Telling Stories in Land and Food Systems Andrew Riseman Kathryn Gretsinger Cyprien Lomas Duncan McHugh University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC, Canada OpenEd 2009 August 14th, 2009 Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License

･ How did this course come to be? ･ How did we do it? ･ What were challenges? ･ What were results? ･ How did openness benefit this course? Special Topics in Agriculture

･ Very passionate about their research ･ Somewhat isolated ･ Many have a lack of awareness as to how to tell a story LFS students

･ Engaging their research in a new way ･ Improving their communication skills ･ Expressing themselves using digital tools ･ Spreading their message to a broader audience LFS students

･ Mostly re-purposing lectures ･ Useful, not very dynamic Academic podcasting

･ Cross-campus collaboration The PEPI Group

･ Cross-campus collaboration ･ Putting the technology into students’ hands ･ Sought to create an open source, ‘academic iTunes’ ･ Evolved into a partnership between LFS & SoJ The PEPI Group

･ 4th year seminar in issues related to the UBC Farm ･ Traditionally assignments were essays ･ UBC Farm is the only working farm in Vancouver ･ UBC Farm is threatened by development ･ Two-part assignment AGRO 461 & UBC Farm

･ Sought to use journalism skills to teach to six LFS students to create engaging and rigorous audio documentaries ･ Four-member teaching team: ･ Agriculture prof ･ Journalism prof ･ Tech instructor ･ Big thinker This year’s course

･ Students didn't have a framework for this type of work ･ four rules of journalism ･ storytelling, not just feeling ･ crafting a narrative out of an interview This year’s course

･ Students were taught the difference between advocacy and journalism ･ As newspapers and other media suffer cutbacks, room for citizen journalists to have a voice What is citizen journalism?

･ Streeter: students were sent out to ask strangers a question ･ Voicer: simple story piece that combines basic audio editing, sound recording, interviewing and narration Early results

･ New skills for students to pick up ･ “ Copyright awareness” ･ “ How to get good recording” ･ “ The use of audio recorders” ･ “ Basic audio editing” Technology workshops

･ Sakai ･ Audacity Tools

･ Audio piece, ~10mins in length ･ Workshopped extensively ･ Sense of accountability to students and the work ･ CBC competition ･ CC licensed Final project

･ “ The Soil Beneath Your Feet ” ･ “ Dandelion ” ･ “ The Farmhouse ” ･ “ Where Are We Growing ” ･ “ Agricultural Inspirations ” ･ “ The Chicken Man ” Final project

･ new technology ･ lack of time ･ the need to change culture ･ scarcity of resources [pilot] Challenges

Student Reflections

･ formalised course, restricted elective ･ 15 students cap ･ new assignments Next year

･ One way to tell 50 stories ･ Better breed of podcasts ･ Student satisfaction ･ raised the bar and they stepped up ･ tangible product to share with those outside of the university ･ giving students the tools they need to be heard ･ epiphanies can't be planned Conclusion

Questions?

Thanks! Andrew Riseman [email_address] Kathryn Gretsinger [email_address] Cyprien Lomas [email_address] Duncan McHugh duncan [email_address] Faculty of Land and Food Systems The University of British Columbia www.landfood.ubc.ca/learningcentre