What is i3?
Are you wondering what i3 is? To begin, i3 stands for "invention and inclusive innovation." Broadly, it's a problem-solving approach that relies on people from all backgrounds and abilities to tackle today's problems. In 2020, the California Community Colleges launched a new initiative to launch i3 pilot programs at MJC and three other community colleges. The video below provides some background regarding the intitiative.
At the beginning of the initiative, MJC chose to offer not-for-credit workshops to teach participants the methods of problem-solving with a focus on community issues. The first workshop, titled "Innovation U" was offered in the summer of 2021. Participants addressed problems ranging online learning difficulties, life skill deficiencies in young adults, and heat exhaustion of farm animals.
Participants of the Summer 2021 Innovation U Workshop
Innovation U continued with another workshop in the Spring of 2022. Again, student groups identified community problems and spent used the principles of the workshop to investigate and define the problems they chose to address. With an understanding of the issues, they then focused on designing solutions.
Participants of the Spring 2022 Innovation U Workshop
"I really liked being able to work together with the other peers in my group. Brainstorming and idea thinking was really fun also! I was able to better my communication and social skills throughout the whole process." -Innovation U. participant (Summer 2021)
A new development is the creation of WKFSK 300 - "Innovative Problem Solving," a 2-unit course that will be available in Fall 2022. The same concepts and techniques that were part of the workshop will now be taught in a course that earns college credits for students who participate. In addition to earning credits, the course also satisfies the activity requirement for the MJC associates degree.
WKFSK300, Innovative Problem Solving
This new course offering is the first of its kind in the California Community College system. It’s in workforce development and called WKFSK300 (see description below). The first offerings are available in the Fall 2022 semester.
WKFSK300 description: Participating students will explore problems in the
community, develop a language and skill set to enable problem solving in the innovation
and design arenas, and develop a solution idea in the form of an inspirational prototype
which will all be documented in an invention notebook. They will activate empathy
every step of the way as a strategic critical thinking move to understand the stakeholder’s
perspective. Students will practice job skills including teamwork, user discovery,
data synthesis, managing uncertainty, testing, failing forward, and iteration. They
will be introduced to multiple academic disciplines and learn the value of working
on an interdisciplinary team when solving unique community challenges.
WKFSK 300 - Fall '22
WKFSK 300 (Innovative Problem Solving) - Section 2118
- 2 Units
- (T) 1:30 - 2:50 pm (Lecture)
- (T) 2:55 - 4:20 pm (Lab)
- Yosemite 211
- See the Course Flier for more details
Want to learn more?
To learn more about Invention Education and the goals of the workshop and course, watch these videos taken during our Summer '22 Innovation U workshop.
