Boundary Crossing Project Management in BSc Environmental Sciences

If we aim to have students be good boundary crossers in their projects, it seems crucial to make instruction on project management, group dynamics and communication also ‘BC proof’. We tried to do that in a second year course of the Bachelors of Environmental Sciences (BES): Environmental Project Studies (ETE-25812).

The four BC learning mechanisms appear to capture nicely what we were previously teaching in the various components of project management. First learning to know the project assignment, team members and stakeholders (Identification), then agreements about roles and tasks and communication (Coordination). Group dynamics requires perspective making and taking (Reflection). Finally, the ultimate goal of a project is to co-create something really innovative (Transformation). And what appears: if you jump to the end of your project at the start of it and really challenge each other to make more of it beyond the boundaries of existing practices....that helps from the start not to think in limitations but in possibilities supposed to be an important BC asset.

This news item was prepared by Carla Oonk, who is involved in designing and teaching the project management segment in the Environmental Project Studies course.