COURSE  PHILOSOPHY This class has been designed to promote students learning and deep understanding in several knowledge and skill areas related to climate change and its practice by professionals. It is learner-centered, that is its goal is to achieve a certain level of knowledge by students and not only expose students to a certain amount of material. In this learner-centered paradigm students are actively involved in the construction of their knowledge and understanding through gathering and synthesizing and integrating information with general skills of inquiry, communication, critical thinking and problem solving. The instructors' role is to guide and coach students to achieve the course learning objectives that are clearly communicated to them. In this paradigm, learning and assessing are intertwined and instructor and students evaluate together. Prompt feedback is provided to the students to help them reflect on and improve their learning. The culture of the class is cooperative and collaborative (effective teamwork behavior). This course calls for each student to endorse this new learning paradigm and be active participants, working individually and collectively on the assigned tasks in-class and outside the class, reflecting on the feedback given to them, providing feedback to the instructors and becoming life-long learners. COURSE  OBJECTIVES Following the precepts of the learner-centered paradigm, learning outcomes have been established for the class (class learning outcomes). They describe what the faculty in charge of the class intends students to know, understand and be able to accomplish with their knowledge in this course. COURSE  EVALUATION A variety of student's assessment measures (writings, presentations, team work, class discussion, final summit participation) are used to arrive at the final grade. Multiple assessment measures allow students to express themselves fully and bring different talents and learning styles to the class, and honor them. The class product is an agreement composed of several articles crafted by the students throughout the class. This is a unique product for which there is no correct answer and that depends on the students' creativity. The fairness and reliability of the evaluation -that is by nature subjective - is ensured by making public the criteria by which the students will be judged. The principal assessment instrument used in this class to judge students performance in writings, presentations, teamwork and participation to the final summit is the rubric. A rubric is a table that describes the various criteria by which a particular task is judged. The table contains comments that describe the characteristics of work for each of the mastery level. All evaluations are made jointly by the instructors (Professor and TA) on the basis of both qualitative and quantitative contribution. ______________________________________________________ Below are feedback instructions. For bonus points, send your feedback to TA by August 3, 2007 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In order to obtain full bonus credit for the evaluation you need to answer all questions. Answer as candidly as possible and provide constructive (not necessarily positive) comments to the general questions. Part I: Assessment of How Class Contributed to Personal Understanding of Global Warming 1. How has this class added to your own personal understanding of global climate change? Please be specific concerning: what you have learned about global warming what aspects of global warming may be uncertain to you what other aspects of global warming you would like to see this class address. 2. How has this class helped you to understand the role of science in international decision making? 3. What is your personal outlook concerning the global climate? Has this class made you more optimistic or pessimistic about the future of our climate? Part II: Assessment of Class 1. This class strived to integrate multiple facets of global warming, (i.e., political, societal, economic, and scientific) in an effort to illustrate the complexities of reaching an international consensus. Do you feel that this class adequately addressed these different components? Do you feel there was greater emphasis placed on one aspect of global warming? 2. Do you feel this class enabled you to explore an aspect of global warming that was of particular interest to you? If so, what topic was of interest to you and how did this class allow you to explore this topic? If not, what aspect of global warming would you have liked to explore? 3. Many of the students enrolled in this class are Geography majors. Do you feel this class is appropriate for non-geography/non-science majors? Please elaborate based on your personal experience. 4. What is your opinion about your own personal participation in the various summit activities? Do you feel that you have had sufficient opportunity to express your opinion? 5. Do you feel this class was structured in a way to require equal participation from all class members? Part III: Suggestions for Improving Class 1. What activities did you enjoy the most/ find the most valuable? 2. Were there any activities you feel should be eliminated from this class? 3. Is there anything you would have like to contribute but didn't have the opportunity as a result of time pressure during the summit itself? If yes do you want to contribute them now? 3. Please add any comments on how you feel this class can be improved.