Title: What is
Mediation?
Target Audience:
Adults in a pre-law class titled “Introduction to Dispute Resolution”.
Class Duration:
Eight weeks, with two 90-minute sessions per week.
Course Roadmap: Weeks
One and Two are used to discuss the nature and history of dispute and examining
an overview of resolution, from conversation to declarations of war. The end of
week Two will be used to introduce the Wiki activity.
Wiki-related learning
activity: In Weeks Two and Three of the class, the students will be introduced to
samples of wikis. Small groups of three students will meet during class to
discuss how they will approach creation of a “resource bank”-style wiki and plan for its
completion, given a standard template (frame) to work from. The wiki project is
meant to focus on one aspect of dispute resolution and enable students to do a
deep dive into the concept of mediation and how one may become a mediator. This
wiki project will take place over Weeks Three, Four and Five.
Week Two: The instructor will outline the project for
students at the end of Week Two, providing a lesson in preparation (West and
West, 2009) which includes wiki concepts, review of a pre-class web skills
survey, identifying the uses and construction of a wiki and showing prior
projects to the groups.
Week Four: Students will be given a total of 30 minutes in-class
time in Week Four to regroup as a team and ask questions of the instructor if
guidance is needed.
Week Five: Will consist of a short presentation by each
group of their final wiki, and class discussion about the wiki experience while
sharing best practices.
Weeks Six through Eight examine worldwide justice systems
and conclude in a final paper where students choose one dispute resolution
system (with the exception of mediation) to write a 3-page paper as an
examination of the application and drawbacks of that system.
Learning Objectives
for the Wiki Exercise: The student will:
- · Define alternative dispute resolution (ADR), mediation and mediator
- · Demonstrate understanding of the areas/types of dispute that may apply mediation for resolution
- · Demonstrate understanding of the mediation process
- · Contribute to the wiki in a meaningful manner as evaluated by their peers and evidenced by their own short “wiki review” paper
Using a wiki will:
Enable students to research the topic both independently and collaboratively,
creating a body of knowledge about mediation for themselves and future
students.
The wiki will be used by
the class to: Build a resource for future classes and students who are
investigating what mediation is and what mediators do.
Wiki Activity
Evaluation Rubric: The wiki project will constitute 20% of the class grade
on an individual basis. Students will participate in a self-reflection as well
as a brief survey of their experience within the group. Students will enter in
their overall class journal a description of their contributions to the
project, which will be handed in for review.
Wiki grades will be determined based on group timeliness,
contribution level and the constructive process as well as the organization and
appearance of the final project.
References
West, J.A., & West, M.L. (2009). Using wikis for online
collaboration. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Additional lesson plan sample sources:
Algonquin College Prof’s Resource Site: http://www.algonquincollege.com/profres/lesson-planning/
Wiki-How- How to Make a Lesson Plan: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Lesson-Plan
I enjoyed your lesson plan. Earlier this year I finished my Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution and think it will be greatly beneficial to my life and my career. I have already started using some of the things that I have learned from the program. I do not have any plans to do mediation at this particular time but thinking about pursuing it in the future. I like that it is also building resources for future students. It is not only beneficial for current students but also students that come after them. The participants have the ability to collaborate on something that is meaningful to their future.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
West, J.A., & West, M.L. (2009). Using wikis for online collaboration. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
That is so exciting! I just took a 3-day certification class in mediation and so it was fresh in my mind as a topic. Where did you get your Cert from?
ReplyDeleteI received it through Kansas State. Terri McCants is in charge of the program and very knowledgeable. It is a 12 credit hour certificate (4 classes).
ReplyDeleteGreat questions, Chelsea. It would be a great exercise once they are familiar with the pattern of mediation to stage an in-class mediation and video it- could be added to the wiki. Love the idea. Thanks for the comment!
ReplyDeleteI like your use of a pre-class skills survey. I would want to implement this in my workshop as well. The idea of presenting the wiki is interesting. I never really think about showing other people in the form of a presentation what’s been done or worked on in a wiki, because I see and use wikis as these end products that serve a practical purpose: it’s just information that’s accessible if you need it. However, in the educational setting you’ve set up it completely makes sense. I like that you have an in class discussion about the students’ wiki experiences. Would you also like to have them reflect on it and submit a short bit of reflective writing on the experience in case they don’t want to talk about it in class?
ReplyDelete