I like the assignments as well. Last year we did something very similar to the Case Study assignment, and it worked very well. HOWEVER, Bruce is right to raise the issue of coordinating assignments across universities with very different schedules. Moscow, for instance, has already started their class. It is a year-long course. We will be joining them for the equivalent of an academic quarter, but our own course runs for a semester. (Next Fall, when we teach this course again, we will be working with them for the equivalent of an academic semester.) I am concerned about foisting upon their students too many required assignments this Spring, but have no problem with holding my own students to these requirements. I was planning to have the students in Moscow participate in the blogging, reflections on common readings, etc, but leave up to their professor the idea of requiring major assignments. They may already be developing research papers which might be comparable to the case
 studies, in which case they could post them at the conclusion of their course, but the key is remaining flexible on large assignments.  I would propose that the syllabus offer these assignments as suggestions that some courses will be adopting (this year), but also emphasize that different professors will likely adapt or re-work these assignments to meet the specific needs of their own local conditions and course.

John Dale
George Mason University

___________________________________________________
John G. Dale
Assistant Professor 
Department of Sociology and Anthropology,
Affiliate Faculty for the Institute for Conflict Analysis & Resolution,
Associate Faculty of the Center for Global Studies, and the Center for Justice, Law, and Society
George Mason University
4400 University Drive, MS 3G5
Robinson Hall B, Rm. 314
Fairfax, Virginia 22030 USA
Phone: 703-993-1444 
Fax:   703-993-1446
Email: [log in to unmask]

----- Original Message -----
From: BRUCE FRIESEN <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Monday, October 18, 2010 10:00 am
Subject: Re: Please Respond: Case Studies and Service Learning Project Assignments

> Rodney et al.:
> 
> Yes, I support these two projects.  I'm a little concerned about 
> the logistics of getting students to work with each other whose 
> semesters may begin and end at different times and whether or not 
> professors will use different standards in evaluating the work of 
> students in the same group.  Good communication among professors 
> whose students have teamed together would seem to be an important 
> part of the equation.  Still, either the service learning or case 
> study options provide quality learning experiences.
> 
> Bruce Friesen, Sociology
> University of Tampa
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> 
> From: The Partners Project on behalf of Coates, Rodney D. Dr.
> Sent: Mon 10/18/2010 9:16 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Please Respond: Case Studies and Service Learning Project 
> Assignments
> 
> 
> Dear Partners
> 
> 
> 
> In order to move forward, we need to hear from as many as possible 
> regarding these major sets of assignments.  Therefore, excuse me if 
> I press you again.  Please let me know your thoughts regarding 
> these.  Also, after we finish this task, I will kick out the 
> revised syllabus in the hopes that we can finalize this.  Remember, 
> we only have about 2 months before we will be actually rolling this 
> out.  Thanks, I know I am asking a lot, especially given your 
> already heavy teaching and research agendas.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here is what was sent out before with some minor editorial 
> revisions.  
> 
> Dear Partners;
> 
> 
> 
> One of the major projects that students will participate in 
> requires either the completion of either a Case Study or a Service 
> Learning Project.  Below, I will outline the parameters of each and 
> make some suggestions by which these may be accomplished.  Again 
> please understand that these are merely suggestions and I ask you 
> to help to formulate them so that they maximize our student's 
> efforts and the interaction between our respective students.  From 
> the core syllabus you will note the following:  
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Students in this class will a keep a brief online blog of their 
> reading this semester. It is intended that this will be work will 
> be spread out over the entire semester. 
> 
> Case Study or Service learning projects.
> 
> Service Learning Project and Paper (300 points, 30% of grade). 
> Students will collaboratively participate in a minimum of 10 hours 
> of volunteer service and will write a group reflection paper 
> connecting their service experience to course material.  
> Specifically, the service learning projects aims to provide 
> students with an opportunity to explore course material in real 
> world experiences.  Students will individually write reflective 
> journal entries pertaining to the projects, their efforts, course 
> readings and discussions.  During the 2nd week of classes students 
> will elect to either work on a service learning or a case study 
> project.  The first assignment will allow students to present ideas 
> for projects in class and on face book (or other internet means for 
> the global classroom).  Students will then elect which of the 
> presented projects they will participate.  No more than 6 members 
> will make up each group, and no more than 3 specific members will 
> come from any given school.  Therefore each group will be comprised 
> of at least 2 partner institutions.  In the next week student 
> groups will explore various ideas for implementing their chosen 
> service learning projects.  These ideas can come from internet 
> searches, brainstorming, or other means.  Once identified, the 
> students will began exploring the feasibility of their 
> implementations strategies.  Students will be responsible for 
> identifying organizations, institutions, etc. that will allow them 
> access to their sites to perform the service learning projects.  
> Target dates will be established to coordinate the specifics 
> activities of each service learning project.  In addition to 
> students keeping reflective journals, students also participated in 
> weekly group planning discussions. Each week, one class period was 
> dedicated to group (face book, blogs, live chats, etc for other 
> group members) discussions of the progress each student was making. 
> 
> 
> 
> Specifics: Service Learning Project Assignments
> 
> Students may opt to work on a group service learning project.  
> Specifically, student groups may form to conduct service learning 
> projects which highlight investigate globalization, human rights, 
> and social justice from a particular country or region.  Students 
> will collaboratively participate group service learning projects 
> that connecting their research to course material.  Specifically, 
> the service learning projects aims to provide students with an 
> opportunity to explore course material in real world experiences.  
> Students will individually write reflective journal entries 
> pertaining to the projects, their efforts, course readings and 
> discussions.  During the 2nd week of classes students will elect to 
> either work on a service learning or a case study project.  The 
> first assignment will allow students to present ideas for projects 
> in class and on face book (or other internet means for the global 
> classroom).  Students will then elect which of the presented 
> projects they will participate.  No more than 6 members will make 
> up each group, and no more than 3 specific members will come from 
> any given school.  Therefore each group will be comprised of at 
> least 2 partner institutions.  In the initial weeks of the semester 
> student groups will explore various ideas for implementing their 
> chosen case study projects.  These ideas can come from internet 
> searches, brainstorming, or other means.  Once identified, the 
> students will began exploring the feasibility of their 
> implementations strategies.  Students will be responsible for 
> identifying specific nations, bibliographies, etc. that will 
> comprise the bulk of their case study.  Target dates will be 
> established to coordinate the specifics activities of each case 
> study project.  In addition to students keeping reflective 
> journals, students also participated in weekly group planning 
> discussions. Each week, one class period was dedicated to group 
> (face book, blogs, live chats, etc for other group members) 
> discussions of the progress each student was making. 
> 
> Service Learning Projects 
> 
> Here is a guide student's might find of interests which highlights 
> how to conduct a service learning project.
> 
> http://www.servicelearning.org/library/resource/6392
> 
> 
> 
> Here are some ideas which you might find of interests regarding the 
> use of Service Learning Projects. 
> 
> ·  Light construction 
> 
> ·  Painting 
> 
> ·  Recreational programs with children 
> 
> ·  Playground construction 
> 
> ·  Medical, dental, and pharmaceutical assistance 
> 
> ·  Mime and puppet shows 
> 
> ·  Music programs 
> 
> ·  Tutoring 
> 
> ·  Environmental projects, such as reforestation 
> 
> ·  Socio-political involvement
> 
> This provides a very nice site that students might look at for 
> ideas regarding how a Service Learning and Human Rights might be 
> organized.  
> 
> http://www.hrea.org/index.php?doc_id=224
> 
> 
> 
> Students will collaborate on these projects.  The projects should 
> provide students an opportunity to expand on any of the specific 
> set of issues that we have covered this semester.  Therefore ideas 
> ranging from how globalization, social justice and human rights 
> impacts upon:
> 
> 1.      the rights of children or 
> 
> 2.      the rights of women
> 
> 3.      indigenous and/or racial/religious/ethnic minorities
> 
> 4.      the elderly
> 
> 5.      immigration
> 
> 6.      mineral and mining
> 
> 7.      etc.
> 
> Student teams -consisting of between 4-6 members, with no more than 
> 3 members from each Partner university -will identify a specific 
> issue and group to which they will explore and research.  They will 
> prepare a team paper that will constitute the basis of their case 
> study.  They will also prepare a group presentation that will be 
> recorded and pod casted and uploaded.  In classes these will be 
> viewed as a combined, international group project, to their 
> respective University Partners. For example:  
> 
> A student team may be comprised of 3 students from King College (in 
> the U.S.), and 3 students from The State University (in Moscow).  
> These students decide through collaboration conduct a service 
> learning project which impacts upon Children in their respective 
> countries. Alternatively, they may choose to work on a service 
> learning project which impacts directly  and provides resources for 
> Children in a different region or country in the world.  They would 
> then conduct research, plan their activities, promote these 
> activities, and conduct their service learning in such a way that 
> all members of the team is involved.  If the students choose to 
> conduct a service learning project in their own countries, the 
> delegation of responsibilities may be quite simple. They might 
> identify a local youth group, church, or community organization 
> that renders service to children in a specific community or group, 
> and see in what ways they may volunteer their services.  The real 
> issue is to coordinate these activities in such a way that the 
> respective student pairs are doing similar activities, learning 
> situations, and outcomes.  Thus the for example they may choose to 
> work with impoverished children and set up a book drive at their 
> local universities.  They would lunch an information campaign 
> highlighting the children's plight, create a process by which the 
> books can be collected, and then distributed to the particular 
> group of children.  Alternatively, the teams may decide that they 
> would like to set up a reading program for a particular group of 
> low income kids.    Collectively the student service learning teams 
> would write up their experiences, summarize their activities, and 
> highlight the outcomes of their efforts.  The students pairs from 
> each university will prepare a 5-10 minute presentation that will 
> highlight a specific segment of the total paper.  That would mean 
> that, given the 2 sets of students, that we would then have 2 
> separate segments produced and uploaded to the team site (on NING). 
> An introduction and a concluding segment will also be produced-
> possibly recorded through Skype- will also be uploaded.  These then 
> will be posted as a group on our Partner Web Page and will be 
> presented in our respective classes. Discussion questions raised by 
> the classes can either be posted on face-book or a chat room which 
> can be addressed by the respective teams.
> 
> Case Studies
> 
> Alternatively students may opt to work on a group case study.  
> Specifically, student groups may form to investigate globalization, 
> human rights, and social justice from a particular country or 
> region.  Students will collaboratively participate to research and 
> write a group reflection paper connecting their research to course 
> material.  Specifically, the case study projects aims to provide 
> students with an opportunity to explore course material in real 
> world experiences.  Students will individually write reflective 
> journal entries pertaining to the projects, their efforts, course 
> readings and discussions.  During the 2nd week of classes students 
> will elect to either work on a service learning or a case study 
> project.  The first assignment will allow students to present ideas 
> for projects in class and on face book (or other internet means for 
> the global classroom).  Students will then elect which of the 
> presented projects they will participate.  No more than 6 members 
> will make up each group, and no more than 3 specific members will 
> come from any given school.  Therefore each group will be comprised 
> of at least 2 partner institutions.  In the initial weeks of the 
> semester student groups will explore various ideas for implementing 
> their chosen case study projects.  These ideas can come from 
> internet searches, brainstorming, or other means.  Once identified, 
> the students will began exploring the feasibility of their 
> implementations strategies.  Students will be responsible for 
> identifying specific nations, bibliographies, etc. that will 
> comprise the bulk of their case study.  Target dates will be 
> established to coordinate the specifics activities of each case 
> study project.  In addition to students keeping reflective 
> journals, students also participated in weekly group planning 
> discussions. Each week, one class period was dedicated to group 
> (face book, blogs, live chats, etc for other group members) 
> discussions of the progress each student was making. 
> 
> Case Study:
> 
> Here are some resources which you might find of interests regarding 
> the use of Case Studies.  
> 
> This provides a very nice site that students might look at for 
> ideas regarding how a case study might be organized.  While it does 
> present a biased case in support of globalization, it nevertheless 
> is well documented and very appealing.  
> 
> http://humanglobalization.org/about.htm
> 
> Human Rights Case Studies
> 
> Here is a whole list of potential ideas for Human Rights Case 
> Studies -It also gives students some direction of how they might 
> proceed.  Again, these are suggested ideas and may or may not be 
> pertinent to a particular Partner's or Student's needs.
> 
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/ihavearightto/
> 
> Social Justice Case Studies
> 
> 
> 
> Environment and Social Justice
> 
> Here is a whole list of potential ideas for Environment and Social 
> Justice case studies-It also gives students some direction of how 
> they might proceed.  Again, these are suggested ideas and may or 
> may not be pertinent to a particular Partner's or Student's needs.
> 
> http://www.storycenter.org/cs_envtalsocjust.html
> 
> Advocacy and Social Justice
> 
> Here is a whole list of potential ideas for Advocacy/Social Action 
> and Social Justice case studies -It also gives students some 
> direction of how they might proceed.  Again, these are suggested 
> ideas and may or may not be pertinent to a particular Partner's or 
> Student's needs.
> 
> http://www.thechangeagency.org/01_cms/details.asp?ID=70
> 
> Students will collaborate on these projects.  The projects should 
> provide students an opportunity to expand on any of the specific 
> set of issues that we have covered this semester.  Therefore ideas 
> ranging from how globalization, social justice and human rights 
> impacts upon:
> 
> 8.      the rights of children or 
> 
> 9.      the rights of women
> 
> 10.  indigenous and/or racial/religious/ethnic minorities
> 
> 11.  the elderly
> 
> 12.  immigration
> 
> 13.  mineral and mining
> 
> 14.  etc.
> 
> Student teams -consisting of 6 members, with no more than3 members 
> from each Partner university -will identify a specific issue and 
> group to which they will explore and research.  They will prepare a 
> team paper that will constitute the basis of their case study.  
> They will also prepare a group presentation that will be pod casted 
> to their respective classes. For example:  
> 
> A student team may be comprised of 3students from George Mason 
> University  and 3 students from the Lisbon University Institute (in 
> Lisbon, Portugal).  These students decide through collaboration to 
> investigate how globalization impacts upon the Children in their 
> respective countries. Alternatively, they may choose to investigate 
> how globalization impacts upon Children in a different region or 
> country in the world.  They would then conduct research whereby 
> they would delegate specific portions of the work to go to specific 
> teams.  If the students choose to research their own countries, the 
> delegation of responsibilities may be quite simple. They might look 
> at things such as child labor and welfare, education and health, 
> immigration and etc.  A section of the papers might look at how 
> globalization differs across the various countries, and explore how 
> these differences may reflect cultural, economic, social, 
> political, and factors unique either to the specific country or a 
> factor of globalization.  Once the papers have been concluded.  The 
> students pairs from each university will prepare a 5-10 minute 
> presentation that will highlight a specific segment of the total 
> paper.  That would mean that, given the 2 sets of students, that we 
> would then have 2 separate segments produced and uploaded to our 
> NING site.  An introduction and a concluding segment will also be 
> produced-possibly recorded through Skype- will also uploaded.  
> These then will be posted as a group on our Partner Web Page and 
> will be presented in our respective classes. Discussion questions 
> raised by the classes can either be posted on face-book or a chat 
> room which can be addressed by the respective teams.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> for more of my work please go to:
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.redroom.com/author/rodney-d-coates
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The man who has no imagination has no wings. 
> Muhammad Ali
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Rodney D. Coates
> 
> Professor
> 
> 
> 
>