8801+Collaboration+report+1

a) Your contributions to forum discussions and the help you give to other students on these forums, for example on their projects or with technical or other difficulties with the unit. (This is likely to be the sole or major collaborative activity for many students).

Answer: Clearly, studying in an online format requires a concerted effort on the part of students, to engage in as much discussion as possible, in order to contribute to the course as a whole, but also to each individual seeking to expand their learning through the course. I am also aware for many of us, this is our only ‘human contact’ in terms of discussion and feedback on course content. As I’ve become more familiar and confident with online study, I have made forum discussions a priority, seeking to engage with as many different students (and realities) as possible. For each week of the unit, I have actively participated in online forum discussions and whenever I’ve found information outside of our syllabus but relevant to the interests (eg project topic) of others, I’ve posted this with links or relevant information.

Because each student is studying IHS for vastly different reasons and brings a wealth of unique experiences and views, this interaction has served to fertilise my understanding of the course content immeasurably - and I hope my frequent posts have contributed something to others, too. Some specific examples of postings which have offered to alert other students to relevant events/information/insights include one regarding the release of the gender inequality documentary “Miss Representation” and a screening in Melbourne, and another regarding a public lecture at Federation Square, hosted by the Grattan Institute

I also attended a dinner in Melbourne when Neville was visiting the city, along with several other Melbourne-based students and Angela visiting from Sydney, in order to make that all important face-to-face connection and exchange views and ideas on the course content thus far.

b) Your voluntary contributions to other organisations arising directly from and linked to your IHS studies. For example you might offer a post, blog or article based on your project to a website concerned with human and world futures for example; Shaping Tomorrows World http://www.shapingtomorrowsworld.org/about.htm or another important website Education for World Futures http://learning.ewfi.org/ewf/. This is the site that we have developed to promote and extend to the public the education and resources offered in our UWA/OUA postgraduate programs. Even if your offerings are not accepted, your attempts are credited as collaborative effort so include them in your collaborative report.

Answer: In April 2012 I attended a 1 day workshop “Common Cause Values” facilitated through the Australian Conservation Foundation and The Climate Reality Project, on the basis of the workshop’s relevance to my IHS project topic ‘Pursuing Eudaimonia: Establishing a common benchmark for global action.’ The workshop included people from a wide range of NFP disciplines, all of whom were there to better understand what values motivate people to take action. I engaged with this event both as a Climate Reality Project Presenter and specifically, as a UWA student doing a postgrad in IHS - and a project which will incorporate findings on universal human values, as a facet of a eudaimonic life. My questions and discussions on the day were therefore framed within that context and I received invaluable information and guidance as a result.

c) Contributions aimed at improving these IHS units and programs. These may range from pointing out specific problems or deficiences (please believe that I do welcome and need these) to suggestions for new materials or ideas or websites to include.

Answer: Aware that 2012 marked the launch of a new moodle for IHS, I have been fairly active in forwarding my suggestions to Professor Bruce as to how the platform can be improved, alerting him to problems or omissions and generally making a fairly frequent habit of providing feedback on content and learning tools (eg the video/script instructions for setting up a wikispaces page).

d) Any other voluntary activity that you do with or for others that directly relates to your IHS studies and the IHS mission.

Answer: I have had some direct interaction with Angela Jantz regarding her Climate Action Group in NSW, and the invitation received by the group to attend a Climate Reality Project training in the US later this year.

I was also invited, by a customer at work - Professor Emeritus David Yencken AO, to contribute a submission for the rebuilding of Christchurch, New Zealand, in the wake of the recent earthquake disasters. Supportive of my interests and studies in IHS, David’s background includes the post of Secretary of the Ministry for Planning and Environment in Victoria from 1982-1987, as well as extensive involvement in Australian Heritage and urban design. He therefore requested I produce a document outlining the potential for a logo and tagline to unify the many rebuilding efforts around Christchurch and to engender the strongest possible support from all participants. David was delighted with the work I produced and it will be included with his pro bono report, which he will present in person in New Zealand at the end of May.

I found these interactions particularly rewarding as they each drew on areas of skills well established, as well as newfound disciplines in the preparation of a report.