Assessment

Introduction: The objective of this assignment is to give you a framework to put into action some of what we have been discussing and thinking about, both in UrbPlan 105 and 202 and in other courses.

This exercise is adapted from an assignment that was given to planning students in a climate change course, in 2007. The students experienced the power of the individual to influence change, both in their own lives and in the lives of others. They also experienced some unexpected barriers and having their expectations challenged! Taking personal action on climate change enabled students to think about and engage more directly in how mitigation is/is not facilitated at city and national levels.

This assignment was piloted in 2014 and 2015 by UrbPlan 202 students.

NB: 5% of course assessment.

Marking Criteria:

• the extent to which students engaged with all aspects of the activity\
• how well students evaluate the outcomes at the conclusion of the semester
• the CAI grade descriptors on CANVAS.

Instructions:

• Once a blog is set up for the class, you will be required to regularly use this tool to communicate with other students regarding your actions, ideas, any implementation problems, experiences, resources etc; and

• At the end of the semester you will be required to post a final blog report evaluating your outcomes following the questions set out in Section 3.

Step 1: Calculating your carbon footprint and choosing two actions:

• calculate your carbon footprint
• choose TWO actions that you can take, in your daily life, to reduce your carbon footprint. In your first blog post, describe what those actions are going to be, and why you have chosen them. What if any implementation difficulties do you think you will encounter? Think carefully about what two actions to take. You will be required to evaluate your actions and calculate their success, at the end of the semester.

You should complete this step by the end of the second week of the semester

Step 2: Support, Discussion and Reflections via regular blogging: (40%)

• At intervals during the semester, you are encouraged to blog with other class members about progress, frustrations, issues and reflections along the way. You may ask for ideas and/or encouragement from others. The point is to discuss and share your experiences along the way and to learn from others. The blog will be moderated.

Step 3: Evaluating the Outcomes: (60%)

Time for some evaluation! At the end of the semester, you are to write a final short blog post that evaluates the outcomes for the semester. Your evaluation should address the following:

• Reflect on the two actions you chose to reduce your carbon footprint. How successful have you been? What are the reasons for your success or failure?
• What (if anything) would you change if you were to start this exercise again and why?
• What were the main factors that either supported or frustrated your actions?
• What contributions (if any) could urban planning make to support your actions?
• Do you think you will be able to continue your actions? Why/why not?
• What was the most valuable experience that you gained from this assignment?

PLEASE NOTE: for this assignment to be a beneficial learning experience for you and for your peers, it is critical that you commit to completing all these steps, in a timely manner and that you blog on a semi-regular basis. Your blog entries can be short but it is important that you follow the instructions.