Collaboration, Creativity, and Communication in a Large Class

Presenters:

  • Carrie Mitchell, Assistant Professor, School of Planning

  • Paul Cech – TA for Carrie’s PLAN 102

  • Miila Tuju- student from Carrie’s PLAN 102 courses

Carrie Mitchell and her two former students described how Carrie encourages collaborative, creative experiential learning in PLAN 102 - a large first-year class. Carrie outlined how she runs a real-time communications competition in a class of 150+ students and how the major assignment fits into the course learning objectives. Her course TA told us what it was like to be responsible for working students through the design thinking protocol used in the tutorials, and a former student shared her experience competing and placing in the Jack Rosen Award competition. 

PLAN 102 is designed around the concept of experiential learning, or the process of learning through experience, and aims to provide thefoundation of the planning puzzle: effective communication. PLAN 102 focuses on four key elements to effective communication: 1) writing skills; 2) speaking and listening skills; 3) teamwork and interpersonal skills; and 4) evidence-based problem solving skills.

The major assignment for PLAN 102 provided an opportunity for students to learn through experience by developing a team proposal and video for the EduTOX video challenge. In past years, students have competed in the Faculty of Environment’s Jack Rosen Award competition. Using ‘design thinking’ protocol, students propose an innovative idea to motivate action on climate change and health.

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