Syllabus

General approach

This course was designed to be an overview of the many types of scientific inquiry and application that are being used in environmental science. We will discuss several different taxonomies of problems and scientific inquiry. We will also explore how the dominant paradigms in science have shifted and whether there is a current shift taking place in the environmental sciences.

The first four lecture/discussion sessions will lay out the different taxonomies, explore potential paradigm shifts, develop a description for range of current approaches, and demonstrate importance of a diversity of approaches.

Assignments

The main assignments will be the reading for each lecture section so that you can contribute to the discussion. Every session will have some group work and a summary of that to be turned in. This will be used to help push the discussion along. These assignments might be something simple like finding and explaining an example of a particular research approach.

There will be two short papers (3 to 5 pages). The first will be on your probably thesis problem, type of approach you will take and the underlying philosophy that this approach represents. The second paper will be on the benefits and drawbacks of interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity and how you could use an inter- or trans-disciplinary approach in your work. You will present a synopis of this second paper during the last class meeting and your colleagues will give you a rousing critique.

As a collective, we will compile a bibliography. I'm hoping someone knows how to do this in a shared format (such as Google Docs).

Expected Level of Participation, Work Quality and Grading

This will be a small class (about 10 people) and will rely on discussions to get at most of the key concepts. If you are prepared for class (having done the reading or short assignment), you will be able to contribute fully.

As a PhD level class - all work must be appropriate to the task in timeliness and quality.

Grading is always problematic in a graduate class. We will discuss this on the first day.

Student conduct code:

Please see PSU's official policy as stated on the website. This is an extensive site that refers to state and OUS laws and regulations.

This course will have extensive and personal discussions about research. We all need to respect each other.

 

Sickness policy:

If you are sick, don't bring that to class. Don't bring any sick children to the classroom either.

If the instructor is sick, you will be notified by email to your official pdx email. If you don't check that, please forward it to your other account. If there is a guest that week the class will go on.