Made in Partnership.
It’s our degrees - the curriculum - that have the potential to expand our capacity and capabilities. How? Well, it’s a story. Follow below to learn what we did.
Transform Your Future
Working with staff and external partners, we co-created 10 new, exciting transdisciplinary Challenge Minors intended to empower any WSU student to expand their skillsets and capabilities beyond their degree.
You take your degree, and add new components that help you stand out as a graduate.
It can be what transforms your standard degree into something you didn’t expect.
Watch Our Launch Video
We Co-Create Curriculum
It’s our degrees - the curriculum - that have the potential to expand our capacity and capabilities. How? Well, it’s a story. Follow below to learn what we did.
The Problem
“We are facing a disruption in the future of work and society. And the skills of the past no longer align with what that future demands.”
Simon Barrie
DVC and Vice-President (Academic) and 21C Project Executive Sponsor
The co-creation process began with discussion amongst staff, external partners and us as SCPs. Together, we asked ourselves two interesting questions:
“What is WSU offering students that enables them to develop those capabilities?”
“What are the graduate capabilities we need for the future?”
Our Curriculum Champions
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Dr Jenna Condie
Jenna’s teaching and research focuses on the relationships between social media, communities, and social action. She was one of our Curriculum Champions for Future Thinkers, sharing the role with James Gourley.
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Dr James Gourley
James Gourley is a senior lecturer in English and teaches literature. With Jenna, James shared the role of Curriculum Champion for Future Thinkers.
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A/Prof Brett Bennett
Brett teaches and researches in Environmental History. He was the Global Citizens Curriculum Champion.
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![Dr Mariam Darestani]()
Dr Mariam Darestani
Mariam is materials engineer passionate about the environment, especially water. She championed the STEM Challenge with Chris Jones.
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Dr Chris Jones
Chris is a Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry with an interest in work integrated for science graduates. He shared the STEM Curriculum Champion role with Mariam.
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Dr Tendai Chikweche
Tendai teaches and researches in marketing, entrepreneurship and innovation. He shared the role of Curriculum Champion for Innovative Entrepreneurs with Neil Perry.
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A/Prof Neil Perry
Neil specialises in Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility. He is one of two Curriculum Champions for Innovative Entrepreneurs.
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A/Prof Ricky Spencer
Ricky is an ecologist by training and known for his work on turtle conservation. He was the Sustainability Advocates Curriculum Champion.
21C’s Five Curriculum Challenges
We landed on 5 Curriculum Challenges. Each is broadly aligned with the set of graduate capabilities students need. Teams of staff, external partners and students as partners worked (and are still working) together to make curriculum decisions influenced Partnership Pedagogy.
Innovative Entrepreneurs
We need Innovative Entrepreneurs. These are the kinds of graduate who are adaptable and self-aware. The type of graduates that possess a diverse set of “practical skills” they can use to solve problems, inspire people, and drive change wherever they go.
Global Citizens
We need Global Citizens. These are graduates who understand, navigate and engage with a complex, globalizing world. From global health to global workplaces, Global Citizens shape the international world we inhabit.
STEM Capable Graduates
We need graduates with STEM capabilities. These are graduates who think and act with the kind of scientific fluency needed to pose good questions and solve problems that draw on the best available evidence taken in a multitude of perspectives.
Future Thinkers
We need Future Thinkers. These graduates wrestle with questions about the pressing challenges of our future - ethics, technology, equity, justice, climate - and move us towards a world that serves communities most at risk.
Sustainability Advocates
We need Sustainability Advocates. People who are leaders in sustainability, challengers of the status quo, determined, passionate, and more invested than ever to push for a more sustainable, equitable and hopeful future that has planetary care at its core.
Our 10 new 21C Challenge Minors
(Click on a Minor to go to WSU Handbook)
Curiosity Pods
We also co-created a new piece of curriculum called Curiosity Pods. They are tasters - short, free online learning experiences that allow any Western student from any degree to learn something they're curious and passionate about.
You can take as many Curiosity Pods as you like. If one takes your fancy, then you can enrol in the subject that it is associated with. It’s quite a neat idea.
Watch the Video to learn more about Curiosity Pods at WSU
Take a look at the Curiosity Pods
