Teaching students practical ways to manage their lives
教導學生經營人生的實用方法
by Karen Herzog / © 2014, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Distributed by MCT Information Services.
It is perhaps the least understood school on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. And yet it aims to be the hub of problem-solving for some of the most basic issues of life—how to mindfully raise a child, how to design products and spaces that make sense, how to chart a path to financial self-sufficiency.
The school is working to reposition itself as turning out graduates with both practical skills and the so-called soft skills of critical thinking, problem-solving and cross-discipline teamwork that employers say they want.
If that sounds vague, Soyeon Shim, dean of the school since 2012, suggests using Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computers, as a model for understanding what human ecology is all about.
Jobs’ genius was that he first focused on what would be intuitive and user-friendly for consumers, what would help them manage their daily life, what would appeal to them—aesthetically and practically—and only then did he bring to life products that consumers didn’t even realize they wanted until they saw them.
“Design thinking and innovation go hand-in-hand,” Shim said. “Think users first, and then prototype. It’s a problem-based approach as opposed to teaching science.”
Defining human ecology
Shim understands that the very name of the school may confuse people.
“Human ecology is a name ahead of its time,” she said. “It’s the study of the interaction between humans and environment to enhance quality of life. It’s things you care about, day to day—good parenting, good nutrition, good exercise, good financial habits, good environment—all of the things that make us happy. When we accomplish what we set out to do, people will see we’re the hub of science that truly puts humans—family, children and communities—front and center.”
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Discussion Questions
-Can you name any companies that put you front and center? Explain.
-What did you think of the Shims’ plan for their daughter’s college tuition? Was it wise or unfair? Explain.
-Does a financial life skills course sound beneficial to you? Why or why not?
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