University Studies Goals
1. Critical Thinking: Students will be required to use all elements of critical thinking skills, including, interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference, and explanation in creating materials for the partner organization. They will assess their own biases along the way during Discussion postings and mid-year and final reflections. The information they present must be accurate and useful, as The Water Project will disseminate materials to a variety of partners around the world.
Students will be required to make links between their current tasks and their impact on future classes and The Water Project, and think critically about processes along the way.
2. Communication: Students will have the opportunity to develop new communication skills via interactions with The Water Project, the instructor, fellow students, and people in the community. Depending on each students task and the current state of the project, they may have opportunities to:
· Interview refugees/asylee/immigrants as cultural informants;
· Produce, write, and edit findings in formal reports to professional standards;
· Reflect on what they are learning via online discussion postings;
· Conduct research, which may require speaking with professionals in the field, such as at UNICEF, World Vision, or other NGOs; and/or
· Create other forms of communication that will be required as The Water Project establishes more specific details of what kinds of products will be useful to them.
3. Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice: Students will complete an exercise on values. This exercise comes from the field of project management, which helps participants to see how their own values often align/conflict with others values, which can create misunderstandings, conflict, and other issues. For example, if a student identifies during research a cultural practice or norm that does not align with their value system, this exercise will help them to see how diverse and variety the human experience really is.
Students will participate in group discussions, through technology such as Skype, conference calling software, or D2L, and will be asked to process questions of diversity, equity, and social justice through a variety of exercises. During discussions, the instructor will link their processing to questions of historical and systemic justice and their role in addressing injustices. The goal will be to help students (as needed) to move from a more judgment worldview, to a more inquisitive worldview, and acknowledge the value of others.
4. Social and Ethical Responsibility: Water scarcity is one of the biggest issues that our world faces, as a quarter of the globes inhabitants do not have access to clean water. Students will learn their role as a global citizen, as they experience through interactions with those affected by water scarcity and through research about the topic. They will learn how a lack of basic resources leads to all kinds of other societal concerns such as conflict, immigration, and public health issues.
Finally, students will participate in tangible work that will help The Water Project and their partners to better serve their communities affected by water scarcity. By doing the project, they will be acting in a socially responsible way. Students will be completing projects that demonstrate that they have skills to make positive and lasting changes in the world.
