8 orst100 by Jess

Executive Summary 

The purpose of this capstone is to understand the direct link between teaching and learning in Organizational Theory. The intended structure of this course flips academia on its head, democratizing the space where the student is the teacher and the teacher is the student. This co-collaborative space is orchestrated by both the syllabus created by Professor Junisbai which essentially operates as the set intentions of the course and the students who put those intentions into praxis. After looking closely at the course objectives, I identified six core themes that act as “codes” within this qualitative report. They are: Community/Collectivity, De-naturalization, Reimagination, Membership/ In(ex)clusion/Belonging, Praxis/Integration, and Reflection. The data provided in the weekly reflections coupled with the learning objectives show possibility for expansion in education. It shows how a course that operates within an institution, in this case higher education, can reject the inevitable hegemonic structures within academia. In education, there is a lot of talk about teaching and learning. Teaching being what teachers or professors set out to teach their students and learning being what students gather, take away and then put into praxis. Oftentimes, both students and teachers forget that these terms “teaching” and “learning” should be working closely together, if not synonymous, in order for the classroom to be democratized. Hopefully, both the qualitative and quantitative data help shape any changes for the syllabi the next time this course is being taught. I also hope that this capstone provides a moment of reflection for audience members that took Organizational Theory.

ORST 100 Capstone Memo Finalized

Acknowledgements: 

Thank you to my parents and my sister for being such a strong foundation and for opening me up to seek out the good in the world. I am grateful for my friends (too many to name) who have been by my side for the past four years. For their constant support, vulnerability, and laughter. To my childhood best friends – Aria and Molly for reflecting on our shared experiences in primary and secondary school. And for reminding me where I started (as someone who wanted to questionably be a wedding planner and princess at the same time?)! Thank you to all my professors this semester who have provided me with spaces where I was able to see and experience different pedagogical approaches that made this capstone experience richer and more nuanced. Lastly, I have deep gratitude and admiration for Barbara who created a space in our learning environment where I could think deeply and actually believe that my dreams of a more just society that centers humanity can be feasible when we work in community.