Macroanalysis in the Arts and Sciences

Abstract

Macroanalysis is a transdisciplinary intellectual concept offering opportunities to engage students in the role that large-scale computer modeling and simulation play in complex decision-making. Since many of our most pressing social, economic and political problems now require thinking, modeling and computation at extremely large spatial and temporal scales, the time is right for educators to reconsider the role of computing at scale in the arts and sciences. Macroanalysis, as conceived in this chapter, is positioned to contribute to virtually every discipline in higher education. Although the commercial consequences of these large-scale analyses have been considered particularly under the moniker of big data, the civic, cultural and educational consequences of such analyses have often been of secondary concern. Current trends in macroanalytic thinking suggest that citizens will consume ever more virtual evidence derived from large-scale models and simulations as a natural consequence of the complex problems facing society. This chapter outlines the themes of macroanalytic thinking, surveys their application in the arts and sciences, and argues for a broad approach to macroanalytic education on civic grounds. As educators, we can prepare students to respond to the large-scale analyses driving many of the important decisions of our time.