This document provides an introduction and overview to the FDN016 module on social problem solving. It outlines the structure and expectations of the module. Students will investigate the social problem of "student food poverty" through 5 phases: identifying the problem, planning an investigation, collecting evidence, analyzing the evidence, and proposing a solution. Assessment will include journals documenting the investigation and a presentation. The tutor, Tim Curtis, is introduced and contact details are provided. Overall, the module will guide students through exploring an undefined social issue using a structured problem-solving process.

1. FDN016 Week 1
Welcome to FDN016
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2. Welcome to the Engine Shed!!
• Layout
• Toilets
• Power points
• Food
• Students’ Union
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3. Hello, My name is Tim Curtis
And we have a problem
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An unknown problem
situation has arrived……..

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9. What is this problem?
• What are its origins?
• What are its causes?
• What are its features?
• What are its parts?
• What parts make it up?
• What are its effects on us?
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10. 10
UNKNOWN PROBLEM SITUATION
“student food poverty”
What are its origins?
Can I ignore it?
[somebody else’s problem]
Do I have to
deal with this?
[cognitive blind spot]

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12. Visual blind spot –try it out
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Close your right eye. With your left eye, look at the red circle. Slowly move your head closer to the image. At a certain
distance, the blue line will not look broken!! This is because your brain is "filling in" the missing information.

13. Cognitive blind spot
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An unstructured problem, a mess, like this can cause anxiety, or fun

15. Make me a plane
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Can you see a plane?

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Can you see a plane now?
A structured problem

18. We are looking at the Unknown/Unknown bit
of the world
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Luft, J.; Ingham, H. (1955). "The Johari window, a graphic model of interpersonal awareness". Proceedings of the
Western Training Laboratory in Group Development. Los Angeles: University of California, Los Angeles.

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20. First Week
• Introductions
• Assignments
• Accessing NILE, register
• Navigating the resources
• Saying hello on NILE Journal
• Checking timetable and rooms
• Getting started with the social problem
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21. Structure of Module
• Phase A: IDENTIFY that there may be a problem,
• Phase B: PLAN an investigation,
• Phase C: COLLECT the evidence,
• Phase D: ANALYSE the evidence,
• Phase E: PROPOSE your solution.
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22. Workbook to guide you
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23. Assessment
• AS1 80%
• 4 Journals describing in detail your investigation into the social/environmental
problem of student food poverty through the phases
• PS1 20%
• Presentation to your team on the ‘contracting in and out of the
interview/survey’
• Just before Easter holidays
• Deadlines in the NILE site under Assessment Information
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24. Overall scheme
• Phase, Tasks  Journal
• For example Phase A Identifying the Problem
• Task A4 Learning from others: Read the Journal A of two other
participants
• Write up in Journal A. Journal A has 4 Tasks to complete.
• Tim will provide a two hour briefing for the students on the Tasks for
each Journal.
• Tutors will then help you clarify what is needed to be done and to
understand what quality looks like
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25. Let’s look at NILE
• Registers, and then
• Logon, please
• Find:
1. This presentation on Module Materials
2. The Journals where you can say Hello in the Introductions journal,
and
3. The Reading Materials website
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26. TIM CURTIS
Contact me via email: tim.curtis@northampton.ac.uk
Monday: free for admin and meetings
Tues: Teaching this module
Wed: tutorials with you and marking your work
Thurs: tutorials with you and marking your work
Fri: Not working
Who am I?
BA Geography 1992 and LLM Environmental Law 1994
15 years international industry and community development experience as an
environmental lawyer.
10+ years at UoN teaching social enterprise, community development and now FDN
Co-founder of the ‘Changemaker’ initiative across the whole University
PhD being written up; on social innovation in neighbourhood policing
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27. So what’s next?
•A: IDENTIFY that there may be a problem,
• B: PLAN an investigation,
• C: COLLECT the evidence,
• D: ANALYSE the evidence,
• E: PROPOSE your solution.
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Don’t panic about the detail!!!

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30. References
• Adams, D (1982) Life, the Universe and Everything. 2005 by Del Rey
(first published December 29th 1982)
• Ackoff, R (Feb., 1981) The Art and Science of Mess Management.
Interfaces Vol. 11, No. 1), pp. 20-26
• Checkland, P. (2000), Soft systems methodology: a thirty year
retrospective. Syst. Res., 17: S11-S58.
• Luft, J.; Ingham, H. (1955). "The Johari window, a graphic model of
interpersonal awareness". Proceedings of the Western Training
Laboratory in Group Development. Los Angeles: University of
California, Los Angeles.
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