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Appalachian Studies 420

I. Course Title: The Power of Dialogue (POD): Deconstructing the Rural-Urban Divide Part II

II. Course Number: APST 420

III. Credit Hours: 1 credit (two credits will be acquired in APST410)

IV. Prerequisites: APST 410

V. Course Description:

This is the second part of an immersive learning experience for Georgetown, Radford, Columbia, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania undergraduates from a range of backgrounds and disciplines. While the students engaged in various hands-on experiential learning activities in Radford and D.C. in Part I, this second part of the course will be conducted virtually and will serve as a reflective conclusion. Students will work individually on online asynchronous responses and in groups to produce synchronous virtual presentations.

VI. Goals and Objectives of the Course:

Learning Aims

Cultural dexterity: Develop the cultural dexterity needed to serve as a bridge between rural and urban communities of Appalachia and Washington, DC; understand political and socio-economic histories; and build necessary skills needed for navigating contentious discussions.
Mediation skills needed for navigating contentious discussions: Explore conflict styles and productive approaches to managing them; practice giving and receiving feedback; and build active listening skills.
Consensus building: Learn analytical tools to systematically prepare for and practice consensus building; understand the role of interest-based negotiation in building agreement.

Learning Outcomes

Students will ...

Establish nuanced working definitions of the rural-urban divide
Develop contextual knowledge of diverse communities and the challenges of economic development in rural Appalachia and Washington, DC.
Recognize underlying causes of conflict in challenging conversations
Practice skills to manage difficult team dynamics
Implement a framework for systematic negotiation preparation
Engage in giving and receiving constructive feedback to peers; https://elireview.com/2016/08/03/describe-evaluate-suggest/
Produce a final research-based presentation that proposes a solution to problems caused by the rural-urban divide

VII. Assessment Measures:

Pre-course assessment (5%): Students will be required to complete an online pre-course assessment of attitudes toward rural and urban culture and ability to navigate conflict. Grading will be based solely on timely completion.
Online discussions (20%): Prior to the course, after the fourth session, and following the weeklong seminar, students will be required to engage in online discussions on Canvas. Each discussion prompt will require a substantive answer (approximately 200-250 words) to the question and meaningful responses to one or more other students’ postings.
Daily reflection log (25%): Each student will be provided a notebook for recording syntheses of daily reflections. Although the substance of the journals will not be graded, instructors will check to make sure students are keeping track of ongoing questions and key insights from the course. The log will inform student responses to questions posed in the mid- and end-of-course debriefs and online after session four.
Final presentation (30%): Over the Fall 2020 Semester, students will work in groups of 2-3 to prepare 20-minute oral presentations on the following topic: What would be the best way for individuals, groups, or governments to address the rural-urban divide and/or the problems caused by the divide? Students will develop a plan for an individual, group, or government to address their chosen issue. A one-page summary of your final project proposal, with initial citations, is due on Canvas by XXdate. Using research beyond class readings, each group should prepare a draft slide deck and submit to the professors one week before final presentations. Final decks are due the day before presentations. Each presentation should include a short introduction to the topic, analysis, and recommendations and will be followed by a brief Q&A with the class.
Class participation (20%): Class participation is essential to the success of the course. Participation will be evaluated based on quality of preparation for simulations and exercises, thoughtful contributions to classroom discussion and connections to readings, use of time provided to give and receive peer feedback, and timely arrival at all sessions. Each simulation will conclude with small- and full-group structured debrief around specific topics such as negotiation preparation, conflicting values, interpersonal barriers to reaching agreement, cultural issues, and complex public disputes.

Other Course Information

None

Review and Approval

March 01, 2021