Learning Lab

Here are the syllabi and other materials for full-semester solutions journalism courses. They lay out an in-depth approach for a standalone course that supports the development in your students of both a deep understanding of solutions journalism and how to practice it. The sections described here can be abridged and incorporated as a module in other journalism courses.

Solutions Journalism (Kathryn Thier, University of Oregon)

» Syllabus, Fall 2016

» Syllabus, Spring 2017

» OR Magazine

» Lesson Plans

» In this assignment, the “Idea Memo”, students worked together to propose a SoJo story and provide supporting evidence.

» Students were asked to annotate a news article and identify the “Four Qualities” that make a SoJo story.

» Students were instructed to annotate an article and identify the “Howdunnit” elements in the story.

» Rigorous or not?

» This assignment instructs students to use the Four Qualities to identify SoJo “imposters.”

» Story Pitch

» Story Pitch Rubric

» Final Reflection on SoJo

» Class Journal Rubric

» Class Journal Questions

» Final Project

» Final Project Rubric

» Assignment Story List

Addressing Violence Through Solutions-Oriented Reporting (Jim MacMillan, Temple University)

» Syllabus, Spring 2016

Solutions Journalism (Kim Walsh-Childers, University of Florida)

» Syllabus, Fall 2017

» Extreme Journalism Makeover Assignment

Solutions Journalism: Covering Addiction (Jillian Bauer-Reese, Temple University)

» Syllabus, Spring 2018

» Syllabus, Spring 2017

» Student website/blog created for class

» Finished publication featuring student work from this course

» Blog Assignments

» Classroom Activities

» Community Engagement Assignments

Here are syllabi and other course materials that serve as exapmles of how to create solutions journalism modules which fit within a larger journalism course.

Intermediate Reporting (Maureen West, Arizona State University)

» Syllabus, Spring 2016

Framing Solutions Storytelling through Digital Narrative (Holly Wise, Texas State University-San Marcos)

» Syllabus, April 2016

» Students created 90-second digital stories

» The class was divided into two groups and received their story assignments [Topic 1]

» The class was divided into two groups and received their story assignments [Topic 2]

» Students participated in group discussions on the class Facebook page

» Students took quizzes based on the day’s reading

Crafting a problem-solutions statement (Jean Holstege, Arizona State University)

» Activity

Intermediate Television News (Theresa de los Santos, Pepperdine)

» Syllabus, Fall 2017

» Principles and Evaluation

» Course Assignments and Evaluation

» Solutions Journalism Story Assignment

» Evaluation of Final Story Package

This Lego Kit contains the building blocks you need to build a solutions journalism course, including key lessons, lecture topics, exercises, discussions, and assignments. If you want an easy takeaway download, it essentially regurgitates what's already been covered in this toolkit. The Lego Kit is a couple years old now, and is the result of a convergence of professors and the Network’s founders who spent a day conceptualizing and creating this outline.

Lego Assembly Kit

» Lego Assembly Kit for Teaching Solutions Journalism

» Lesson Plans from the Lego Kit