| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.00 |
| Liaison | Jessica Krejcik |
| Submission Date | Dec. 22, 2021 |
Concordia University
AC-7: Incentives for Developing Courses
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Cassandra
Lamontagne Sustainability Coordinator Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution have an ongoing program that offers incentives for academic staff in multiple disciplines or departments to develop new sustainability courses and/or incorporate sustainability into existing courses? :
A brief description of the incentive program(s):
Wicked Problem Program
Wicked problems are highly complex societal challenges where there is little consensus around the nature of the problem; where causes, effects, and interdependencies are difficult to disentangle; and where existing methods, processes and policies to address the problem have proven inadequate. Wicked problems, by their very nature, need to be understood and addressed from the perspective of multiple disciplines, and with collaboration between multiple stakeholders. Wicked problem courses are team-taught courses focused on these complex societal challenges, with embedded transdisciplinary projects undertaken in collaboration with community, industry, and/or government partners. These partners might define issues or challenges that courses can be built around, collaborate with faculty and students on a course project, and/or participate in reviews of projects at the end of a course. The objective of offering wicked problem courses is to provide students with high-impact forms of experiential, collaborative, and transdisciplinary learning that integrates theoretical understanding and practical experience.
Wicked problem courses will inevitability involve sustainability issues/components. A good example of this is the Wicked Problem Course that was developed and funded through this program called Wastescapes.
Short description of the course Wastescapes (August 2020): What values and practices shape waste production and reduction in Montreal today? In urban cities, waste is largely out of mind and out of site and yet the accumulation of unprocessed waste is a looming public-health crisis and a major contributor to climate change. Wastescapes is a seven-day, interdisciplinary bike tour across Montreal to gather knowledge, increase visibility and strengthen public understanding around emergent best practices in waste management and reduction. Students will bike and camp together to daily sites, while developing a repertoire of skills and network of contacts in the field.
A brief description of the incentives that academic staff who participate in the program(s) receive:
Support for wicked problem courses includes:
• Extensive assistance from the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) on course design and pedagogy (This includes support for co-design sessions with students and partners/collaborators if desired)
• RA and/or TA support for course development and delivery
• Assistance with identifying potential partners/collaborators
• Access to discretionary funds (up to $2,000) to cover costs associated with course projects
In addition, it may be possible for wicked problem courses to use the 4th Space for projects and activities.
In 2018, CTL offered a workshop to provide opportunities to develop multidisciplinary team-taught courses and meet potential collaborators.
Website URL where information about the incentives for developing sustainability course content is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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