ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Conflict Resolution and Public Participation Center of Expertise has posted a new Collaborative Modeling Online Course Module in the Training Demos section of the Shared Vision Planning website. The online module is based on a Shared Vision Planning model used in an International Joint Commission study to determine the operation of Lake Ontario. IWR developed the module as part of an online graduate course at the University of Arizona that was delivered this past summer.
Those who take the online course can expect to meet the following learning objectives:
- Develop an understanding of decision support systems and how they can be used.
- Define collaborative modeling, including Shared Vision Planning, and when and how it can be applied.
- Provide an example of how Shared Vision Planning has been used in a specific context.
- Use a data set and model to test alternative options given a set of objectives.
- Work with classmates to share model findings and work together towards a solution.
Interested parties are encouraged to use the online course module in their classes and revise it to fit their needs. Materials available include voice-over PowerPoint, videos, a reading list, a role-play assignment and discussion questions.
Shared Vision Planning is a collaborative approach to formulating water management solutions that combines three disparate practices: 1) traditional water resources planning, 2) structured public participation, and 3) collaborative computer modeling. Although each of these elements has been successfully applied, what makes Shared Vision Planning unique is the integration of traditional planning processes with structured public participation and collaborative computer modeling.