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Ann Bybee-Finley's avatar

Beautiful, Sara. I would like to think 'hope' is something students leave the classroom with--and certainly telling them 'agroecology was not a major at NC State and now it is' as proof of progress and their interest to make change of their agency. But should hope be a learning objective? No, not explicitly. It could be a latent outcome as compared with a manifest (i.e., measurable) outcome. Partly for the reason that hope is more perceived and constructed by the attendees. Maybe 'hope' is a teaching aspiration......

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Sara Delaney's avatar

Thanks Ann. Great example with the agroecology major! And...very good point. I wonder if there is something related, and more measurable. Agency? Understanding your personal role in the context of the subject matter of that particular course? Or understanding the possible roles you could have? Or do you that still getting too far into student perception and too far away from course objectives...?

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Ann Bybee-Finley's avatar

I end up spiraling into 'what is the point of the land grant/higher ed?' On one hand you butt up against traditional scientific institutions and the other side you get into catering to students (As for effort, coloring books to help with mental stress of advising, etc.). One of my learning objectives was 'reflexivity about your role in the food system'........

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Sara Delaney's avatar

Aaaah, yes yes. Reflexivity is what I was trying to get at. Still hard to measure - but not impossible, especially through writing assignments. But yes, needs to be paired with some objectives that require...acquisition of specific knowledge? I'll keep "instilling hope" as a teaching aspiration. And maybe an aspiration for other types of relationships as well!

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Ann Bybee-Finley's avatar

too funny about the stripes.

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