Creating Wicked Students: Designing Courses for a Complex World

The main argument of the book centers around the idea that we live in a changing, unpredictable world where the demands and expectations placed on graduates are constantly changing. According to Hanstedt, “we need wicked graduates with wicked competencies”, which he argues are developed when students are provided with opportunities to apply and use information instead of just receiving it. In a highly accessible and reader-friendly way, the author explains how this can done from a design perspective. He innovatively illustrates how to build such measurable, clear, and meaningful goals for learning outcomes. He pushes the idea of moving beyond content and skills mastery into co-creation, problem-solving and authentic learning. It’s a good read.