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The effects of magnetostatic coupling on switching dynamics are investigated for assemblies of patterned disc-shaped magnetic elements using mumax3 micromagnetic simulations. The arrangements of coupled dots were designed using information about the switching fields and reversal dynamics of isolated dots, as well as the magnitude of the magnetic stray fields they generate. The magnetization dynamics for individual dots was examined during a reversal cascade down a linear chain of dots. The magnetization angle fluctuated much more when neighboring dots have opposite magnetization directions, consistent with a lower energy barrier for reversal. The data were analyzed to differentiate thermal and interaction field effects. While many systems of interacting nanomagnets have been analyzed in terms of empirical models, the dynamical energy barrier approach offers a methodology with a more detailed and physically intuitive way to study both simple systems like the chain and more complex assemblies such as artificial spin ice.