Abstract

Theory serves multiple purposes in undergraduate curricula. Theory provides predictive and explanatory frameworks that improve students’ comprehension of the unique characteristics of disaster and disaster management contexts. This greater understanding expands students’ ability to effectively apply critical thinking to multiple situations. This article examines the integration of multiple theoretical frameworks and models into a Vulnerable Populations in Disasters course. Using team-based learning and case studies as primary pedagogical and instructional strategies, these models, frameworks, and interdisciplinary approaches are explored. 

Author

Caroline Hackerott

Caroline Hackerott, Ph.D., has been a university administrator and instructor for 30 years and is currently an Assistant Professor of Emergency Management at North Dakota State University. She received her Ph.D. in Emergency Management from Oklahoma State University. Her research interests include community-based adaptive capacity, issues involving rural communities and disasters, the scholarship of teaching and learning in emergency management and homeland security higher education, and the application of social routine theory in response and long-term recovery.

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No. 5 Integrating Theory into Emergency Management Courses