The Green Apple Scheme: A summary report of curriculum innovation projects for Education for Sustainable Development (original) (raw)
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) at the University of Bristol 2015-2016
Our Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) project is an ambitious, University-wide venture which aims to enable every one of our students to gain the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values needed to create a sustainable future. The ESD team works closely with students and academic staff to embed these concepts into our curriculum. In doing so, our students learn how the decisions they make will impact on the world, and how they can challenge and build upon existing concepts of ecological sustainability and social justice. To ensure that we understand the changing nature of the formal curriculum, we conduct regular reviews of the ESD content within all our units and programmes. This helps shape our engagement with academic schools. We provide a wide range ofonline resources, tailored for each school, as well as delivering training sessions to staff and students as part of the CREATE scheme, the University’s continuing professional development scheme for academics. A key method for embedding ESD within the curriculum is through the Green Apple Scheme, a funding mechanism that supports academics who wish to develop new teaching and learning practices. Through this scheme, teaching staff receive support to develop projects that embed ESD principles within their discipline, and students can contribute ideas and suggestions to help shape the future of their courses.
The need to embed Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the higher education curriculum is well recognised in international sustainable development dialogues. However, early pioneers in this area have met with substantial obstacles and now face the prospect of attempting systemic education change in a new and difficult sector climate. This article explores the potential for engagement with the higher education curriculum by bringing ESD into its quality assurance and quality enhancement system. It builds on insights gained from a national project funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, which worked in collaboration with the UK Quality Assurance Agency and a consortium of five universities. It considers the ways that ESD has entered the UK higher education sector and the potential connectivity that exists between ESD and quality. Key findings are shared from the development projects carried out in these universities, including their identification of specific quality-led pathways for embedding ESD, the differences of perspective uncovered amongst stakeholders and challenges for institutional strategy and implementation. It concludes in reflection on the need to access deeper currents of teaching and learning to make ESD a viable education proposition, as well as the potential transfer to other parts of the education and skills sector.
It is intended that this paper add to the current literature and case studies detailing good practice lessons in embedding and promoting education for sustainable development within Higher Education Institutions (HEI’s). At the mid-point of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD) it is crucial that educators, particularly HEI’s, who are more autonomous in their policy making than pre-16 education, share their experiences and good practice methods of incorporating Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) within the curriculum. To this end, the paper describes research that has taken place at the University of Strathclyde since January 2009, with the aim of developing a framework for university-wide, cross disciplinary research and postgraduate teaching in the area ESD. The vision for the Strathclyde Masters programme in Sustainability (SMS) is introduced as the objective for the three main stages of the research which have been undertaken: (i) a review of current thinking in ESD, (ii) a structured consultation programme and (iii) the creation of both a current and future ’sustainability map’ showing postgraduate provision of ESD within the University. The narrative is preceded by a brief summary of the definitions of sustainable development (SD) before exploring the concept of ESD and its inherent disciplinary nature. The paper then examines the role that universities play in addressing the challenges of SD and describes the achievements that have established the University of Strathclyde to be a leader in the field of ESD. The review of current thinking in ESD uses literature and case studies detailing initiatives to embed ESD within Higher Education Institutions, to draw on recurring themes, graduate attributes and associated pedagogies. The paper then details the conclusions drawn from the initial multi-stakeholder consultation process involving external stakeholders, students, academic staff and the university’s professional services. In addition, the model ‘Sustainability Map’ is presented offering an overview of postgraduate provision of ESD within the institution as a whole, alongside sample details of the courses offered and contributing departments.
The Curriculum Journal, 2013
The need to embed Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the higher education curriculum is well recognised in international sustainable development dialogues. However, early pioneers in this area have met with substantial obstacles and now face the prospect of attempting systemic education change in a new and difficult sector climate. This article explores the potential for engagement with the higher education curriculum by bringing ESD into its quality assurance and quality enhancement system. It builds on insights gained from a national project funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, which worked in collaboration with the UK Quality Assurance Agency and a consortium of five universities. It considers the ways that ESD has entered the UK higher education sector and the potential connectivity that exists between ESD and quality. Key findings are shared from the development projects carried out in these universities, including their identification of specific quality-led pathways for embedding ESD, the differences of perspective uncovered amongst stakeholders and challenges for institutional strategy and implementation. It concludes in reflection on the need to access deeper currents of teaching and learning to make ESD a viable education proposition, as well as the potential transfer to other parts of the education and skills sector.
Introduction This is a summary of the review prepared as context for various stakeholder consultations concerning the development of a framework for the new Strathclyde Masters programme in Sustainability (SMS). The document briefly outlines the theories of Sustainable Development (SD) and examines literature and studies investigating ESD undertaken by various research institutions. These studies have been summarised to provide information on possible approaches to ESD, guidance on the consultation process to be undertaken, and thoughts on current practice and teaching methods.
World Sustainability Series, 2014
The paper will explore the progress of the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol's in embedding sustainable development into the whole institution mission. The university is committed to ensuring that all its students, irrespective of their programme of study, are introduced to the ideas of sustainable development during their undergraduate or postgraduate degree programme. The university recognises that a typical graduate will have some 50-60 years of life post-graduation in which the pro sustainability knowledge, skills and attributes developed at university can play out positively in both their professional and private lives. Hence, UWE considers it a key part of its mission to provide an opportunity for all students to consider sustainability within their degree programme. In the most recent year of analysis the university has confirmed that each UG and PG taught programme within the portfolio provides this opportunity for disciplinary consideration of sustainability. The University's award-winning Sustainability Plan sets out our policy commitments and strategy to support sustainable development and describes their implementation these into the business of the University both in our educational role and in the management of our estate. Progress with the aims of the Plan are reported publicly and enhancement actions are identified and prioritised by the use of an accredited environmental management system, certified to the international standard BS: EN ISO14001, covering the entirety of the institution's endeavours. In 2016 the university became the first in the UK to have its Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) work accredited under the full NUS Responsible Futures certification scheme. This paper provides a range of examples to illustrate the university's commitment to ensuring that current and future student are able to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes that will enable them to be responsible 21st century citizens contributing to the development of a sustainable future.