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Curriculum Change for Sustainability
BEECON 2006 Sarah Holdsworth Dr. Carolyn
Hayles RMIT University, Australia
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The Aims and Objectives of the BELP Project

• Aim
• To Introduce Sustainability Principles Into
  Existing Curricula.
• Objectives
• Understand the drivers and barriers for/to
  curriculum change
• Action research projects aimed at applying
  organisational learning and cultural change
  processes for embedding sustainability into the
  curriculum of a university
• To develop a flexible change framework and
• General recommendations about the types of models
  and approaches that can influence organisational
  learning and change for sustainability.

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School of Global Studies, Social Science and
Planning School of Management School of Property
Construction Project Management
BELP Cultural Change
Barriers Three major barriers to change
summarised as a lack of  A culture of value or
priority given to sustainability  Organisational
and resource support for staff and  Training
for academic staff. Cowell, S.J., Hogson, S.B.
and Clift, R. (1998). Teamwork for environmental
excellence in a university context. Moxen, J.
and Strachan, P. A. (1998). Managing Green
Teams. Greenleaf Publishing, Broom Hall,
pp131-144.
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Project Structure
2 Academic Supervisors Ensured a wide level of
engagement across the university School of Global
Studies, Social Science and Planning ? Project
Coordinator Developed the project methodology,
worked closely with all of the project team,
supported the academic champions and developed
resources ? 2 Academic Champions representing
participating Academic Schools within RMIT
School of Property, Construction School of
Management and Project Management
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BELP Cultural Change

Approach Taken Change Management Hinged on the
appreciation of the context of each School, where
the change process was to take place.

? Sustainability was not defined by the project
team, but was developed as a concept relevant to
each profession/course/academic.
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BELP Project Methodology

• Sustainability Course Audits
• Action Learning Workshops
• Action Learning through Research
• Curriculum Design and Development

? Stakeholder Engagement ? Creating ownership
through understanding and support.
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BELP Methodology Audit Results PCPM

• What are some of the factors that have hindered
  incorporation of sustainability content into the
  courses?
• Lack of case studies
• Personal ignorance
• Time
• Crowded Curriculum
• Student Interest
• Resources (e.g. Funding)
• Nature of specialist content
• Identification of sustainability issues relevant
  to course subject matter.
• Terms are not clearly understood.

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BELP Methodology Audit Results cont.

• How might the project team assist you to
  incorporate sustainability content into your
  courses?
• Case studies
• Role plays
• Video clips
• Co-teaching/joint supervision
• Literature reviews
• Access to guest speakers
• Better quality research

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BELP Methodology Workshops

• Workshop Structure
• 1. Head of School
• Show commitment, support and encouragement for
  the project
• Explain the need for graduate sustainability
  capabilities within the School.
• 2. Internal Speaker
• Reinforce the need for sustainability
  capabilities within curriculum and the advantages
  for graduates and the School (in more detail)
• 3. External Speaker
• Discuss the current and future role of
  sustainability within the industry
• Discuss the need and advantage for graduate
  capabilities in sustainability
• Provide best practice/inspirational examples

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BELP Course Design and Implementation

• Content was structured so that all students at
  some point would understand some or all of the
  following
• How their discipline area and professional
  practice functioned and affects the natural
  environment and its contribution to a sustainable
  economy
• How their discipline area and professional
  practice builds social capacity
• The basic values and core assumptions present in
  the content and methods of their academic
  discipline.
• (Adapted from Clugston, R. Clader, W. 1999)

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BELP Course Design and Implementation
Scientific Complexity vs.
Reductionism ? Student understanding that
human actions have complex environmental and
normative consequences
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BELP Course Design and Implementation

• Personalising the experience
• Problem-solving approaches so that students
  understand the difference between current
  practice, resource efficient approaches and new
  systems thinking in their chosen professions.
• Case studies and guest lectures to demonstrate
  concepts and tools teaching approaches to design
  and management decision-making as well as the
  tools and techniques for solving problems and
  finding solutions.

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BELP Course Design and Implementation

• Teaching Approaches
• Personalising the experience
• Move from traditional lecture style ? hands on
  approach
• Incorporation of web-based educational tools eg.
  Ecological Footprint, Australian Greenhouse gas
  Calculator
• ?
• Learning Experience
• Stimulated interest, controversial discussion,
  self reflection.
• Increased understanding and new/revised values
  and behaviours

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• School of Property Construction and Project
  Management
• First Year
• BUIL 1105 Construction Science (Existing)
• BUIL 1107 Design and Documentation (Existing)
• BUIL 1149 Property Economics (Existing)
• BUIL 1114 Residential Design and
  Measurement (Existing)
• Second Year
• OMGT 1124 Urban Economics (Existing)
• BUSM 3130 Risk Management (Existing)
• BUIL 1128 Building Services (Existing)
• Third Year
• BUIL 1216 Human Relations Occupational
  Health Safety (Existing)
• BUIL 1217 Research and Sustainability
  (New)
• Electives/Alternative Delivery
• BUIL 1161 Affordability and
  Sustainability Study Tour (New)
• BUIL 1135 Environmental
  Management/Sustainable Construction Off Shore
  (New)

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PCPM New Courses
Research and Sustainability Affordability and
sustainability of housing Environmental
Management
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Australian Research Council Linkage Grant

• Building Capacity for a Sustainable Future
• RMIT University
• Partners
• Victorian Department of Sustainability and
  Environment
• Commonwealth Department of the Environment and
  Heritage
• Victorian Department of Education
• The Honery Institute.