INI 223S Effective Environmental Skills

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INI 223S Effective Environmental Skills

• January 8 2004
• Introduction to the Course

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INI 223S Effective Environmental Skills Course
Outline

• Thursdays, 1-3 PM BL 114
• Course Instructor
• Beth Savan
• Room 303 Innis College
• 978-7458
• b.savan_at_utoronto.ca
• Office Hours Tuesday 3-4 PM or by appointment

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Course Description

• students in this course will track the progress
  of a currently controversial environmental issue
  , identifying various forms of information on the
  topic, distinguishing between evidence and
  opinion, and learning to evaluate and present
  their own considered argument on the topic, both
  orally and in writing.

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Educational Objectives

• By the end of this course, students should be
  able to
• find and appropriately reference diverse sources
  of information developed for various audiences,
• analyze conflicting perspectives on an
  environmental topic, separating the disputes over
  valid evidence from the disagreements based on
  opinion and conflicting assumptions,
• assume a specified role in a team, and contribute
  effectively to the groups work, including the
  ability to summarize the content of public or
  private meetings involving unresolved disputes,
• assemble information representing diverse
  perspectives, analyze and evaluate it, and
  develop their own well-substantiated argument, in
  both written and oral formats.

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Class Schedule

• Jan 8 Introduction to the professor, the
  programme and the course review of course
  outline, goals and assignments (Beth Savan, Doug
  MacDonald, David Powell, Pamela Robinson).
• Jan 15 The issue Greenhouse gas emissions and
  energy use a TAF perspective Phil Jessup
• Greenhouse gas emissions and energy use on campus
  Beth Savan and BrentGilmour choosing topics for
  your papers
• Reading Toronto Atmospheric Fund (2001) Tenth
  Anniversary Report http//www.city.toronto.on.ca/
  taf/pdf/taf10th_anniversary_report.pdf

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• Jan 22 Critical Reading Separating Evidence
  and Opinion, and Dissecting conflicting
  assertions
• Readings Oxman, A.D. and Guyatt, G.H. (1988)
  Guidelines for reading Literature reviews
  Canadian Medical Association Journal pp. 697-703
  Gould, S.J. (1978) Mortons Ranking of Races by
  Cranial Capacity Science 200 pp. 503-9 
• Reference Browner, M.N and S.M. Keeley (1994)
  Asking the Right Questions, A guide to Critical
  Thinking Prentice Hall, N.J. USA pp. 175 Giere,
  R. N. (1984) Understanding Scientific Reasoning
  Holt Reinhart and Wilson, Toronto, pp.391
• Jan 29 Preparing an annotated bibliography D.
  MacDonald Discussion of first assignment and
  different kinds of research primary and
  secondary
• Reading Avery, H. and Gamache, P. (1996)
  Proposals and Annotated Bibliographies The
  Academic Skills Centre, Trent University,
  Peterborough pp. 1-22

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• Feb. 4 Sources and types of information Len
  and Beth (unpublished reports and accessing
  relevant expertise) Public Meetings recording
  and facilitating meetings Beth Savan
• Readings PIRG Network (1994) Working Group
  Guide pp 18-21 Innis Environmental Studies
  Programme (1999) Guidelines for Running Meetings
  Advisory Committee on Environmental Standards
  (1993) Agenda and Minutes, Thirty Sixth Meeting
• Feb. 11 Outlines, Drafts and Revisions Writing
  Lab Structuring a document around a line of
  inquiry Beth Savan
• Reading Richardson, N. (1985) Writing a
  Planning Report, Canadian Institute of Planners,
  Ottawa

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• Feb 25 Organizing a Paper constructing a
  logical argument using evidence and opinion Beth
  Savan and Mary MacDonald
• Reading Chociolko, C. (1995) The Experts
  Disagree A simple matter of facts versus
  values? Alternatives 21(3) pp.18-25
• Reference Johnson, R. H. and J.A. Blair (1983)
  Logical Self-Defense McGraw Hill Ryerson Ltd.
  Toronto pp. 262
• Mar. 4 Working in a Group and making effective
  presentations Pamela Robinson
• Readings Jones, M. (1980) Public Speaking
  Workshop for the Civil Service Commission Savan,
  B. Teamwork Class Handout, Team Conference
  Agenda Innis Environmental Studies Programme
  (1999) Group Work Guidelines for Students OPIRG
  (no date) Project Planning sheets
• References Bender, P.U. (2000) Secrets of Power
  Presentations, The Achievement Group, Toronto,
  pp. 243 Elwyn, G and T. Greenhalgh (2000) Groups
  A guide to Small Group Work, Radcliffe Medical
  Press, Oxon, UK

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• Mar. 11 Consulting and Research Skills
  Environmental Studies Programme Options David
  Powell Writing Lab on Reports vs. Academic
  Papers
• Mar. 18 student presentations
• Mar. 25 student presentations
• April 1 student presentations
• April 8 student presentations

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Evaluation
Annotated bibliography 20 Feb 11 Meeting
report 20 March 18 Group presentation 20
April 8 Paper proposal 10 March 4 Final
paper 20 April 8 Participation 10 Apri
l 8  
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Universitys Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters

• It is an offence for a student to
• 1.      represent as ones own any idea or
  expression of an idea or work of another in any
  academic examination or term test or in
  connection with any other form of academic work,
  i.e., to commit plagiarism."
• 2.      submit, without the knowledge and
  approval of the instructor to whom it is
  submitted, any academic work for which credit has
  previously been obtained or is being sought in
  another course or program of study in the
  University or elsewhere.
• 3.      submit for credit any academic work
  containing a purported statement of fact or
  reference to a source which has been concocted.

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Assignment Annotated Bibliography

• This assignment evaluates critical reading
  skills. Choose four sources on your topic,
  including at least one scholarly paper. The
  others should derive from at least two of
  secondary source (text book, review article),
  website, popular print media, interview
  transcript, or another type of source permitted
  by the instructor (please obtain permission in
  advance). These sources should relate to your
  topic and should represent at least two different
  perspectives on it, which are either conflicting
  or strongly contrasting. For each source,
  briefly state
• -         the thesis (or claim)
• -         the assumptions on which it is based
• -         important evidence
• -         the key arguments used to support the
  thesis
• - any flaws in the argument that you
  can identify.

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Assignment Meeting Report

• Attend a meeting relating to your topic and
  prepare a brief report on it. Your report should
  include The time, date and location of the
  meeting, who was in attendance, including the
  names and affiliations of those participating
  verbally, a synopsis of what was said, differing
  viewpoints and disputes and any decisions that
  emerged from the meeting, including how those
  decisions were arrived at (consensus, a vote
  including who proposed and seconded any motions),
  the conclusions of the meeting, if any, and any
  action items as well as who was to undertake them
  and when.

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Assignment Academic Paper

• Proposal for the academic paper/ Essay
• Draft academic paper/Essay (no mark assigned
  due March 25)
• Final version of the academic paper/Essay
• In-class Presentations

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Course Readings

• Required readings selection packet is available
  at the Canadian Scholars Press 180 Bloor St .W.
  Suite 801
•  
• Recommended reading
• References are available in the Innis College
  Reading Room

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Introduction to Environmental Studies Programme
and Faculty

• Doug MacDonald, Programme Director
• Pamela Robinson, Lecturer
• David Powell, Programme Counsellor and Placement
  Coordinator