Students

ENVS827 – Education for Sustainable Development

2017 – S1 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Wendy Goldstein
Contact via wendy.goldstein@mq.edu.au
E8A 372 - moving to E7
Open: By appointment
Credit points Credit points
4
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MEnvEd or MSc or MEnvMgt or MEnvStud or MEnvPlan or MSusDev or MWldMgt or MEnv or GradDipEnv or GradCertEnv or GradCertSusDev or GradDipSusDev or MConsBiol or GradDipConsBiol or MPH or MDevStud
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit explores the role and scope of education processes in the attainment of sustainable development goals. Students will examine case studies which focus on the formal, informal or non-formal sector. Principles of good practice will be identified and a framework for planning and evaluating education programs will be developed. Students will also examine how education processes can be integrated within environment and conservation programs and demonstrate some practical skills in planning and managing an educational experience.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Articulate the basis for and principles of education for sustainable development
  • Explain how education and capacity building contributes to engagement in sustainable development
  • Explain how education can contribute to the process of change towards sustainable development
  • Critically assess the strengths, limitations and assumptions underpinning education for sustainable development
  • Design a framework to evaluate education for sustainable development based on the principles of effective practice (or plan strategies to bring about policy for EfSD)
  • Analyse and critique programs in education for sustainable development
  • Apply knowledge of EfSD principles to plan and implement a workshop and evaluate it
  • Plan and present written arguments in coherent, well structured and documented form
  • Evaluate strategies to advance education for sustainable development

General Assessment Information

The assessment tasks are oriented to develop your capacity for critical reflection and to applying the principles of educating for sustainable development.

The assessment tasks are different to the usual academic essay format. They provide an opportunity for more creative presentation of your learning and the use of different media.

The assessments do depend on you reading literature in the field of ESD and should include evidence of familiarity with work from the UN and international authors who write in journals, and country policies and strategies, as well as local examples of programs.

All assessment tasks have a list of criteria against which they are graded, so look these over before commencing your assessment task and make sure you have covered all aspects.  

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Assessment 1 35% No May 1st
Assessment Task 2. 30% No May 13th
Assessment 3 35% No June 12th

Assessment 1

Due: May 1st
Weighting: 35%

Journal/Portfolio: The journal and portfolio tracks your developing understanding of education for sustainable development and its role in bringing about a society more oriented to living sustainably. The journal and portfolio can be presented as a blog, in hard copy or as an electronic word document.  

A. The journal part tracks your progress in the unit so it needs to start with session 1. The journal  needs to demonstrate evidence of your reflections:

1.  On the lectures and class activities;

2 An ability to pose questions to yourself and seek answers from reading or interviews.

3. Your reading (from academic journals/ online efforts such as from UNESCO / UN and policy and practical initiatives locally and internationally)

4. Reflect on an education for sustainability activity (you will attend an EfS program/event and describe and assess it)

The journal is an effort to make meaning for yourself as to:

a) the role of education in sustainable development and how it is conceived;

b) critique the assumptions underpinning education for sustainable development;

c) explore ways to bring about change in society.

B The 'portfolio' part documents resources that could be of use in designing or implementing an educational program - relevant to your work, or intended work. Here you would list key e.g key web addresses and a brief on what you found there and what is useful to your educational / or change related practice. 

C. The conclusion section of the journal/portfolio demonstrates your ability to synthesise your findings about what makes a quality/good educational processes for sustainable development into a framework. A framework embodies the key elements of a good program.  The framework can be used to plan either a strategy or evaluate an education for sustainable development program (you will apply your framework in the last assignment).

References should be included at the end of the conclusion. 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Articulate the basis for and principles of education for sustainable development
  • Explain how education and capacity building contributes to engagement in sustainable development
  • Explain how education can contribute to the process of change towards sustainable development
  • Critically assess the strengths, limitations and assumptions underpinning education for sustainable development
  • Design a framework to evaluate education for sustainable development based on the principles of effective practice (or plan strategies to bring about policy for EfSD)
  • Analyse and critique programs in education for sustainable development
  • Plan and present written arguments in coherent, well structured and documented form

Assessment Task 2.

Due: May 13th
Weighting: 30%

Facilitate a workshop based on education for sustainable development good practice

This assessment task is to apply what you have learnt about the elements of effective education for sustainable development. It is a small group task with an individual component. This assessment has three tasks with different delivery dates:

2(a). Plan and Facilitate an ESD  Workshop for members of the class.  This is a group project. Your group will develop the session  and implement it at the time of the last class. Each member plays a role in delivering the session as well as in planning.  After facilitating your workshop, your group needs to evaluate the session (10%).

2 (b). Group Report: this report by the whole group presents the rationale, objectives and detailed planning for your workshop. It also shows a detailed facilitation plan and the results of the evaluation (10%) Due: May 16

2 (c). Personal Reflection: This is an individual component that enables you to professionally reflect on your experience of planning and facilitating a workshop, the experience of working with the group and the lessons learned. (10%) Due May 19th

More details are in the assessment guide on the ilearn site


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Articulate the basis for and principles of education for sustainable development
  • Explain how education can contribute to the process of change towards sustainable development
  • Apply knowledge of EfSD principles to plan and implement a workshop and evaluate it
  • Plan and present written arguments in coherent, well structured and documented form

Assessment 3

Due: June 12th
Weighting: 35%

Critical evaluation of an education for sustainable development program.

Using the EfSD framework that you developed in Assignment 1, undertake one of the following two options:

EITHER

Option 1: Critically evaluate an education program making use of the criteria in your framework. The EfSD program may be chosen from anywhere in the world. You might like to go and observe an education program and evaluate it.  

Your report will draw conclusions as to the strengths and weaknesses of the program in relation to education for sustainable development criteria (in your framework). You will make recommendations as to how your framework could be improved as an evaluative tool.

OR

Option 2: Use the ESD Framework you have developed as a model to describe how you would go about developing an EfSD policy.

Having used the EfSD framework, in either option, reflect on how to improve your framework for future use.

More details are provided in the assessment guide on the unit ilearn site.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Articulate the basis for and principles of education for sustainable development
  • Explain how education can contribute to the process of change towards sustainable development
  • Critically assess the strengths, limitations and assumptions underpinning education for sustainable development
  • Design a framework to evaluate education for sustainable development based on the principles of effective practice (or plan strategies to bring about policy for EfSD)
  • Analyse and critique programs in education for sustainable development
  • Apply knowledge of EfSD principles to plan and implement a workshop and evaluate it
  • Plan and present written arguments in coherent, well structured and documented form
  • Evaluate strategies to advance education for sustainable development

Delivery and Resources

Technology used and required 

Students are expected to use a computer for research and producing assessment tasks; to have access to the internet, make use of their student email and access the ilearn site for the unit.  

Lecture

Class times are shown in the schedule of block mode sessions. Tutorials are arranged by groups of students (for assessment 2) or individually as required. 

Teaching and Learning Strategy

This is a block mode unit run on six full days in semester 1

The class sessions are run as a series of workshops. The sessions provide an experience of a facilitated learning process to contribute to the student’s understanding of the education for sustainable development process. The sessions include: 

  1. Short presentations to orient the student to concepts and activities;
  2. Practical activities in small groups in which students are asked to complete a task by sharing knowledge and reflecting on their thinking;
  3. Presentations of student activities and engagement  in peer feedback;
  4. Contribute to discussion and feedback on the group activities;

Students attend approximately 40 hours of class work (which is compulsory) and are expected to undertake 110 hours of personal study, reading and reflection to present the three assessment tasks.  Students are responsible for managing their time for learning and the tasks for group work. 

Students are invited to make an appointment/s for a tutorial, to gain feedback or to clarify issues from the convenor: wendy.goldstein@mq.edu.au

Information about iLearn or other resources for this unit.

There is a ENVS827 ilearn site for enrolled students Additional reading lists, resources and associated presentations are provided in a more detailed unit guide for enrolled students

Reading to start you off

MUST READ Tilbury, D. and Wortman, D. (2004) Engaging People in Sustainability, IUCN Commission on Education and Communication, Gland and Cambridge Available at: http://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/edocs/2004-055.pdf

UNESCO  Shaping the Future We Want UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development Final Report  https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/1682Shaping%20the%20future%20we%20want.pdf

Background on international drivers for EfSD chronologically are

Writing on strategies and governance for EfSD

Fien J 2012 Governance and Education for Sustainable Development - An analysis and synthesis of governance and related frameworks, policies and strategies in Education for Sustainable Development across five jurisdictions: England, the Netherlands, Germany, Ontario and Victoria Final Report  http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/communities/FienGovEfSDRpt.pdf

Tilbury, D. & Cooke, K (2005) A National Review of Environmental Education and its contribution to sustainability, Frameworks for Sustainability p. 1-37

Brown Paul Sustainability education and engagement for NSW  Learning for Sustainability Research Synthesis  http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/communities/12LfSResearcSyn.pdf

Make the Change: A framework for education and engagement for environmental  sustainability 2014- 2021 (NSW)  http://www.aaeensw.org.au/sites/default/files/Make%20the%20Change%20Framework%20FINAL.pdf​

Some thought provoking looks at what research from social psychology and neuroscience reveals about ways to bring about human behaviour  

Grist, M 2010  Changing the Subject How new ways of thinking about human behaviour might change politics, policy and practice RSA http://www.thersa.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/250625/Nov28th2009ChangingThe-SubjectPamphlet.pdf​

Harre N. 2011 Psychology for a Better World Strategies to inspire sustainability (free download) 

http://www.psych.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/our-staff/academic-staff/niki-harre/psychologyforabetterworld.html

Key websites 

NSW Government Office for the Environment

Communities http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/communities/get-involved.htm​

Climate change http://climatechange.environment.nsw.gov.au/

UNESCO Decade of Education for Sustainable Development DESD

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/education-for-sustainable-development/

ARIES 

http://aries.mq.edu.au/

JOURNALS

Australian Journal of Environmental Education (Australian based)

Journal of Environmental Education (US based)

Journal of Education for Sustainable Development  (International - India based)

International Journal of Environmental and Science Education (based in Turkey)

 

Unit Schedule

Date

Session

Sunday

March 5th

Workshop Session 1

Introduction to Course Themes

  • The foundations of education for sustainable development
  • The role and scope of education processes in attaining sustainable development
  • Underlying assumptions of EfSD and relation to behaviour change research
  • Bringing about change in people, organisations and institutions
  • International Development of EfSD

Conceptualising Education For Sustainable Development (EfSD)

  • Key components of EfSD 
  • Frameworks for Conceptualising & Interpreting EfSD
    • Envisioning a sustainable future
    • Critical thinking 

Review of Assignments

Friday

10th March  

Workshop Session 2 Conceptualising Education For Sustainable Development (EfSD)

  • Frameworks for Conceptualising & Interpreting EfSD
    • Value Clarification
    • Systemic thinking
    • Participation 
    • Partnerships

Saturday

11th March 

 

Workshop Session 3  Designing EfSD programs

  • Strategic planning
  • International case studies of Capacity Building (CB) and EfSD - Identifying achievements
  • Mapping program achievements
  • Planning and evaluating EfSD

 

Sunday

2nd April

Workshop Session 4  Policy and Frameworks for EfS

  • International frameworks: Decade ESD
  • Strategy as capacity building
  • National Strategies
  • State and local strategies for EFSD
  • Positioning EfS in the organisation

 

 

Friday 

5th May 

FIELD TRIP

Saturday 

6th May 

Workshop session 5  Capacity Building for Sustainable Development

  • CB as a tool for policy development and strategic planning
  • CB as tool for Community Development
  • CB as a tool for developing EfSD strategies

 

Saturday

13th May 

Workshop Session 6  Student Group presentations

Conclusions

Learning and Teaching Activities

Future thinking for sustainable development

In this individual activity, students experience what it is like to take part in a visioning exercise. Students discuss and reflect on the values that might have influenced their vision with a partner. Students are asked to step out of that experience to think about how that activity could be adapted or improved to different situations and its value in education.

Critical thinking for sustainable development

In this small group activity students analyse text or images for sustainable development values. The co-option of the terms 'sustainable development' and 'sustainability', 'nature' and associated terms are discussed; as is the marketing of consumption.

Systemic thinking

In this group activity students consider the resources and systems that support a simple consumer product, to consider the effects of its production and post production life. The discussion after the activity explores system boundaries, life cycle analysis, and consumption and production

Capacity building planning

In this group activity students prepare the elements of a program to develop community capacity to make decisions and be engaged in sustainable development.

Presentations by practitioners in education for sustainable development

Guest lecturers explain some of the work they do and the practicalities of implementing educational/ engagement programs in the community

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html​

Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html

Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

PG - Capable of Professional and Personal Judgment and Initiative

Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Design a framework to evaluate education for sustainable development based on the principles of effective practice (or plan strategies to bring about policy for EfSD)
  • Analyse and critique programs in education for sustainable development
  • Apply knowledge of EfSD principles to plan and implement a workshop and evaluate it

Assessment tasks

  • Assessment 1
  • Assessment Task 2.
  • Assessment 3

PG - Discipline Knowledge and Skills

Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Articulate the basis for and principles of education for sustainable development
  • Explain how education and capacity building contributes to engagement in sustainable development
  • Explain how education can contribute to the process of change towards sustainable development
  • Critically assess the strengths, limitations and assumptions underpinning education for sustainable development
  • Design a framework to evaluate education for sustainable development based on the principles of effective practice (or plan strategies to bring about policy for EfSD)
  • Analyse and critique programs in education for sustainable development
  • Apply knowledge of EfSD principles to plan and implement a workshop and evaluate it
  • Plan and present written arguments in coherent, well structured and documented form
  • Evaluate strategies to advance education for sustainable development

Assessment tasks

  • Assessment 1
  • Assessment Task 2.
  • Assessment 3

PG - Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Articulate the basis for and principles of education for sustainable development
  • Explain how education can contribute to the process of change towards sustainable development
  • Critically assess the strengths, limitations and assumptions underpinning education for sustainable development
  • Design a framework to evaluate education for sustainable development based on the principles of effective practice (or plan strategies to bring about policy for EfSD)
  • Analyse and critique programs in education for sustainable development
  • Plan and present written arguments in coherent, well structured and documented form

Assessment tasks

  • Assessment 1
  • Assessment 3

PG - Research and Problem Solving Capability

Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critically assess the strengths, limitations and assumptions underpinning education for sustainable development
  • Analyse and critique programs in education for sustainable development
  • Apply knowledge of EfSD principles to plan and implement a workshop and evaluate it

Assessment tasks

  • Assessment 1
  • Assessment Task 2.
  • Assessment 3

PG - Effective Communication

Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Articulate the basis for and principles of education for sustainable development
  • Analyse and critique programs in education for sustainable development
  • Apply knowledge of EfSD principles to plan and implement a workshop and evaluate it
  • Plan and present written arguments in coherent, well structured and documented form

Assessment tasks

  • Assessment 1
  • Assessment Task 2.
  • Assessment 3

PG - Engaged and Responsible, Active and Ethical Citizens

Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Evaluate strategies to advance education for sustainable development

Assessment task

  • Assessment Task 2.

Changes from Previous Offering

The reading lists have been updated; the content of lectures is updated in keeping with international and national initiatives in the field. new guest speakers are invited too give practical examples of education practice.