Scenarios for Teaching that Relates to Collaboration in Environmental Inquiry

(Generated in association with an April 2007 workshop)

Preamble

Three of us (PT, JP, TP) want to:
a) develop our ability to coach/coax colleagues into adding new approaches in their teaching (approaches = ethics, technologies, PBL tools);
b) create a pool of scenarios that could be used in teaching (especially PBL) concerning the diverse dimensions of promoting (in a progressive way) collaborations in generating environmental knowledge and inquiry.

To this end -- knowing full well that we are not experts -- we have:
a) drafted our own scenarios (see table of contents below) -- we invite comments on and additions to these by others;
b) prepared an activity in the form of a scenario to move you towards or into scenario writing (depending on your prior experience); and
c) begun to assemble an annotated set of resources.

Scenario: "B Team steps in to help, but need your cooperation in making best of a challenging situation"

We're not sure you remember this, but a while ago you signed up for a workshop on writing scenarios and case studies for teaching, specifically teaching about the emerging emphasis in environmental research on collaborative generation of knowledge and inquiry. However, you have been so busy with other demands that you didn't have a chance to do any preparation. It's almost like you have been dropped into the writing workshop by helicopter. But, we hope you can get into gear and try to get as much as possible from the 90 minutes we have together. (We cannot stay any longer because the sealevel is rising.)
The challenge is somewhat bigger. The three dynamic and experienced people who were supposed to lead the workshop were, tragically, swept away when the sealevel rose by 110 inches in Woods Hole. Jeremy, Tom, and Peter are the B team, who agreed just yesterday to step in. We are not only novices in coaching, but we are very recent learners about writing cases/scenarios. We are now eager learners in coaching our colleagues to write scenarios and case studies for teaching. So we ask for your cooperation, not only in jumping into the task we'll soon describe, but also in
a) allowing us, when we coach you to bring in the issues in which we have prepared most and which we will very briefly describe before you start the task and talk about more one-on-one when we circulate coaching you; and
b) spending 20 minutes at the end discussing the experience (in a way described below).

Brief descriptions of our specialties [given verbally]:
Jeremy: "participatory network media"
Peter: a "KAQ framework" for shaping inquiry and exchange among students working on cases/scenarios
Tom: ethics in generation of science and technology (not only in applications of S&T).

OK, now the task (which will take the rest of the time available minus 20 minutes).
To start:

Read this handout (skimming/skipping the sections you have heard verbally and are comfortable with).
Identify a topic/issue that you would plan to teach about sometime, preferably related to the workshop theme of "the emerging emphasis in environmental research on collaborative generation of knowledge and inquiry."
Identify the kind of scenario or case you want to prepare for teaching. Do this by drawing on experience and knowledge that you already have and/or by reading about problem-based learning and viewing some sample cases/scenarios (see resources and our own attempts below [first 4 scenarios]).

Main task Draft a scenario/case. (You might have some ideas about the process you would use to lead students from an initial reading of the case to the end of the unit based around the case/scenario, but this task does not require you to spell this out -- but see #6 below.)

Call for the attention of coaches whenever you feel the need for guidance (a.k.a. clarification of what is "muddy" or "cloudy").

At the end:
Debrief, beginning with each of you stating:

one sentence description of your scenario;
what went well and what could be developed further; and ending with you stating:
one thing you are taking away to keep on working on (in practice or in your thinking).

Person	worked well	could be developed
DL	being coached to move a bit further	should have asked for more help
JC	was able to come up with a case	develop a real case to give students
SD	coaching helpful, got beyond..
AR	prompted me to write dwon things that have been disorganized	need to know more about the projects of others
GD	prepares me for getting back to work; liked the idea of coaches	set up so people can jump into the wiki & take away a product
AB	gives us something to take home	opportunity to get/give feedback on projects
MM	coaching; gave us another tool to test & put into practice	time to select/test a case
ES	help understand collaboration in teaching (a/a using my ppt module on ethics)	clarification at start of activity of what was needed
GD	scenario not a mock case, but a real project
TP		questions are crucial

Give us a copy of the drafts, however, messy or incomplete, at the very end -- or arrange to link it to this wiki. Feel free to annotate the draft with questions you have about writing scenarios and/or using the tools/perspectives the three coaches introduce.
Homework afterwards (optional): Sketch out the process/instructions/steps/activities you would use to lead students from an initial reading of the case/scenario to the end of the unit. (Note: Use of a wiki is not required.)
Homework afterwards (encouraged): Add comments/reflections to the draft scenarios/cases posted on this wiki. (Email PT or JP for technical guidance on how to do that.)