[DSRP Evidence](https://dsrpevidence.org/)

# Facilitating DSRP Workshops

## Details

**Authors** van Dongen H, Cabrera D

**Year** 2025

**Publisher** Journal of Systems Thinking 5(1):1-10

**Kind of work** article

[Read it at the publisher](https://doi.org/10.54120/jost.v25i1.hvgdwdag) 
10.54120/jost.v25i1.hvgdwdag

## In authors' words

### Abstract

This case study reports on a six-session DSRP (Distinctions, Systems, Relationships, Perspectives) workshop series conducted in Fall 2025 with a culturally and professionally diverse group of adult learners at Interkultur Lund in Sweden. The series introduced participants to the DSRP Patterns and Moves through a combination of tangible and intangible anchor examples, group practice, and between-session reinforcement. Over the six sessions, several predictable cognitive challenges emerged—including difficulty transferring structure from tangible to intangible domains, consistent struggles with non-agent perspectives, and a narrowed focus on causal relationships. A central finding was the significant pedagogical effect of facilitator metacognitive modeling, which reliably increased engagement and comprehension. Reflecting on the intervention, the case highlights an important structural insight: live sessions were burdened by the need to teach foundational DSRP concepts rather than focus on coached practice, a misalignment that flipped DSRP instructional models directly resolve.[18,19] Implications for future workshop design and systems thinking pedagogy are discussed.

### What they found (results)

Facilitator metacognitive modelling had a significant pedagogical effect. Participants showed consistent difficulty with non-agent perspectives.

## Commentary

### Response

External first author, outside the United States, and the perspective difficulty was observed rather than measured by the lab — an independent line converging on the same finding the Pareto data shows as 16% explicit perspective-taking.

**Patterns it shows** D, S, R, P

## Questions it bears on

- Q5. [Does the same organization (O) hold across every domain and scale?](https://dsrpevidence.org/question/scale-generality)
- Q17. [What is transfer (T)?](https://dsrpevidence.org/question/transfer)
- Q23. [Can people become more mentally fit?](https://dsrpevidence.org/question/fitness-can-increase)
- Q25. [Does practice in organization (O) increase mental fitness?](https://dsrpevidence.org/question/o-practice-works)
- Q27. [Does measuring mental fitness improve it?](https://dsrpevidence.org/question/measuring-improves)

**How to cite this** van Dongen H, Cabrera D (2025). Facilitating DSRP Workshops. Journal of Systems Thinking 5(1):1-10.