I'm providing this course for free because I think it's the best way I can help address our energy and climate obligations. I want to see you make real change, which won't happen if I'm holding your hand. So, my role in this course will be minimal. Based on my experience teaching and researching sustainable energy, I have organized the content and assignments for this course in a way that has led to other successful innovations in the for-credit version of this course that I teach at Clemson University. Now, you have free access to this material and I'm excited to see your innovations.
I look forward to seeing your projects and to reviewing your tweets and discussion forums. However, I won't have time to comment on everything, won't be doing any grading, and may not be able to respond to some messages.
Your Role
Participation in this course is free. So are the materials. You only need to be comfortable using a web browser and the Internet to participate. In return, I just ask that you are engaged. This means, for example, that you will:
Share your experiences as part of the learning process,
Are self-motivated and self-disciplined,
Commit your time and thought to the project, and
Speak up if problems arise.
If you are engaged, then high quality learning will take place without going to a traditional classroom. This can be the best course you've ever taken. Much more importantly, it can start you on a path to meet our energy and climate obligations.
Still skeptical? Here are some of my favorite quotes from graduates:
"I learned more than almost any other class in probably the least stressful learning environment."
"Helps you learn what's important in this world and what we can do to change things."
"The project was an amazing learning tool... it gives freedom and responsibility."
Course learning outcomes
For the eight weeks of this course, you should plan on investing about 5-10 hours a week to complete the assigned topics for that week. Participants who do so will:
create a positive life-changing experience for themselves;
engage in the multidisciplinary collaboration that is essential to sustainable energy solutions;
apply proven communication skills to educate others about sustainable energy;
practice transferable innovation skills; and hopefully
prevent climate change related deaths.
Be engaged
What you get out of this course depends on what you put into it. It's possible to slide by with minimal effort, but you won't learn much and I doubt you'll save any lives with your innovation project. Discussion forums are graded automatically with full credit awarded for anything you write. But, if you don't put thought into them, you will be missing out. The discussion forums in each module offer you an opportunity to learn from other participants all over the world. There will also be opportunities to reflect on your own learning, through reflective tweeting. Again, it is up to you whether you put real thought in and therefore learn from these activities.
Tweet
Please sign up to follow me @leidyklotzLinks to an external site. to get my tweets. For each reading and video assignment, you will tweet your main "epiphany" from the reading/video (it's time to sign up for a TwitterLinks to an external site. account if you don't already have one). The 140 character limit on twitter means your epiphany will have to be short - but thoughtful! Please do not simply describe one of the readings/videos. Instead, share your #1 insight that was triggered by all of the assigned reading(s) and/or video(s). What had a transformative effect on you? Can you create a metaphor to tweet? Maybe this is something unexpected, something you will tell your friends, something you can use for your project or in your life, etc...
Twitter logistics: Add the hashtag #150tons at the end of your tweets so your classmates can find them (and so you can get participation credit). Every time you tweet an epiphany, you should also scan through your classmates epiphanies on that topic (just search for #150tons) and retweet your favorite. Your goal is to make your epiphany the one that is retweeted the most!
"Google it!"
In addition to the assigned reading, I expect you to constantly use Google. Google when you need help with the course content. Google your ideas, Google your obstacles, Google for more information on specific topics. Don’t ask someone else a question before you Google it. You’ll either find the answer or come up with a better question.
About Accessibility: Canvas provides a user experience that is easy, simple, and intuitive. Special attention has been paid to making Canvas screen-readable. The Rich Content Editor encourages users to create accessible content pages (i.e. text formatting is accomplished using styles). Canvas is designed to allow limited customization of colors and schemes to be accessible for all users. The National Federation of the Blind granted Canvas the Gold Level Web Certification in 2010. Find more information by visiting the Canvas Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT).
Note: This course is designed to be accessed from a web-browser. Please plan accordingly.
Note: Some course activities require you to record or capture video. Don't worry, Canvas makes this very easy to do. And all you need is access to a web cam, Flip cam, smartphone, iPod Touch, etc...
Follow the code of conduct
Canvas Network has a Code of Conduct that you agreed to when you signed up for the course. You should also follow my code of conduct - please don't cheat, lie, or steal in this class (or elsewhere). Any violations will result in your removal from the course.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant number 1054122 and the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) under Course and Program grant number 8285 10. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF or NCIIA.