Well, this unit is different. It\u2019s different for lots of reasons, its different because it is for undergraduates and the other unit was for master\u2019s students. It is different because the design constraints are very different. And it is different because, like in the Bear[2]<\/a>, every time I do something I like to reimagine the whole thing, I enjoy the creative challenge (which I know is not how most people see teaching).<\/p>\n So what is the plan. Well first up there will be lectures, 5 of them. But more on that later!<\/p>\n With 5 hours filled of the timetabled 21 hours filled (not forgetting the remaining 79hours of self supported study if you believe a 5 credit unit should be a total of 100 hours) what else is happening? For the rest of the unit I have a series of workshops and activities planned. As I will explain in two weeks, one of the main activities is to interview regenerative practitioners. So there will be three interviews where the students will ask the practitioners questions about their regenerative practice. These questions will not be plucked out of thin air, there will be a series of workshops to help the students consider what they want to know and therefore how best to ask the question.<\/p>\n However, the unit also wants to focus on doing. Being a regenerative practitioner, not just knowing what regenerative practice is. So students are encouraged to read books (almost unheard of these days in an engineering context) because some students may discover that reading a physical book doesn\u2019t just help them learn in a particular way, it also can be a restorative act, focussing on a single task whilst blocking out all the noise around them[3]<\/a>. The slow thinking which creates space for imagination and serendipity.<\/p>\n They will spend time in nature \u2013 with a walk to a project I worked on \u2013 including a walk through the woods, which links the geology of the surrounding area to the story of the site. They will also be encouraged to spend time in nature in other ways (see the activity in a few weeks time).<\/p>\n They will get creative. Drawing, painting, writing. None of this is enforced, but we will create the time and space to bring together work in a portfolio, reflect on the work and then, in the exam discuss it (see next week).<\/p>\n And they will step into the future, with a future walk around Bath, imagining the city in 2050, which you can also do.<\/p>\n These are the activities that are not normal on a civil engineering degree.<\/p>\n Next week I will unpack how we assess students, how we encourage them to engage in such activities, and how the assessment has at a fundamental level reshaped the way the unit is taught. But for now I would like to invite you to explore my regenerative design reading list. There is something for everyone I hope. Some books are available as ebooks and others as physical copies. I hope you enjoy the list. https:\/\/bath.alma.exlibrisgroup.com\/leganto\/nui\/lists\/8155896490002761?institute=44BAT_INST&auth=SAML&continue=<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n ---------------------<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> You can find the old blog series here: https:\/\/bilt.online\/tag\/designing-a-new-unit\/<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> This is a reference to the Bear a TV show about a restraint and specifically season 3 episode 2 where, spoiler alert, Carmen, the head chef, decides that every night they will change the whole menu, much to the dismay of his team. This is not my first reference to the Bear in a teaching blog, I also referenced it here: https:\/\/bilt.online\/nandos-forks-and-systems-methods-to-engage-super-massive-classes\/<\/a>. In fact I think you could write a whole blog series on lessons from the Bear in teaching.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/clt\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/135\/2026\/02\/Picture1-1-300x145.jpg\")
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