About the Course
Overview
Why is change so difficult to achieve? Do you ever wonder why just starting the conversation seems like such a challenge? Imagine creating an app, an interactive experience, or a sculpture to help move the discussion forward. In this course, we will develop tools for dialogue. By employing strategies borrowed from debate, experience and interaction design; participants will offer methods for ensuring civic discourse in a range of topics. Concepts will be tested to better understand the impact of proposed ideas.
Project Experience
Students in all projects will work with 2 or more undergraduate tutors. Students will meet via zoom 3 x week in the late afternoon for 45-60 minutes. At other times students will work asynchronously with their tutors and each other via slack.
Sample Problems
Climate Change: the largest contributors, what can they do to help? And what must first be acknowledged in order for change to be meaningful? How can we better respond to climate change when it seems the we would rather ignore it?
Nuclear Power: Is this version of renewable energy worth the risk? What are the opposing and supporting arguments?
Unions: how can we bring together groups that both want a better future, but better for who?
Gender: bringing together multiple perspectives on gender equality + equity.
Gun Control: The gun debate seems to stall on 2nd amendment rights vs. the safety of our public. Is there a way we can discuss guns while ensuring constitutional rights to bear arms while also living without the fear of gun violence?
Project Schedule
The week by week schedule will vary somewhat as students are engaged in real world problem solving. Therefore it is never possible to predict exactly what will happen each week. It all depends on where explorations lead the work. But generally the project will look something like this:
Weeks 1-3: Research leading to selecting a problem, forming teams and developing a project proposal.
Weeks 4-8: Forming solutions, deciding on the final project format, and working with tutors to meet project milestones and solicit feedback from tutors and peers.
Week 9: Project presentations.