Action to take before our next meeting: Matt and Roy suggest that before we meet on April 2, each of us insert into a master document some classes they think should be in the first course. For the time being, let’s assume 50 minute classes, and assume a constraint of 35 sessions (with the remaining sessions for other course activities). We will likely end up proposing more than 35 sessions, and can winnow from there. Roy will start by sharing a document on Google Drive that you can edit. Please insert your entries to that document. The format should be a bolded title for the class topic, followed by the central question(s) the class would address, and some items that would be covered. Entries should be viewed as first drafts.
Notes on the meeting:
Jason provided an update of events planning/coordination with Lenn Caron and Tanvi Gahdia.
We will distribute the survey to chairs/instructors over the next few weeks; we hope to gain the Provost’s endorsement for this survey. We will need to analyze the results later in the semester. We hope to categorize the range of topics now covered and to identify any gaps in that coverage. The results could also be helpful in considering whether to propose a certificate, as well as spreading knowledge about pedagogies used to study climate change.
Most of the discussion was about course development. We decided to aim for proposing a two-course sequence that would start Fall 2019 and Spring 2020. We will flesh out this idea before and during the next meeting.
The first course will be a introduction to climate change, for sophomores and above. It will be multidisciplinary, including not only basic fundamental natural and physical sciences, but also humanities, arts, social sciences, and engineering. However, since these topics themselves are unlikely to provide a draw for all social science, arts and humanities students, we discussed options to draw a cultural connection to visions of the future: “Ecotopia” and “Blade Runner” or “Snowpiercer” were floated as potential contrasts. Besides the objective of providing fundamental knowledge about climate change, the course should help students learn how they might contribute to societal mitigation and adaptation efforts.
Our initial idea was that the first course would include a baseline of fundamental science and an introduction to relevant policy that would serve as a common denominator for the subsequent course(s). Another potential draw would be to get the students out of the classroom, perhaps to conduct interviews with members of the community to learn about their thoughts and/or concerns surrounding climate adaptation. One concept was to have the ultimate product be a proposal for action in the subsequent course—even if the students did not follow through with the action, the act of thinking through the items for a proposal would likely be edifying.
The second course(s) would be several courses through which faculty-mentored student groups could carry out mitigation and adaptation projects. We read a paper summarizing this effort that suggested it was a heavy lift combined with the previous material, thus the desire to have a course sequence.
Ali will obtain and distribute more details about Ana Prados’s honors college course on climate change.
Among issues for further discussion:
1. Would the intro course be the required prereq for the second course, or could a combination of other courses substitute (e.g., GES 110, GES120, and a relevant upper level from GES or other departments?)
2. When and how to apply for Innovation Fund or other support for course design?
3. What would the hook be for non-GES/POLS students?
4. What does the second course look like?
Notes on the meeting:
Jason provided an update of events planning/coordination with Lenn Caron and Tanvi Gahdia.
We will distribute the survey to chairs/instructors over the next few weeks; we hope to gain the Provost’s endorsement for this survey. We will need to analyze the results later in the semester. We hope to categorize the range of topics now covered and to identify any gaps in that coverage. The results could also be helpful in considering whether to propose a certificate, as well as spreading knowledge about pedagogies used to study climate change.
Most of the discussion was about course development. We decided to aim for proposing a two-course sequence that would start Fall 2019 and Spring 2020. We will flesh out this idea before and during the next meeting.
The first course will be a introduction to climate change, for sophomores and above. It will be multidisciplinary, including not only basic fundamental natural and physical sciences, but also humanities, arts, social sciences, and engineering. However, since these topics themselves are unlikely to provide a draw for all social science, arts and humanities students, we discussed options to draw a cultural connection to visions of the future: “Ecotopia” and “Blade Runner” or “Snowpiercer” were floated as potential contrasts. Besides the objective of providing fundamental knowledge about climate change, the course should help students learn how they might contribute to societal mitigation and adaptation efforts.
Our initial idea was that the first course would include a baseline of fundamental science and an introduction to relevant policy that would serve as a common denominator for the subsequent course(s). Another potential draw would be to get the students out of the classroom, perhaps to conduct interviews with members of the community to learn about their thoughts and/or concerns surrounding climate adaptation. One concept was to have the ultimate product be a proposal for action in the subsequent course—even if the students did not follow through with the action, the act of thinking through the items for a proposal would likely be edifying.
The second course(s) would be several courses through which faculty-mentored student groups could carry out mitigation and adaptation projects. We read a paper summarizing this effort that suggested it was a heavy lift combined with the previous material, thus the desire to have a course sequence.
Ali will obtain and distribute more details about Ana Prados’s honors college course on climate change.
Among issues for further discussion:
1. Would the intro course be the required prereq for the second course, or could a combination of other courses substitute (e.g., GES 110, GES120, and a relevant upper level from GES or other departments?)
2. When and how to apply for Innovation Fund or other support for course design?
3. What would the hook be for non-GES/POLS students?
4. What does the second course look like?