Overview
This year-long course continues with Unit 4 (post CALS 503) focused on continuing the conversations on Western and Traditional Indigenous Knowledges, theories, and perspectives on leadership, climate adaptation, resilience, and design thinking through guest speakers and course activities. Building on the course work completed to date in the Learning Intensive, CALS 500, CALS 502, CALS 503 Climate Risk Management, you will continue to work with your team on the MACAL 501 design challenge in the Test stage of the design thinking process (Steps 8-9).
Drawing on the Unit 4 readings, and the learning to-date from previous courses, you will continue to develop your understanding of climate action, leadership, and other relevant topics. You will also contribute to your blog as a means for analyzing and synthesizing these perspectives and deepening your transdisciplinary lens on climate action leadership and the design challenge.
Activities and Assessment
Please see Schedule for important dates for this Unit.
- Unit 4 Activity 1 – Submit Conceptual Prototype to dropbox (should be uploaded by March 14th)
- Unit 4 Activity 2 – Attend Synchronous Seminar
- Unit 4 Activity 3 – Meet with your team to continue your work on the MACAL 501 design challenge through the Test stages of the design thinking process.
- Unit 4 Activity 4 – Contribute to the MACAL course community.
- Assignment 6 – Unit 4 Blog Post
Unit 4 – Activity 1a | Readings and Preparation
Please read the assigned Unit 4 readings in advance of this the Wednesday pm seminar in order to participate in deepening the dialogue and analysis of the topics discussed.
Due to the focus on the MACAL 501 design challenge, the readings for this unit will be driven by what is identified by the focus of the design challenge and the focus that you and other students in your cohort have taken. In addition, there may be a reading that is required in advance of the Unit 4 Seminar (synchronous) which will be determined by the Unit 4 speaker(s) and the Course Instructor.
Unit 4 – Activity 1b | Submit Prototype
Your conceptual prototype should be in near to complete stage by now, and ready to test. By March 14th or earlier, this conceptual prototype should be submitted to the Moodle Dropbox .
The conceptual prototype format will vary. It may be a written description and/or diagram, a photo of a physical prototype, a workshop outline (manual), or whatever format is appropriate to the concept. We previously shared the following to help inform your understanding of a conceptual prototype. There is no one way to do this, but here are some ideas.
“It is correct that you don’t actually have a prototype, and won’t by the end of the course, but what you will have is what I would call a conceptual prototype. To that end you may want to draft as a team, a description of the concept (what it is you are proposing and what problem or complex challenge does it respond to?; the rationale -that answers the question of why this concept? How is this innovative? How does this meet users’ needs etc?; how would this function? etc) that you can use as the basis for an interview. This could include a diagram, or flow chart… conceptual prototypes, in other words can be framed out in different ways – paper schemas; storyboards; mockups, ppt presentations, other. In ‘real world’ DT you can also use tools such as are listed on this page or this one (scroll down to prototyping apps), These kinds of models allow you to demonstrate your concept and eventually test it out (steps 8-9 – Unit 4) with potential stakeholders or with experts in the field. Right now you are consulting with stakeholders, experts, knowledge holders to inform the prototype through their insights and responses.”
Unit 4 – Activity 2 | Seminar (synchronous)
Please attend the Unit 4 Seminar, Wednesday March 16th, 16:00-18:30 PT. This seminar will be informed by the evolving MACAL 501 Design Thinking challenge, and will include discussions that support your continued integration of Indigenous world views and transdisciplinary thinking about climate action leadership.
Unit 4 – Activity 3 | Continue your teamwork continue on the MACAL 501 design challenge
Your team is now taking what you have done since beginning the Design Challenge, and moving it through the Test part of the design thinking process. Following the design process template you and your team will work through the Test stage, (Steps 8-9). To do this you will need to review the CAL 501 Design Challenge Worksheet May 17 2021 Full you have been working with since the Learning Intensive, using it as your guide to work through these steps. The expectation during this TEST phase is relatively light – you are only asked to connect with at least one (per team) stakeholder or rights holder to provide feedback on your prototype. You can reach out to more as you wish and as your team has time.
Your team will be picking up from where you left off in Unit 3 (Steps 6-7), so you will be starting at Step 8 Test Your Solution, and working through Step 9 – Post Test Critique.
Unit 4 – Activity 4 | Contribute to the MACAL course community
Take time to review and comment on other blogs posts from your MACAL students prior to considering how to craft your next one.
Complete Assignment 6 – blog post (individual)
See the Assignment 6 description.
Think of your blog posts as critical academic reflection where you are analyzing and synthesizing as you make connections between theory and practice. Don’t forget to explore the resources on the RRU Writing Centre as well, specifically those focused on creating a detailed outline.
As a reminder, here is an overview of critical academic writing