Interactive Communications & Simulations

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UM Courses

University of Michigan students who have taken ICS courses say:
  • "This course is original and innovative." (EDUC 462)
  • "There were so many ideas to talk about and play with, and [the instructors] truly encouraged students to be bold and expressive ... and truly immerse yourself into the experience." (EDUC 462)
  • "This was one of my favorite classes that I have ever taken." (EDUC 362)
  • "This is easily the best course I have taken at the University of Michigan." (EDUC 462)
  • "I was excited to come to class because I knew it would be engaging, and I would learn a lot in it." (EDUC 463)
  • "I recommend this course to everyone!" (EDUC 362)

 

ICS offers unique courses each Fall and Winter term for University of Michigan students. Each course is structured around an innovative web-mediated program that offers engaging, creative, and often playful learning experiences.

In ICS courses, you can:

  • Effect real change that helps students across Michigan by crafting and advocating for innovative legislative proposals (EDUC 362: Michigan Student Caucus).
  • Help high school and middle school students learn about current and historical issues, in engaging, creative ways (EDUC 462: Place Out Of Time; EDUC 463: Arab-Israeli Conflict Simulation).
  • Guide K-12 students as they explore and discuss social and cultural issues while they follow an online travel narrative (EDUC 461: Earth Odyssey).
  • Help foster creativity in middle and high school students as they write and publish original poetry (EDUC 365: International Poetry Guild).

Each course uses custom-designed online tools to facilitate robust discussion and peer learning. There are no required lectures or dry textbooks — learning in ICS courses is dynamic, in-the-moment, and driven by the interests and curiosities of the program participants.

ICS courses are popular with students across the university and can help meet total credit hour requirements for students in LS&A, the Ross Business School, and other UM programs. See below for details about each course.

Course # Course Name Credits Fall Winter Meets Syllabus link
EDUC 362 Michigan Student Caucus 4 X X Online Google Doc
EDUC 365 Web-based mentorship: International Poetry Guild 3 X X Tue 4:30-6:30 PDF
EDUC 461 Web-based mentorship: Earth Odysseys 3 X Wed 2:00-5:00 PDF
EDUC 462 Web-based mentorship: Place Out Of Time 3 X X Tue/Thu 1:00- 2:30 PDF
EDUC 463 Web-based mentorship: Arab-Israeli Conflict Simulation 3 X X Wed 12:00-1:00 + Fri 1:00-3:00 PDF

Education 362

In the Michigan Student Caucus (MSC), students across the state work online, using a variety of custom-built deliberation, collaboration and decision-making tools, to create a political platform representing the interests of students in Michigan.

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Education 365

The International Poetry Guild offers U of M students the opportunity to share their enthusiasm for writing with a world-wide audience of student writers.  

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Education 461

Earth Odyssey: Morocco is a social and cultural issues forum for middle school, high school, and college students around the world. As a mentor, you respond to student comments, trying to probe and honor student thinking, and to support a thoughtful orientation to the world.

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Education 462

Be a mentor for the Place out of Time project, in which we seek to bring the wisdom of history and literature to a controversial question of our day.

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Education 463

This course is linked to a web-based simulation that engages middle school and high school students in exploring the Arab-Israeli Conflict through portraying current political leaders.

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