5.0 The Banff Workshop

5.1 Input from the Field of Practice
5.2 Workshop Recommendations

As part of this study, coordinators or their representatives from the eleven programs, some instructors and students met over two days at the Banff Centre to elaborate on the areas of investigation in this study. Others in attendance included two special participants from the international practitioner community: Ruben Mendez, a representative from the UNDP who has extensive experience in the study and practice of international technical assistance; Lorena Revelo, who has considerable field experience with an NGO in Costa Rica and Caryl Abrahams, Director of the Canada-Asia Partnership Program in the Division of International Development, The University of Calgary. The workshop had three objectives: (1) to obtain input from those working in the field regarding the scope and content of Development Studies; (2) to elaborate on the nature and content of Development Studies programs in Canada; and (3) to explore the available means of strengthening undergraduate education in the discipline.

In addition to the information collected from the surveys, each program coordinator shared more information about the unique aspects of his or her program. These special attributes or strengths of the Development Studies programs can be described as falling into three categories: a field experience component, a speakers' series, and use of teaching technologies.

The Field Experience. The field experience may be provided in the form of a work co-op program, a study abroad program or an exchange program. The University of Toronto (Scarborough Campus) co-op program in International Development Studies department is the best example of a program with a field experience component. This program exists along with the IDS major program at the Scarborough campus. It provides a work placement program for students over an eight to twelve-month period with development agencies in Canada or in countries of the South. This work placement occurs in the fourth year after the completion of 15 courses, including regional and language options. In addition, University of Toronto students are required to work on a major research paper based on their work placement experience. Funding for this program had been made possible with a grant from CIDA. As a footnote, funding for this program was terminated in 1995.

A study abroad program provides another type of international experience for students. Calgary, Guelph, New Brunswick, Trent, Dalhousie, St. Mary's, and Wilfrid Laurier have linkages with a variety of universities all over the world. This allows students to spend one or several terms abroad as part of their academic program.

Teaching Technologies. Both the University of Guelph and St. Mary's University use on-line networks to deliver either a portion of or an entire course on-line. For example at the University of Guelph, the introductory Development Studies course was delivered on-line with the assistance of an interactive network called Cosy. This involved linking both the students and the instructor to the network, having the course readings available on-line, and exchanging comments and discussions on the network. Similarly at St. Mary's, a system called Viper allows resources to be stored and interactive discussions to take place. In addition, the Viper system is linked to the Internet, providing a means of interchange with other universities overseas.

Speaker Series. Dalhousie, Guelph, and Halifax universities all have a Visiting Lecturer Series which bring in distinguished scholars or practitioners.

5.1 Input from the Field of Practice (top of page)
After presentations from the various programs, further input was received from the UNDP and Costa Rican participants; from Caryl Abrahams, Director of the Canada-Asia Partnership Program within the Division of International Development at the University of Calgary; and from Chris Smart of our partner agency, the IDRC. The practitioners made several points: first, that "the development field" is not necessarily just the developing world; it is the entire world including our own backyards. The field can be found in our own aboriginal reserves, our urban streets, and our own parks and forests. Given the downsizing occurring in many international agencies, students and instructors would do well to explore opportunities for development work closer to home.

Second, the practitioners stressed the importance of combining theory and practice. Extending the practical component into the classroom would require exploring more opportunities for students to obtain hands-on experience as well as providing better training to students to prepare them for these practical field experiences. Also discussed were the problems encountered by students who were sent to the field without proper training. These students tend to lack the cross-cultural awareness skills, the language skills, and familiarity with the principles of participatory development. Another approach to strengthening the melding of practice and theory would be to provide field learning experiences to those who teach in Development Studies programs.

Third, the practitioners stressed the importance of interdisciplinarity as an approach to Development Studies and the advantages of a liberal education linked to an international outlook.

Fourth, it was recognized that a project to enhance and/or strengthen Development Studies needs to address the following challenges:

Enhance pedagogy
Offset declining resources
Facilitate sharing and linkages among programs
Convince sceptics of the importance and significance of Development Studies
Reconcile the program's range and focus
Improve program instruction
Win support for interdisciplinary teaching and learning
Become a focal point for other disciplines
Boost, supplement, sustain volunteer efforts
Ask the "forensic question": What would be the result of not having Development Studies Programs? What would we have lost if Development Studies programs did not exist?

5.2 Workshop Recommendations (top of page)

Coordinators, instructors, and students met in separate groups to discuss action recommendations. The following were proposed by each group.

Recommendations from Instructors.

1. From the students' perspectives and from fieldworkers' experience, development programs would benefit from enhanced experiential learning components. The most preferred solution is the provision of a series of "experience" options for students, including some overseas experience 'in the field' either through a co-op program or a semester placement in some international project (following the appropriate preparation). However to make such options accessible to all students is probably not a 'financially sustainable' plan. We therefore think that "experiential learning" and "group activities" should be introduced as much as possible into the classroom and through fieldtrips within Canada.

The idea of a summer workshop for instructors, which would promote the teaching of participatory methodologies and experiential learning was supported by this group. The inclusion of students and fieldworkers in this workshop would help to create links required for the successful implementation of this proposal. We stress that this should not be thought of as a perfect substitute for student experience in the field, whatever form that may take (e.g., co-op programs, short- or long-term field trips, semesters abroad, or exchange programs with other universities). Development of a videotape and other supplementary materials from such a workshop might be feasible.

2. A second improvement in pedagogy which is of particular importance for teaching in interdisciplinary programs (although not exclusively so), is the ability to create a classroom experience which promotes creative and critical learning in an environment of tolerance and comfort. It is easy in a critical setting for some students to become alienated and intimidated. Therefore, it is important for instructors to be able to sense when certain students may be ill at ease in a classroom situation when critical debate is being promoted.

Recommendations from Students.

1. Students need to be provided with the opportunity for practical experience in the field within their International Development programs, though not necessarily overseas. Program coordinators should encourage and assist students in these endeavors by providing training in such things as cross-cultural awareness, participatory action research, popular education, and facilitation. An ethical discussion of the proposed or on-going project (and its coordinating body) is critical, both before and after the experience. As well, a post field-work analysis is required and must be facilitated.

2. Students need and want stable and available resources, including access to faculty associated with, and knowledgeable about, the Development Studies program. Apart from this resource function, there should be faculty to provide academic program counselling.

Recommendations from Coordinators.

1. Develop a Summer Institute for Instructors

2. Adopt a project in the Southern hemisphere (e.g., Halifax's Gambia project), which Canadians can identify with and which could incorporate various components of the Development Studies program.

3. Develop a database incorporating various links, networks, development programs, courses, course outlines, topics, etc., which would be readily accessible. This could evolve into a sustainable system over years, enriching the interdisciplinary aspect of Development Studies.

4. Build an endowment fund which yields interest in perpetuity. Such a fund, if topped up by participating universities, might build up sufficient interest to support an experiential program for students.

5. Funds should be invested in a feasibility study with the objective of investigating possible options, pros and cons of overseas experience, etc.

Though these recommendations came separately from different groups, all the participants acknowledged the gap between theory and practice, and suggested that both students and programs would benefit from an emphasis on the 'experiential learning' component in Development Studies programs. The idea of a Summer Institute was conceived to further bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Some other important initiatives were also suggested for incorporating students' experiences in Development Studies curricula. It was suggested that the coordinators should take local measures to enrich their respective Development Studies programs such as the following:

Establish links with other programs in the university
Establish links with international development projects at the university
Establish links with local NGO's and development projects

The participants emphasized activities which offered the most long-term benefits to the programs, students, and faculty. It was in this spirit that the recommendation to develop the On-Line Resources proposal was unanimously endorsed.

Finally, all workshop participants were unanimous in their opposition to recent efforts in many Canadian universities to increase fees charged to visa students. There was consensus that international students are critical to maintaining diversity in a university environment and that significantly increased fees would only deter a large number of these students.

These recommendations formed the basis for subsequent deliberations to enhance Development Studies programs across Canada.