WAT-E1100 - Water and Environmental Engineering, Lecture, 4.9.2023-20.10.2023
This course space end date is set to 20.10.2023 Search Courses: WAT-E1100
Dilemma: Follow-up assignment
The Follow-up assignment consists of two parts, A. Reflection and B. Written debate. Submit both in a same file by Fri 13.10. at 18.00.
Instructions:
A. Reflection, minimum ~200 words: Write your own short reflection about the discussion you had in your group after the board game: how did your group experience the debating and answering fact knowledge on sustainability issues? What were the key learnings in your group (about yourselves, sustainability, other things?)? Were these experiences and learnings similar to/different from your own ones? Elaborate on that.
B. Written debate, minimum 400 words (no max length - you decide!): Identify one value-based dilemma, similar to those you encountered in the game, but which relates to the field of water and environmental engineering. Search for facts and arguments that deepen your understanding of the dilemma. You can use e.g. literature and lecture material given during the WAT Course so far, or browse the internet (for reports, articles etc.). Include a list of references in the end of your submission.
In your written debate, discuss both sides of your chosen dilemma by following these four steps:
- Give a brief explanation of the subject and why it has the characteristics of a 'dilemma'.
- Specify some core arguments for one of the positions (use references when needed).
- Counter the arguments you presented in the phase 2. by expressing the view of a person who disagrees with the first position.
- Finish the assignment by once again taking the original viewpoint.
Develop your thoughts and viewpoints so that the reader can clearly understand your reasoning. Debate with well-supported arguments and make sure to clarify what facts or values your assertions are based upon. Always try to answer any of the questions "why?", "when?", "how?" and "what?" so that the reader is not left to interpret the claims themselves. Also, do not underestimate the power of examples, when trying to explain a certain mindset (e.g., first present a claim with fact knowledge and then illustrate with a real-life example).
One method for quality assurance is to check if your text has a good "flow"; how does it work to read the text out loud? The presence of conjunctions such as ‘because’, ‘in addition’, ‘since’, ‘thus’, and ‘which’, give a hint that your you text has a flow.
Please note that your own opinions are not relevant in this exercise.