School Education

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Conference

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

San Antonio, Texas

Publication Date

June 10, 2012

Start Date

June 10, 2012

End Date

June 13, 2012

ISSN

2153-5965

Conference Session

Systems Engineering Education and K-12

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Management, Systems Engineering, and Industrial Engineering

Page Count

12

Page Numbers

25.675.1 - 25.675.12

DOI

10.18260/1-2--21432

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/21432

Download Count

440

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Paper Authors

biography

Eva Andrijcic University of Virginia

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Eva Andrijcic is a third-year Ph.D. student at the Department of Systems and Information Engineering at the University of Virginia.

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Abstract

Eva
Andrijcic,
UVA
Got
Risk?
The
Role
of
Risk
Analysis
in
High
School
Education


As
an
important
element
of
systems
engineering,
decision
analysis,
and
business
curricula,
courses
in
risk
assessment
and
management
provide
students
with
the
knowledge
and
skills
necessary
to
systematically
and
holistically
identify
the
possible
sources
of
risk
and
ways
to
manage
them,
thus,
preparing
them
to
become
better
problem
solvers
in
the
world
of
complex
issues.
These
skills
are
generally
not
taught
in
pre‐college
classes,
but,
as
this
paper
shows,
they
can
be
successfully
taught
to
high
school
students
through
simple
conceptual
and
graphical
models,
and
engaging
hands‐on
activities.
The
early
exposure
to
the
type
of
thinking
required
by
these
models,
promotes
holistic,
systems‐based
thinking
for
students
possessing
different
levels
of
quantitative
skills.
Risk
analysis
classes
might
be
especially
appropriate
at
the
high
school
level
where
students
are
developing
emotionally,
socially
and
physically,
and
are
exposed,
individually
and
as
a
group,
to
a
sudden
need
to
explore
the
boundaries
of
accepted
norms
and
behaviors.
By
teaching
them
how
to
think
critically
and
holistically
about
the
issues
that
are
relevant
to
them,
and
the
associated
risks,
available
options,
and
related
costs
and
benefits,
we
enable
students
to
continue
the
learning
process
outside
the
classroom
–
we
enable
them
to
continually
apply
systems
thinking
to
real
life
problems.
Given
that
the
general
topics
explored
in
undergraduate‐
and
graduate‐
level
risk
analysis
classes
are
inappropriate
and
overly
complex
for
high‐school
students,
the
key
for
the
success
of
this
program
is
to
create
age‐appropriate
and
relevant
examples
that
students
can
identify
with.
This
paper
introduces
example
topics
for
grades
9‐12
that
can
be
covered
in
a
few
class
sessions.
Discussed
example
problems
build
on
the
simplified
versions
of
the
Hierarchical
Holographic
Model,
fault
tree
models,
and
decision
tree
models.
Additional
hands
on
activities
through
which
students
can
assess
risk
and
apply
critical,
systems‐based
thinking
are
also
introduced,
as
are
suggestions
for
teachers
on
how
to
structure
and
facilitate
these
activities.
Furthermore,
this
paper
discusses
how
these
activities
were
implemented
and
received
by
a
group
of
9‐11
students
in
a
summer
camp
for
high
performing
students
during
Summer
2011.
















Andrijcic, E. (2012, June), Got Risk? The Role of Risk Analysis in High School Education Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--21432

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