(Section 2, instructor: John E. Petersen)
2/12
Working
Group Survey due
3/2 Project
proposal due
3/6,7 Project
proposal review meeting (each group schedules meeting with Poy Winichakul)
3/17 Project
revision & update due
3/31-4/3 Project revision & update meeting (each
group schedules meeting with Poy Winichakul)
5/2 Public
project display and class dinner
5/5,7 Oral
presentation to the class (Powerpoints due by 9:00 PM the day prior to your
presentation)
5/8 Final
project report due (before midnight)
Your group will periodically be
asked to provide 1 minute, oral updates on your project in class during the
course of the semester. You will
summarize what you are doing, what you have accomplished, what remains to be
accomplished and lessons learned so far.
The
goal of the project is to provide you with an opportunity to: integrate,
synthesize, and apply the material we are studying in class in a real-world
context, gain experience with group decision making, research a topic in
greater depth, and connect with the community. Each project will result in:
1) A ‘product’ that is of value to a definable
community group
2) An oral report to the class
3) A public project display
4) A written project report
The
‘product’ must be an accomplishment that is of value to a definable community
group. The product can be in the form of
a report directed to an individual or organization, a set of educational
materials designed for a specific group, a resource booklet, materials
associated with an organized event, a set of public service advertisements, a
web site, etc. The most important advice I have is to keep your project simple,
well defined and "doable". I predict that at least one group will
initially propose an idea that is more suited for a doctoral thesis than for a
group project. The most successful projects are those that are designed to take
a reasonable amount of time and have clearly defined and somewhat distinct tasks
for each group member. Be firm enough to stick with a vision, but flexible
enough to adjust based on your experiences. Pace yourselves so that you are not
left with a great deal of work at the end of the semester.
As
stated in the syllabus, your performance on this project represents 20% of your
final grade for this course (plus a component of your “group participation”
grade). The project is broken down into
a series of components, each of which is allocated points that collectively
total 100% of your project grade as indicated in the titles of the sections
below.
Throughout the semester you will work in permanent groups of four students on your project, on case studies and on quizzes. The Working Group Survey is used to establish working groups with a mix of knowledge, experience and skills and with some shared project interests. Before filling out the working group survey you should take a careful look at the Project Ideas document, which describes specific opportunities for you to select from. You will then note your preferences for these on the Working Group Survey.
Each
group will submit a project proposal as an MSWord document. Proposal should be
1-2 pages of text (single spaced) and will be graded based on how well they
follow the format (including headings) and content described below. Projects
will necessarily evolve as the semester progresses, but your proposal should
provide a clear plan. Treat this situation as if you were applying for a grant
from a funding agency. The quality of the proposal will determine whether you
will receive approval to conduct the work.
NOTE: There is an example of a well-crafted project
proposal at the bottom of this document
In
the real-world of grant writing, it is often the case that groups that have
submitted proposals are asked to present their proposed work to program
administrators. Each 101 group will meet with class Teaching Assistant Poy Winichakul
to describe, defend and clarify your proposed work (see grading criteria below).
At this meeting, you will have 7 minutes to present your proposal, and 5
minutes to respond to constructive questions, criticism and direction. Be certain to prepare and rehearse your 7
minute presentation before you make it!
The purpose of the revision/update is for you to report on project status, demonstrate progress, describe adaptive steps being taken to adjust for changing circumstances and provide a more refined plan for your work during the remainder of the semester. The overall format and length guidelines for this document are the same and should build on your initial Project Proposal. Where appropriate, you can and should reuse content from your original proposal, however, your Revision & Update will be graded based on how well you address the new content descriptions provided below (note that these differ somewhat from those in the proposal).
All
groups will meet with Poy Winichakul to discuss their project revision &
update document. As with the proposal
defense, groups will have 7 minutes to present their proposals, and 5 minutes
to respond to comments and questions. Be certain to prepare and rehearse your 7
minute presentation before you make it.
This is your opportunity to present your group’s project to
the other section of Environment and Society and to review and evaluate their
projects. Each group will have a table
in atrium of the
1) Display of Your Group’s Project &
Product
·
The content is
comprehensible by a general audience.
·
The overall
goals, objectives, methods, and outputs are all clear and easy to follow.
·
The product is
nicely presented in an appropriate format (physical objects, publications,
poster, slide show, movie, etc.). No
specific format is specified. Instead
students are advised to think creatively about the best format or combination
of formats to use for this event.
·
The organization
is interesting, creative and engaging.
·
The display
demonstrates a high level of effort.
2) Review of Display by Groups in other
section of Environment and Society
·
Evaluation is
thoughtful and provides useful feedback on each
The
oral report will be a 10 minute presentation to the entire class. Although not
required, students typically use PowerPoint.
Your final Powerpoint must be submitted on Blackboard by 9:00 PM on the
evening before your presentation. Your project and presentation will be graded
according to how well it meets the project grading criteria listed below (I
will basically use these criteria as a checklist for grading purposes, so you
should too).
Written
project reports should be turned in together with any products that your group
created. The report will consist of 1-4 single
spaced pages of text that summarize the project’s objectives, what you did, the
specific role that each group member played in accomplishing the objectives,
and conclusions drawn from the experience (see grading criteria below). The product (what you actually did or produced) can be
integrated in the report as a separate chapter or attached as an appendix or on
a CD as appropriate. Appropriate length and
detail of the project report will depend on the nature of the product. For example, if the product is itself a
stand-alone written document, then the separate report will not need to be very
long. On the other hand, if the product was the planning and execution of an
event, then the written component will describe your organizing efforts and implication. The products of your work include things like
posters and educational materials. Be certain to carefully document (include)
the sources of information and statistics used in your products and in your
report. Wherever possible, use Microsoft
Office programs to create brochures, handouts and other documents as this will
make it easier for others to use and build on your work in the future. Include all educational materials and spreadsheets
that you developed as appendices that you refer to in your text (if you can't
include theses in a single document, then you can upload them all at once as
individual files in Blackboard).
·
The product
educates or informs the target audience about some aspect of the local
environment.
·
The information
presented is of obvious use and probably interest to the target audience.
·
The context and
background of problem or topic are thoroughly researched and is presented at an
appropriate level and in appropriate detail for the target audience.
·
The product
represents thoughtful gathering and application of scientific and social
aspects of the environment information that we have addressed in this course.
The product draws on relevant material from the readings and from class.
·
The product
represents an appropriate level of work.
·
Includes a list
of the conclusions and recommendations for further work
·
The separate role
of each group member in developing and implementing the project is identified.
Each group member made significant and equitable individual contributions to
the product.
Names of Group
Members: Barack
Doe, Janet Boomer, Marvin Doe, Elisa Hussain
Title: Greening
the Oberlin Bike Coop
Objective:
To
investigate and produce recommendations regarding how the Oberlin Bike Coop
might implement more "environmentally friendly" management policies.
Specifically, the project group will work with members of the coop to identify
ways to reduce on-site energy use, reduce reliance on petroleum-based cleaning
solvents, and generally find ways to make the shop a model for sustainable,
nonpolluting repair facilities.
Target audience:
Bike
Coop Board of directors, mechanics, users and potential users of the bike coop,
Oberlin students interested in personal actions that contributes to community
sustainability. This community will benefit from the project through an
increased awareness and understanding of the environmental consequences of bike
coop practices and by being empowered to take actions that will reduce the
environmental footprint of the bike coop.
Product:
Written
and oral report to mechanics and board of directors of Bike Coop with detailed
set of recommendations. Poster, to be prominently displayed in Bike Coop,
describing environmental practices and rational for these practices (why
coopers should bother). Flier/pamphlet describing the role of bicycles as
sustainable technology for Oberlin.
Relationship
to Course:
Project
relates directly to issues of energy efficiency, ecological design, pollution
reduction, and draws from Langdon Winner’s chapter, "Do artifacts have
politics?".
Approach:
Get
together with mechanics and members of board of directors to figure out how the
Bike Coop works and how a project might best be designed to advance existing
goals and design new ones. Research the environmental consequences associated
with producing and disposing of products currently used in Coop. Research
availability, sources and pricing of alternative, less polluting products.
Figure out how to conduct an energy audit and conduct it. Randomly interview
Oberlin Bicyclists to assess needs and determine appropriate course of action.
Spend time in the Bike Coop investigating how business is conducted.
Brainstorm. Research options available.
Preliminary
Research:
We
have done a bit of searching on the web.
It looks like there is good information available, particularly on
cleaning products and recycling metal.
Contacts with
Partners:
A
couple of us stopped by the bike coop, talked with a few mechanics and they
seem interested in and supportive of the project
Benchmarks and
Timeline:
March
5: meet as group to brainstorm further on scope. March 10: Meet with interested
members of bike coop to present our ideas and receive feedback on what would be
most useful to the coop. Group determines individual tasks necessary to
accomplish overall goals. March 15: Group meeting to discuss progress. April 2:
Begin drafts of posters and flyers. April 12: Present drafts of posters and
flyers to members of bike coop. April 19: Finalize drafts, and print. April 26:
Present final work to members of bike coop.
Role of group
members: