Seminar on Rural Sustainability - A North American Perspective Alex Mayer, Michigan Technological University

Welcome!

Completing the course modules  Given that we are still missing many of the course modules, we should decide if  some universities will not participate this year?  we should re-assign the modules?  we should cancel the course?

Amount of reading material  Should agree to a broad limit on the number of pages of reading for each module?

Course module language issues  Did we decide that the course materials would be in English?  Should we provide vocabulary words in English and Spanish?

Web-based lectures  90 minutes of content for each module + 90 minutes of discussion = 3 hours contact time per week.  Content can consist of lectures (powerpoint + audio + video), movies, etc.  Brian: lectures can be produced with software such as “Camtasia.”  Software can generate video files (e.g. mp4) that can be linked to course website.

Moderating the discussion sessions  Recall the format of the discussion sessions  Students from each university will lead the web ‐ based discussion two times during the course by presenting a 15 ‐ minute summary of the week’s topics and a series of questions on which to focus the discussion  Open, but moderated discussion will follow the presentation.

Moderating the discussion sessions, continued  Again, did we decide that the discussion sessions should be primarily in English?  We should note that the languages issues and general awkwardness of electronic sessions:  Go slowly, simplify language and keep comments brief.  We could try to provide translation for at least some of the discussion.  Also, note that we can record the Connect Pro sessions.

Moderating the discussion sessions, continued  Will we be able to see the speakers on camera?  Proposed discussion protocol:  Only one site microphone is open at a time.  If a “site” wants to speak, the site (module moderator) “raises its hand.”  Electronic moderator (Alex?) recognizes order of raised hands and opens and closes site microphone in that order.  And/or the site moderator for current module could ask electronic moderator to open and close site microphone in that order.

A few other issues  Should we require reflection papers, or at least provide reflection questions, for case study modules?  For the final synthesis paper, could we ask students to connect the two halves of the course in an attempt to explain the general concepts of rural sustainability?  Should we come up with a common rubric for grading the reflection and synthesis papers?  E.g.: 20% for spelling and grammar; 30% for organization; 50% for depth of analysis

Anything else?