{"product_id":"creating-wicked-students-designing-courses-for-a-complex-world","title":"Creating Wicked Students: Designing Courses for a Complex World","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this review of Creating Wicked Students, Paul Hanstedt argues that higher education should ready students for real life by using classroom work to engage them with complex, evolving problems. The bottom line: this book is for faculty and curriculum designers who want a thoughtful, evidence-informed case for designing courses around what Hanstedt calls \u003cstrong\u003ewicked problems\u003c\/strong\u003e. It is persuasive about why graduates should leave as deliberative, creative citizens rather than passive participants, and it offers concrete ideas for assignments and professional development that prepare students for unpredictable, real-world challenges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCore argument:\u003c\/strong\u003e The book makes a sustained case that courses should present students with wicked problems, which helps develop adaptability and deliberative reasoning.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePractical assignments:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hanstedt provides tangible assignment ideas that instructors can adapt for workshops and curriculum redesign.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurriculum focus:\u003c\/strong\u003e The text links course-level choices to larger curricular goals, making it useful for department-level planning and professional development.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eScholarly grounding:\u003c\/strong\u003e The writing engages with educational theory, offering a rigorous rationale for changes in pedagogy that experienced faculty will respect.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAudience-ready examples:\u003c\/strong\u003e The book offers examples aimed at both undergraduate courses and faculty development contexts, helping translate theory into practice.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWho It's For\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCreating Wicked Students\u003c\/strong\u003e is aimed primarily at college instructors, program directors, and faculty developers seeking to redesign courses so students confront open-ended, complex challenges. Those running curriculum workshops or creating new assignment templates will find the book especially relevant and practical.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInstructors who prefer prescriptive, step-by-step lesson plans or texts focused solely on K-12 pedagogy may want to look elsewhere; this book assumes readers are familiar with higher education contexts and are comfortable adapting ideas rather than following scripted modules.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePros \u0026amp; Cons\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePros\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWell-argued case for using \u003cstrong\u003ewicked problems\u003c\/strong\u003e to develop transferable student skills.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePractical ideas for assignments that faculty reported using in professional development settings.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eScholarly tone and references that make it suitable for experienced educators and curriculum planners.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCons\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNot a plug-and-play manual; readers must adapt concepts to their local course structures.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTitle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCreating Wicked Students: Designing Courses for a Complex World\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAuthor\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePaul Hanstedt\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePrimary topic\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCourse design using wicked problems\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIntended audience\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCollege instructors, faculty developers, curriculum planners\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eUse cases\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eProfessional development, curriculum workshops, course redesign\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eApproach\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eScholarly rationale with practical assignment ideas\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOur Verdict\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreating Wicked Students is a thoughtful, useful resource for faculty and program leaders who want to prepare students for complex, real-world challenges. Its blend of \u003cstrong\u003escholarly content\u003c\/strong\u003e and adaptable assignment ideas makes it good value for departments investing in curriculum change, though instructors seeking turnkey lesson plans may need supplementary materials.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho will benefit most from this book?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFaculty, program directors, and faculty developers focused on curriculum redesign and professional development will gain the most actionable ideas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes the book include ready-made lessons?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt offers practical assignment ideas and examples but expects instructors to adapt those ideas to their courses rather than follow exact lesson scripts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this suitable for K-12 teachers?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe focus is on higher education contexts; K-12 educators might find concepts useful but may need to translate them for younger students.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Paul Hanstedt","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48750387036379,"sku":"1620366967","price":170.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0724\/1043\/1707\/files\/51XpLnHni7L._SL1491.jpg?v=1778962160","url":"https:\/\/gearmusthave.com\/products\/creating-wicked-students-designing-courses-for-a-complex-world","provider":"GearMustHave","version":"1.0","type":"link"}