Workshop to Help Faculty Create Courses that Address “Wicked Problems”

In his book, Creating Wicked Students: Designing Courses for a Complex World, Dr. Paul Hanstedt encourages professors to create courses that will prepare students to address “wicked problems,” or issues that are forever changing and require innovative and dynamic thinking to solve them.

Hanstedt will deliver a daylong workshop on assignment and course design on Tuesday, May 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Golisano Gateway Midlevel. The workshop includes a keynote address, and two sessions where faculty can design assignments and learn to build courses that best support the concept and align with Fisher’s new core curriculum.

“In his book, Paul argues that blending of content and skill-based knowledge helps students develop a sense of authority to address wicked problems,” said Dr. Melissa Goodwin, associate professor and associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. “The new Fisher core focuses on the development and scaffolding of skills and content—through the Fisher Outcomes—to do just this.”

Through the Fisher Outcomes, students encompass knowledge and skills including communication; inquiry and analysis; collaboration and leadership; ethical reasoning; citizenship and civic engagement; integrative and applied learning; and diversity, equity, and inclusion; content and discourse of field; professionalism; and career and self-development. 

“By weaving the Fisher Outcomes with content of various disciplines, and ePortfolio reflections of their experiences over the entirety of their time at Fisher, the educational experience we offer is poised to create wonderfully wicked students,” she added.

To attend the workshop, RSVP online.