The Wicked Problem of Climate Change (Fall 2024)

This interdisciplinary course provides a comprehensive overview of the wicked problem of climate change. Unlike ordinary problems, which are well-defined, self-contained, and come with a limited set of potential solutions, wicked problems resist definition, are mixed up with other problems, and cannot be solved in a way that is simple or final. As the pace of climate change accelerates and environmental and social impacts are increasingly being felt at the individual, community, and global level, there is a growing need for responses and solutions that crosscut disciplinary boundaries. This course approaches the wicked problem of climate change from diverse disciplinary perspectives (i.e., applied sciences, humanities, social sciences, and health sciences) to investigate the various dimensions of this global challenge. Topics addressed may include the history of climate change and its scientific underpinnings, approaches to governance, climate change communication, and impacts on the natural environment, human health, society, culture, technology, and economies. The course prepares students to analyze the wicked problem of climate change from an interdisciplinary perspective, to evaluate and critique diverse perspectives on the issue, and to devise potential solutions for mitigating and adapting to climate change. 

Open to all undergraduate students in level 3A or higher, the Wicked Problem of Climate Change course takes an innovative and interdisciplinary approach to investigate how climate change is impacting our way of life, combining both in-class and online learning. 

Graduate students at the University of Waterloo are engaged in research that is advancing our understanding of - and developing solutions to - some of society’s most challenging problems. As part of the University’s strategic plans to develop talent for a complex world and focus on interdisciplinary scholarship, this initiative sees a team of PhD candidates come together to design, develop, and offer a course related to contemporary Wicked Problems. The course will be offered to upper-year undergraduate students from across the University to create a community of scholars, sharing different perspectives from the PhD candidate instructors and the learners in the classroom.

The innovation lies in its team of instructors – three PhD candidates, who are deep into their own explorations of climate change, will enthusiastically lead this blended learning course to examine aspects of climate change and the wicked problems it presents to humanity. The interdisciplinarity is found in the instructors (one from Engineering, Science, and Environment) and in the undergraduate students who register for the course from various disciplines.

The intention of the Wicked Problem course is as follows:

• Each PhD candidate brings disciplinary expertise to the course;
• The teaching team receives mentorship and support with regard to course conception, design and integration;
• Collectively, the course creates an interdisciplinary experience that fosters learning and integration of knowledge, methods and ways of knowing that could not be achieved within a single disciplinary approach.

Read more about the first iteration of the Wicked Problem of Climate Change course to learn more about what this style of course is like. 

Please note that this course is offered as a blended course. The Registrar's Office defines this as such: "A blended class, designated by a campus code of BLND, is a class normally scheduled with both an online and in-person activity (students must be available to come to campus)." 

Are you interested in signing up and trying a truly innovative learning experience? The course selection period for fall enrolment opens on May 23rd. Please register using the following course subject code/catalogue number:

• ARTS 390

Please note that you may register for this course regardless of which Faculty you are enrolled in. All students from all Faculties/disciplines are welcome.

The following are the draft intended learning outcomes for the course. Please keep in mind the course is being designed throughout the Spring 2024 term and these learning outcomes are subject to change as the course is re-designed. Final intended learning outcomes will appear on the course syllabus in September 2024. By the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Explain the core concepts of climate change and current mitigation and adaptation approaches.
• Examine the wicked problem of climate change across applied sciences, humanities, social sciences, and health sciences, including interconnections between and limitations of each discipline.
• Assess the impact of climate change on culture, societies, economies, technology, and the natural environment.
• Compare diverse perspectives to articulate and evaluate your own position on climate change.
• Collaborate with other students and combine disciplinary approaches to propose solutions to a climate change problem of your choice.
• Develop interdisciplinary skills and identify how those skills can be used in your future studies and/or career.

These PhD candidates are spending the Spring 2024 term in the Teaching Innovation Incubator, working together with Centre for Teaching Excellence education specialists and past instructors of the Wicked Problem of Climate Change course to re-design and develop a course that will be a highlight in an undergraduate student’s degree.