Successes and snags of a sustainability course in higher education (original) (raw)
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Education for sustainability in university studies: a model for reorienting the curriculum
British Educational Research Journal, 2008
A decisive factor for achieving a culture of sustainability is university training for future professionals. The aim of this article is to bring new elements to the process of reorienting university studies towards sustainability. Presented here is the ACES model (Curriculum Greening of Higher Education, acronym in Spanish), which is the result of a project involving a network of 11 European and Latin American universities. The methodology of the project is based on participatory action research. The ACES model is defined by 10 characteristics, detailed in this article, which can orientate a diagnosis of the level of curriculum greening and the design and application of the strategies and actions in order to facilitate incorporating the sustainability dimension in higher education. The potentialities and limitations found are also discussed. The ACES model has started a process for reorienting higher education studies towards sustainability.
Integrative Approaches to Sustainable Development at University Level. World Sustainability Series, 2015
Research on sustainable development in higher education has tended to focus on environmental management of university estates and operations, and case studies and examples of good practice, without presenting the coherent theoretical or methodological approaches required to look at the change processes of universities seeking to embed sustainable development. Although the value and contribution of university initiatives has been articulated, little holistic and structural transformation of universities has been achieved so far. This paper presents an action research project undertaken at the University of Southampton to develop an organisational learning model to embed Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) within the undergraduate curriculum. An action research approach guided by participatory and emancipatory approaches was used. The researcher aimed to learn from real practice through acting as a facilitator for curriculum development in ESD within an interdisciplinary group of academic staff members. A critical friend position was acquired within a community of practice to implement a programme that attempted to embed sustainable development within the student experience. This paper presents the qualitative methodology used in this project, providing a detailed overview of its research methods, processes and future prospects, which can inform other higher education institutions in their journey to embed ESD holistically.
Study programme sustainability–a way to impart competencies for handling sustainability?
2006
Academic education is to be understood as the mirror image of societal and historic processes, which are the basis for analysing and enhancing the development and shaping of society (Fischer/ Michelsen 2000: 168). Due to the inescapable questions of globalism and sustainability, academic institutions are facing the difficult challenge of re-adjusting their targets and objectives. Academia needs to include specialised expert knowledge in problem-oriented, systemic and integrated processes and approaches, not only in research but also in teaching. For this purpose, academia first needs to create the necessary interdisciplinary research and teaching structures. Students need to be familiarised with the changeability of complex systems in order to be able to adequately perceive and understand society and its developments.
A systemic approach to incorporate sustainability into university courses and curricula
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2006
This article is based on an analysis of Lund University that took place during the summer and autumn of 2004 (available for download at www.iiiee.lu.se, click library and publications). The university had experienced a loss of momentum in their progress regarding environmental issues. The purpose of the study was to identify barriers to including sustainability-related content throughout Lund University curricula,
Sustainability, 2012
Education for sustainability is becoming a critical component in achieving a sustainable life and protecting our planet and human habitats. However, a review of the sustainability literature reveals a great deal of confusion and misinterpretation regarding the concepts, themes, and goals of education for sustainability. Education for sustainability, including the themes that should be derived and taught, lacks an interdisciplinary conceptual framework. In addition, the literature of education for sustainability mostly lacks the aspects of urban and community planning and the significant contribution of the planning profession. This paper proposes a new conceptual framework, Sustainability Education Framework, which is composed of concepts that derived from different disciplines. At the heart of the conceptual framework rests the normative category and its concepts. The epistemological foundation of the conceptual framework of education for sustainability is based on the unresolved paradox between 'sustainability' and 'development'.
Introduction to Sustainability as a Transversal Competence in Higher Education
EDULEARN proceedings, 2022
Sustainability in higher education institutions is little discussed, but there is a large amount of literature that mentions its importance for the awareness of all those who frequent their spaces, whether they are teachers, employees, or students. The understanding, by the human being, of the complex nature of the environment and the perception of the interdependence of the environmental elements in space and time is crucial and, for this reason, the education in this area must be accessible to all and at all levels of education, not matter what subject area. Since 2019, in the Soft Skills Lab of a public university was created a curricular unit called-Introduction to Sustainability, with the aim that students and everyone involved with the environment in a higher education institution can be fully aware of what it means to develop sustainability actions, both in the environment and in the very contents of the various courses developed in the institution they are a part of. This exploratory study aims to disseminate this experience with the 1st cycle students and also with workshops made with the employees as a practice that can be replicate in other institutions. The evaluation was made through the process of pedagogical monitoring students make every semester and in the case of the employees through an evaluation survey. It was very motivating to see the commitment that both students and employees have started to show in their daily behaviour and even the creative suggestions for their participation in this matter.
Book Review: Curricula for sustainability in higher education
Sustainability is a complex subject in which there is no universally agreed upon definition of what it means to be sustainable. Many view sustainability from the lens of sustainable development which was coined in the Brundtland Report as " development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs " (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). 2005 to 2014 was established as the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development with the goal of incorporating sustainable development values, standards, and practices into all facets of education (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, 1992). As the field of sustainability and sustainability education continues to evolve there is an ongoing need for literature to equip teachers and educators with strategies to implement sustainability curriculum into their courses. The purpose of Curricula for Sustainability in Higher Education was to provide administrators, teachers and students an introduction to the diversity and interdisciplinary nature of sustainability education by presenting research and curriculum advances in the field. Sustainability in higher education is a complex and interdisciplinary phenomenon (Viegas et al., 2016). The editor and authors of this book presented a collection of sustainability curricula for higher education as examples of relevant approaches. The effective utilization of multiple authors and perspectives, various research, and different approaches to address the question of how to incorporate sustainability into the curriculum throughout this book helped to validate the idea that curriculum for sustainability in higher education is an interdisciplinary and diverse subject. With over 30 years of research and teaching experiences in manufacturing, materials and mechanical engineering, management/industrial engineering and higher education for Sustainability/Engineering Education the editor, Davim is a good example of the diversity of knowledge and experience within the field of sustainability. Davim (2017) organized the book thematically, using six themes or parts to explore and highlight the diversity and interdisiplinarity of sustainability in higher education. Each part, or what this review will refer to as chapters, presented diverse examples that illustrated various aspects of curriculum for sustainability in higher education. Chapter 1, Education for Sustainable Development and Its Role in the Promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals (Garcia, da Silva, Simas Carvalho, & de Andrade Guerra) explored education for sustainable development and how it can contribute in the attainment of the sustainable development goals that were conceived at the Rio +20 Summit (United Nations, 2012). The reviewed literature and discussions utilized throughout this chapter did a good job of demonstrating of how education could be utilized as a tool in the achievement of each of the 17 sustainable development goals. According to de Haan (2006), education and sustainable development are interdependent with one another. The authors of this chapter also argued that educational institutions should be utilized as platforms to explore, debate and assess sustainability challenges that deal with societal, environmental and economic disparities. Umoh (2010) also emphasized the importance of education in the process of balancing these sustainability pillars. Chapter 2, Explicit Economics: Addressing Conscious Consumption for Sustainability (Venkatesan) illustrated how our current market and economy allows the consumer to disregard the impact their consumptive habitats are having on the welfare of others. The author affirmed that this approach " promotes the perception that price alone is indicative of the true cost of a good " (p. 30). Brown (2009) compared this market behavior of providing incomplete information on the actual cost of products to a Ponzi scheme where we are meeting current demands in part by overconsuming the earth's natural capital and setting ourselves up for an eventual collapse when these assets are depleted. This chapter was concluded with a motivational argument that the best way to achieve economic sustainability is to empower conscious consumption at the individual level through education and the development of sustainable social norms. Chapter 3, Greening Networks: Mapping Sustainability Beyond Institutional Boundaries (Vellani & Nanjee) effectively highlighted the importance of partnerships and collaboration when attempting to expand sustainability. Three case studies focusing on researchers and non-government organizations, professional associations, and students and staff collaborations were presented within this chapter. The authors of this chapter used these efforts as examples of how silos between disciplines and professions can be seen as barriers to sustainability and should be broken down.
Resources, 2017
Across higher education institutions there has, for some time, been a growing move towards incorporation of the concepts of sustainability into the policies and practices of the organisations. Using the University of Northampton, in the United Kingdom as a case study, this project aimed to understand the efficacy of student engagement with a sustainability project called Planet Too. The study employed a range of methods including waste and energy audits, as well as questionnaire surveys both with students and landlords to examine their environmental attitudes, beliefs, and practices. The project was able to lead to increased awareness and engagement with the concepts of sustainability amongst the students. Recycling, though it was not one of the initiatives focused upon, was a key practice mentioned by both students and landlords. The engagement of the landlords was focused primarily on conservation of energy and water. However, conservation practices generally remained static, with limited significant or long-term changes in environmental practices. The key implications of the findings are discussed and recommendations suggested.