In previous years, I have taken the decision as to which topics I want to cover in my courses unilaterally. I decide what I think would benefit my students and proceed to explore those issues in depth. This year I am taking a somewhat unusual approach. I am seeking input from potential (and currently enrolled) students in my POLI 351 Environmental Policy and Politics course (’10W, Sep-Dec 2010). I have already decided on a list of topics, but I want to see whether there is more interest in one than another. As I have done previously, I will continue to be firmly against “examining the topic of the moment“, so I will not use climate change as the central issue throughout the course.
The current list of topics is as follows
1. Overview of global environmental issues
2. Global public goods
3. From Stockholm to Johannesburg – 30 years of sustainable development
4. The global commons
5. The analytical framework for environmental policy analysis: The policy regime framework (ideas, interests, institutions)
6. Interests in environmental politics
7. Institutions in environmental politics
8. Ideas in environmental politics
9. International environmental regimes (regime theory)
10. North American environmental policy (an overview)
11. The policy process – agenda setting to evaluation
12. Agenda setting – problem definition
13. Instrument design – instrument choice
14. Implementation and evaluation
15. Environmental policy instruments: regulation
16. EPI – market-based instruments
17. EPI – information-based and voluntary instruments
18. Corporate environmental strategy and CSR
19. ISO 14000 series, etc.
20. Environmental non-governmental organization and their strategies
21. Environmental perception, attitudes, values – environmental psychology
In my notes I wrote down that I did not like putting as much emphasis on international environmental politics. Given this, I am thinking to eliminate most of the global environmental politics/international environmental politics and add subject-area topics (e.g. water policy in Canada, solid waste policy in Canada, etc.). Bear in mind that this course is primarily focused on Canadian environmental policy, and that it is mostly a methodological course (e.g. at the end of the course the student should be able to analyze environmental policy).
One option is to have a syllabus focused on the methodology with class time allocated for students to work on projects, present initial research, etc.
You could set parameters for choice of topics (must be Canadian, not climate change to avoid the “popular” and challenge them to look at something they might not know much about). And you could set tasks that help them develop the skills and knowledge they need to become skilled in the analysis of environmental policy.
Since you’ve delivered this before, you have a lot of material already prepared. This could give you flexibility to provide extra detail in certain areas that are of interest or students find particularly difficult.
I wonder whether you have tried articulating your learning objectives for the students. What do you want all students to come out with? knowledge of specific policy topics is probably not high on that list but it sounds like exposure to topics they were not previously familiar with might be
My vote would be for water policy in Canada as well as topics 11 – 15.
“3. From Stockholm to Johannesburg – 30 years of sustainable development” sounds incredibly interesting because it isnt just focused on Canada
Although I like all the topics, here is the list of my preferred ones:
(from most expected)
20. Environmental non-governmental organization and their strategies
7. Institutions in environmental politics
14. Implementation and evaluation
13. Instrument design – instrument choice
17. EPI – information-based and voluntary instruments
16. EPI – market-based instruments
15. Environmental policy instruments: regulation
21. Environmental perception, attitudes, values – environmental psychology
11. The policy process – agenda setting to evaluation
2. Global public goods
3. From Stockholm to Johannesburg – 30 years of sustainable development
(to less expected)