Reason and Engage. Critical Reflections on Humanity and Society

3 ECTS credits
84 h study time

Offer 2 with catalog number 1020030CNW for working students in the 1st and 2nd semester at a (C) Bachelor - specialised level.

Semester

1st and 2nd semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Pass/Non pass

Can retake in second session

Enrollment Requirements

NOTE: registration for this course is only possible for working students. Day students can register for courses whose code ends with an R. At Inschrijven / studentenadministratie@vub.be you must be registered at the VUB as a working student for the current academic year.

Taught in

Dutch

Faculty

Faculty of Languages & Humanities

Department

History, Archaeology, Arts, Philosophy and Ethics

Educational team

Jo Renate Bauwens
Bieke Abelshausen
Yano Truyers
Karl Verstrynge (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

8 contact hours Lecture
26 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
30 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

‘Reason and Engage’ is an interdisciplinary course that puts into practice the VUB’s vision on society and education. Evidence-based education, free research, co-creation, sustainability and civic engagement are the VUB’s core values. Based on these pillars, ‘Reason and Engage’ wants to stimulate critical reflection on some of the most urgent and challenging issues of our times. The course focuses on one overarching and thought-provoking topic each year. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) serve as framework to choose this theme

‘Reason and Engage’ is based on the principle of community engaged research & learning (CERL). Students work in a multidisciplinary team on a project introduced by a (non-profit) organization. The project describes a specific need the organization faces. They raise questions and dilemmas that can be approached from different disciplines. Throughout their multidisciplinary teamwork, the students have to formulate an innovative solution, recommendation or opinion related to those needs. During the first semester students are assigned to a project and team by the educational supervisors. Personal interest of the students is taken into account as far as possible. Based on an exploratory survey, the problem definition is fine-tuned and delineated. Each team formulates a central research question and develops a research plan. At the end of the second semester the student teams present findings and proposals during a public event: an exposition where the students’ end products are exposed, serving as final evaluation.

COVID-19 Volunteering (3SP) (One-time option, academic year 2020-2021)

Subsequent a call for volunteers from UZ Brussel and out of a societal responsibility to the healthcare sector in this exceptional situation consequently the COVID-19 pandemic, students are given the opportunity to take up a voluntary engagement met UZ Brussel and the broader healthcare sector in the frame of the course ‘Reason and Engage’. For this group of students, a new track will be developed, replacing the CERL-track. The student is supported in developing his/her social engagement and in a reflection on this engagement in the broader context of this course (namely free thinking and research, social engagement, sustainability and critical refection). Of the students it is expected that they make a substantial contribution in the healthcare sector that corresponds to the time allocation of the CERL-track. The students will conduct a final broad societal reflection that will be reflected back to this societal context and the healthcare sector in the form of an opinion piece.

Students are provided with up-to-date academic information through the public activities along which the course is built: a series of cross disciplinary lectures, debates and workshops, in which academics, researchers, professionals and active citizens elaborate on the topic from a specific perspective and/or academic domain. These activities take place on diverse locations in Brussels (outside the VUB-campus) and are open to the general public.

During colleges students work in team and are supported by the student monitors for the analysis of the assigned project and the processing of provided and gathered information. Teams present their findings and reflect on the cooperation in team and with the organization.

In addition, students are expected to work autonomously. They need to gater and process information, organize contact moments with the organization and formulate answers, findings, conclusions to the formulated learning goals. During the second semester, helpdesk and intervision moments are organized to monitor the teamwork.

‘Reason and Engage’ closes with a jury moment where final findings are presented to a broad public (the education team, non-profit organizations and peers).

The course ‘Reason and Engage’ extends over the entire academic year. All contact moments take place on Tuesdays from 18h till 20h. Students’ presence is required.

The concrete planning is subject to the dates of the public events. Timing of the public events (lectures and workshops) might change in order to meet the availability of the invitees. A more detailed and yearly adapted content description (speakers, themes, locations, etc.) is made available on Canvas. Helpdesk and contact moments with the organization are scheduled in function of the availability of the students. Each student team must attend at least one helpdesk moment and plan two contact moments with the organization.

Course and contact moments (lectures and workshops) will be organized in real life on campus as much as possible. If circumstances (exceptional measures as a result of Covid-19) do not allow real life meetings on campus, online alternatives (synchronous and asynchronous) will be provided.

Course material

Practical course material (Required) : Inleidende teksten en ander bronnenmateriaal met betrekking tot de thema’s die aan bod komen
Digital course material (Required) : Digitaal cursusmateriaal: slides en video-opnames van de lezingen

Additional info

The language of instruction is Dutch. Invitation of English lecturers is possible.

Learning Outcomes

General competencies

Academic learning goals

- The students distinguish, know and respect different academic perspectives concerning the overarching theme

- The students reflect critically on the arguments presented in the lectures, debates and scientific literature concerning the topics discussed

- The students can formulate their ideas and opinions with respect to the topics discussed

- The students can collect scientific arguments to strengthen their opinion

- The students can cooperate in an interdisciplinary group

- Students are competent to conduct science based research to meet societal needs / issues

Civic learning goals

- The students can formulate evidence-based opinions and ideas and opinions, related to a practical problem raised by a non-profit organization

- The students can share their findings with a broader public

Personal learning goals

- The students relate the acquired knowledge to their own study-expertise and -environment

- The students reflect systematically on their own thoughts and behavior related to the multidisciplinary teamwork and include feedback of others in this reflection

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Other Exam determines 100% of the final mark.

Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Process and product evaluation with a relative weight of 100 which comprises 100% of the final mark.

Note: Note: In order to prepare the community learning-project (CSL) the students hand in a project proposal. This contains a short description and of the problems dealt with, a central question, a summary of the information that was processed during the exploratory survey, an overview of the learning objectives for the in-depth study, a description of the applied (research) method and agreements with the organization with respect to contact moments and reporting.

Guidelines:
o Referring to qualitative sources and interaction with social actors
o Demonstrating knowledge and understanding of the concepts used
o Deals with a relevant issue related to the assigned project
o All team members take responsibility for the project, tasks are evenly distributed

At the end of the academic year teams hand in a report and prepare an end product that communicates the final conclusions and findings to a chosen target public. The team’s initial goals, working method and findings are presented on a presentation moment.

Guidelines:
o Referring to qualitative sources and interaction with social actors
o Integration of diverse perspectives
o Referring to scientific and professional expertise
o Demonstrating knowledge and understanding of the concepts used
o Comprising a reasoned opinion
o Offering innovative/creative insights concerning the topic
o Referring to personal responsibility and experiences

The progress that the student teams make during their teamwork is recorded in a portfolio. The portfolio shows how the student team reflected on the subject treated, how they processed the information from the lectures and workshops, what information was gathered and how the students worked together as a team. The portfolio contains both documents designed in team as well as individual contributions. All students contribute to the teamwork. Assignments and tasks are drawn up with the students during the colleges.

More detailed guidelines are available in the student manual on Canvas.

Additional info regarding evaluation

The evaluation procedure for ‘Reason and Engage’ follows the pass/fail-principle. The evaluation implies both process and product evaluation. Process evaluation concerns the preparation on and individual contributions to lectures, group work, attendance and active participation in workshops and teamwork. Product evaluation concerns the quality of tasks fulfilled and handed in.

The student monitors use an evaluation card (see student manual), which can be consulted (on appointment) and will be discussed during the assessment sessions. Students are expected to evolve in the different components of the student evaluation throughout the academic year. The intermediary evaluations are combined in a global ratting: pass or fail. There are thus no ‘marks’. The evaluation of ‘Reason and Engage’ does not influence grading. There is no re-examination for ‘Reason and Engage’.

The evaluation procedure is also described in detail in the student manual available on Canvas.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context