Problem solving and collaboration are essential for solving complex, real-world problems and are in high demand by employers. In fact, according to a recent survey, the #1 and #2 when hiring is the ability to work well in a team. Yet, students rarely have the opportunity to study and apply the theories and best practices for making collaboration work.
In this course, you will crack the code of making collaboration work by leveraging this research to acquire a variety of important skills. These include: effective communication in groups, proactively managing group conflict, identifying biases that hinder creativity, and leveraging diversity to improve outcomes. You will put those skills into practice throughout the course, and reflect on how to apply them in other situations.
Fun fact:Â INTEG 210 was originally co-designed by Dr. Katie Plaisance, the Chair of Knowledge Integration, in collaboration with several undergraduate students. Katie received a grant to study the effectiveness of the course and has published the results in the Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. You can !
Open to ALL students outside Knowledge Integration, 2A and above. This course is on the Faculty of Engineering Complementary Studies List D.
(in the Outline Repository). Downloadable syllabus copy (Fall 2024).
INTEG 210 course description (in the Undergraduate Academic Calendar)
INTEG 210 & i-Capstone
In Fall 2024, INTEG 210 had a special section dedicated to students completing the innovative interdisciplinary capstone (i-Capstone) course, focused on Future Cities. They had a chance to apply their new INTEG 210 skills first in class, then in their i-Capstone groups. INTEG 210 prompted some reflection - for example: What aspects of teams are most important? What problems do teams most commonly face and how can those problems be minimized? How can productive conflict increase creativity and productivity, and how can destructive conflict be reduced?
The i-Capstone students who took INTEG 210 were surveyed. Here's what the surveyed students had to share about the course:
