Design Communication and Collaboration
(IAT 103W)

I have had several opportunities to teach Design Communication and Collaboration, especially early on in my appointment as Assistant Professor. This course was very beneficial for me in my learning around pedagogy, course design, teaching writing skills, and better understanding the SIAT first-year students in the program. Many of the iterative writing assignments designed for this course by my colleague Chantal Gibson (course lead), has strongly influenced my teaching, particularly in my graduate course Science, Technology, and Culture, where I have designed iterative scholarly annotation, research-paper development, and peer review as a scaffolding exercises toward the completed paper.

Course Description:

In today’s dynamic work and learning environments, students need to be prepared to deal with the numerous and diverse choices presented within their academic studies, the future workplace, and their personal lives.  The abundance of information available in today’s infosphere will only create a more informed citizenry if we can all develop a complementary cluster of abilities that enable us to use and disseminate information effectively.

The goal of Design Communication & Collaboration is to teach students essential skills that will enable you to negotiate their first year coursework successfully and provide a strong foundation for the rest of their academic career.  This course teaches the principles, practice and understanding of effective communication, research, critical thinking and teamwork that are needed within both face-to-face and virtual environments.  The course’s assignments and activities present a variety of practical learning opportunities for you to practice and develop writing, communication and interpersonal skills, and make that expertise transferable from classroom to workplace. 

 Learning Outcomes:

 Students will:

1. Apply, practice and enhance their interpersonal, online, oral, and written communication skills in preparation for future academic or professional situations.

2. Identify diversity, gender & cultural issues that affect the dynamics involved in interpersonal and group communication.

3. Identify team problem solving strategies and methods for conflict resolution.

4. Practice team building skills and interpersonal communication, and public speaking skills that will support a team presentation.

5. Indentify the core principles upon which effective professional writing is based.

6. Identify and develop effective strategies for credible academic and professional research.

7. Practice how to interpret, generate, compose, and revise reasonable arguments within a persuasive writing process.