Embedding Sustainability into the Curriculum

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Embedding Sustainability into the Curriculum
Skills for Sustainability University of Exeter 2
April 2008
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The Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
Project

• Began early 2005 with support of Forum for the
  Future
• First stage audit of subject communities carried
  out by 18 of the 24 Subject Centres
• Culminated in the Dawe Report, available from
  HEA website http//www.heacademy.ac.uk/esd

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ESD Projects Strategy

• Purpose
• to help institutions and subject communities
  develop curricula and pedagogy that will give
  students the skills and knowledge to live and
  work sustainably.

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Programme Areas

• Research and Development
• Capacity Building
• Coordination and Dissemination

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Aims

1. To research and support the development of ESD in
   the HE sector, particularly within subject
   communities
2. To build capacity amongst individuals, subject
   communities and institutions to embed ESD in
   curricula and pedagogy
3. To assist the coordination and dissemination of
   policy, research and practice relating to ESD in
   institutions, the HEA and the wider field

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Research and support

• Small Grant Funding
• 12 projects from 8 HEIs and/or Subject Centres
• 13 disciplines
• 3 new projects funded in Scotland at 3 different
  HEIs

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Small Grants

• Welcome to the Sahel
• An interdisciplinary resource bank of
  sustainable development perspectives for English,
  environmental science, history, and religious
  studies undergraduates around sustainability
  issues arising from the Sahel region of Africa.
• Science for Sustainability
• Coordination of development of materials
  highlighting the relevance of physics to SD and
  relevant process training in collaboration with
  partners trials, evaluations and modifications
  of undergraduate materials and formation of an
  outreach activity utilising physics in SD
  materials.

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Small Grants

• Experiencing Sustainable Development
• Embedding SD in the undergraduate Geography and
  Environmental Sciences curricula through
  structured and supported opportunities for
  experiential learning. The development, delivery
  and evaluation of a credited year-long module
  through which students engaged with an identified
  voluntary agency, business or community group
  that were undertaking actions in the field of SD.
  
• Making Sustainability Real
• Focused thesis research of students on a new
  fast track Planning M.Sc on identifying
  initiatives that will help deliver sustainable
  forms of regeneration for a failing Irish market
  Town, Clones, in Co. Monaghan.

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Small Grants

• Cultural Sounds and Conservation Texts
• Salvaging a soundscape from the British
  colonies an ethnographic teaching about cultural
  conservation which involved researching academic
  materials and constructing an internet platform
  for students and the general public.
• Ecoloqo Working toward a Visual Language of
  Sustainability
• Review the design of sustainability-themed
  websites through a single interactive website
  acting as both repository and learning space.
  Graphic design students use the portal site to
  collate, evaluate and archive the other sites. As
  a collation of sustainability-themed bookmarks,
  the site provides a resource for use beyond
  graphic design.

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Small Grants

• Full list available at
• http//www.heacademy.ac.uk/esd

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Capacity Building and Dissemination
exampleUniversity of Gloucestershires Greener
by Degrees Swapshop

• Context and history
• Mechanics of the process 12 weeks total
• The Swapshop
• Producing the book
• Evaluating the impacts Does it work?
• Broad (survey data)
• Individual

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Context and History

• Environmental Policy, associated curriculum
  strategy, and staff development initiatives in
  Gloucestershire University since 1991
• By 2000, evolution to Sustainable Development
  Policy, and associated Strategies
• By 2006-7, need for refresher in approach, to
  secure deeper engagement and higher profile
  across the University
• ISO14001 achieved in 2005, including the
  curriculum, and requiring staff development
• Swapshop convened January 2007

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Mechanics

• Previous swapshop on Active Learning, 2004 in
  run up to CETL bid by School of Environment
• 27 case studies developed into short case study
  chapters
• Published as Healey M. and Roberts J. (2004)
  Engaging Students in Active Learning
• Well received by academic staff, both experienced
  and new
• Decision to use the same time-constrained model

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Assumed benefits

• Swapshop
• Individual reflection
• Dissemination of good ideas
• Affirmation
• Book production
• Induction into pedagogic writing/publication for
  some
• Broader dissemination
• Deeper reflection by authors?
• Incentive to read more widely

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The Swapshop format

• Short notice
• Case study in short template format was entry
  ticket
• 23 attendees, plus other colleagues promised case
  studies
• Two strands to day
• Sharing and discussion of case studies
• Work on defining ESD

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Producing the book

• All those who had contributed case studies or
  expressed an interest were asked (?!) to develop
  the template into a short chapter
• Some students also invited to write commentary on
  their experiences of ESD
• Editors offered advice on development, edited for
  style, consistency etc.
• Result 37 chapter book Greener by Degrees
  published March 2007, with 44 UoG authors
  including QA and QE staff

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Translating sustainable development into
meaningful concepts for teaching

• Our experience so far suggests that a multi- or
  trans-disciplinary approach to ESD is effective
• There is no single agreed definition but it
  doesnt matter the concept can (must) be
  explored and interpreted appropriately into your
  own discipline(s)
• The book examples are characterised universally
  by active styles of learning, which seem innately
  related to the development of sustainability
  skills

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Evaluating the impacts of Swapshop and book

• Sought to establish impact of Swapshop/writing on
  conceptions and practice of ESD
• Questionnaire circulated
• 33 response (late semester work pressures)
• (153 non-teachers)

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Changing conceptions of SD and ESD

• Most responded that they understood the concept
  of SD moderately well before the swapshop
• But breadth/depth/ambiguities acknowledged
• Five felt that social justice aspects were new to
  them. Swapshop and writing allowed them to see
  new relevance of SD in their disciplines
• Most commented on new appreciation of breadth of
  approaches, and the potential of holistic
  application

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A swapshop participant and author said

• My understanding before was very narrow and
  after I was able to see the breadth of ways that
  SD is entwined within all aspects of the
  University, from estates to student experience
  and from members of staff to the impact of our
  graduates on communities. It became clear that
  it was not just about delivering one academic
  module that focussed on green issues within a
  programme.

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Is change the result of the Swapshop or writing
the chapter?

• Small sample and unclear but both seem to be
  beneficial
• Some valued swapshop more as interaction with a
  large group of new faces
• Others valued reflection and literature review,
  editorial feedback needed for writing process
• Some commented on reading other chapters in the
  book, after publication

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Another quote (author, not swapshop participant)

• ltI amgt now determined to put into practice
  ideas Ive developed so that students see we
  dont just talk the talk .

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Todays short version Swapshop

• Find a couple of other people
• Spend three minutes briefly outlining one idea
  for staff development EITHER which you have used,
  OR which you have observed in use. (It does not
  have to be particularly well developed or
  innovative!)
• Allow a couple of minutes for questioning and
  observation from the others
• Move on to the next persons offering
• After everyone has swapped, briefly explore the
  elements which make for successful ESD staff
  development

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Reflections from Our Swapshop
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HE Academys ESD Project Mini-Grant Funding
Call for Bids

• Up to 2.5K per bid
• Deadline noon Friday April 23rd 2008
• Any academic or group of academics involved in
  teaching at undergraduate and/or postgraduate
  level in the UK (either in an HE institution, or
  an FE institution delivering HE programmes) is
  eligible to apply

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Develop small-scale work in one or more of these
areas

• Explore the links between employability and
  sustainability in the curriculum and the
  potential for innovation and development in this
  area
• Link sustainability with careers advice and
  student volunteering
• Critique, develop and explore the notion and
  substance of sustainability literacy skills and
  how best to embed this area in the curriculum
• Support student outreach programmes and integrate
  off-campus activity into programmes

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Mini-Grant Funding Call for Bids

• Full Call for Bids and Application Form available
  from
• http//www.heacademy.ac.uk/esd