In Our Own Backyards: Inquiry-based Learning and Institutional Collaboration at Two New England Colleges

Abstract

Mark T. Motte is associate professor of geography in the department of political science at Rhode Island College in Proviclence Rl. Dr. Motte earned his Ph.D. in city planning and urban policy development at Rutgers University, and has undertaken research and consultitative projects for an array of NGO's and government agencies in the fields of human services, education, and community development. He has published two artictes on the redevelopment of Providence, Rl and, with his colleague Dr. Francis Leazes, Jr., is completing a book on whether Providence truly is America's 21st Century Renaissance City. service to the wider community, but few institutionalize programs that, at the same time, promise to fundamentally transform the curriculum and engage undergraduates. Students (and the families who help to pay their tuition bills) also increasingly insist that programs with a focus on public policy topics deliver experiences that provide concrete skills relevant to the world of work. This article offers suggestions for colleagues in undergraduate political science, public administration, planning/policy, and urban studies departments to incorporate recent calls for inquiry-based learning into their own curricula. From our own recent collaborative successes (1997-2003) in having students analyze urban development/revitalization projects first-hand, we report on a series of strategies with which students can achieve the following: