Audio-Narrative Production As a Tool for Enhancing Students' Ability to
Contextualize and Address Sustainability-Related Problems
Abstract
College students in STEM fields generally receive rigorous training in
problem-solving, but often that training focuses primarily on the
technical aspects of problems, ignoring or minimizing the human context
in which those problems arise and the impacts on people who will be
affected by the solutions. Terrascope, a sustainability-oriented
learning community for first-year undergraduates at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) works to engage students in a more
holistic process of identifying and addressing problems. Here we
describe one component of the Terrascope program: Terrascope Radio, a
class in which science and engineering students change gears from
technical problem-solving to focus on producing audio stories. In the
process, they acquire a richer and broader understanding of the context
and implications of their own more technical work. Student outcomes
include: Increased focus on understanding and addressing the needs and
priorities of the people affected by sustainability-related problems.
Engagement in seeking out multiple perspectives on complex
sustainability-related issues. Improved skills in communicating
scientific and technical information. Enhanced respect for the role of
communication in technical and scientific practice. Enhanced ability to
collaborate with a diverse group on creative projects; enhanced general
teamwork skills. Experience adapting on the fly to changing conditions
and priorities within a project. Increased ability and willingness to
reach out to expert sources of information. Increased competence in
conducting interviews and in being interviewed, both inside and outside
the audio-production context.