Main Page
From HCSNet wiki
|
Educational Initiatives
Human Communication Science Curriculum Development Working Group
Introduction
One strategy to ensure a continuing life and legacy of the Human Communication Sciences Network is to lay the ground over the next several months for production of an education package with the aim of developing a curriculum and materials for a Masters degree in Human Communication Science. This award would be fully on-line, could be coordinated by the University of New England (which runs the fully on-line Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics), with units contributed by interested HCSNet members.
Part of this project is the construction of an e-text, comprising inputs from (but not limited to) current Network players, editorial coordination provided by a core of people in the main disciplines involved, headed by an appropriate team leader. The components of this text will evolve as contributors to the wiki comment on and modify the proposed initiating framework and suggested content.
Background
The purpose of HCSNet is to generate new insights about human communication through interdisciplinary dialogue. A key outcome is the education of the next generation of students exposed to various facets of the communication complex, such that they enlarge their knowledge of adjacent and more remote facets, to be better equipped to join up their specific enterprise with other knowledge realms and create something new. The overall "something new" that acts to guide such a development is the inter-discipline of Human Communication Science, which the Network is in the game of inventing.
Framework of content
The initiating framework is that of Mechanisms of and Constraints on communication. Together, these concepts can serve as an organising principle used to describe and analyse what enables communication in all of its contexts and forms, and what acts to filter, limit, and impede communication; hence, by corollary, what can and remains to be done to moderate such constraints. Mechanisms of communication can be considered from micro to meso to macro levels of action, organisation and behaviour (from nerve cells to daily conversation to international negotiation). Constraints can be considered similarly, from cellular injury to intra-group conflict to nation-state power imbalances. A more detailed listing of proposed topics is given in a separate page of the wiki.
The Structure and Scope of Content
In addition to this internal framework we also wish to examine the scope and structure of content on a broad canvas. The present sub-disciplinary mix represents the interests of members who chose to contribute in the early days of the network. Now that we are looking at a more formal curriculum we may be well served by some smoothing, filling, and balancing of this mix. A short discussion paper on this topic presented to the working group last year is given in a separate page of the wiki.
