Assignment 1. Personal reflection and sustainability discourses 

Title: Personal reflection and sustainability discourses

Due Date: Monday, 28 June

Format: Reflection

Weighting Value: 35%

Length: 2500 words max (including references, footnotes, and other materials)

This assessment task invites you to explore your values, actions, understanding, and ways of discussing sustainable development.

You are first to identify what sustainability discourse best represents your worldview and then discuss why this discourse explains your actions and how you think about sustainability more broadly. 

It may be that your worldview shifts a bit and is not neatly represented by a single discourse (this is normal). If this is your case, then explore (and through examples in your reflection), what orients you towards one discourse sometimes and at other times towards another. For example, you may have protested against a forest logging operation or climate action on the basis that nature / the sustainability of the planet should be protected for its own sake (deep ecology). Concurrently, you may also believe technology will be able to navigate the current climate crisis through renewable energy and carbon capture and storage (shallow ecology). Or you have deep religious views that situate humanity’s right over nature (secular or anthropocentric position) and also adopt a cornucopian view that humanity’s needs will be provided through advances in science, economic development, and technology – slightly different ways of thinking, but it’s for you to reflect (not me to make up rich hypotheticals).  

Second, as a personal reflection, you should also include how you react to things around you, these could be contemporary events directly or indirectly affecting you or you simply have an interest in.  

Here, you need to explain the event/action, briefly, to give it context, then write about how this makes you feel, whether this was consistent with or in opposition to your (dominant) world views. For example, you can write about how you felt in response to a decision by the government (broadly), a specific elected official (such as a state or federal government minister), the actions of a company, or even the behaviours of your friends and family (my mad uncle said/did…). For example, you may talk about your outrage when the Minister for Environment decided to support a nuclear power project, dismissing concerns about where and how the waste would be disposed. The Minister may be a neoliberalists and climate sceptic, but you may align with the principles of the limits to growth and therefore renewable energy is the only path. 

Sustainability discourses are discussed in workshop 2 and the associated reading.  Importantly, in this essay, you will find that individuals (you included) are not always rational or consistent. Values, feelings, and actions change by issue over time and in context. This is what I want you to explore both from your own perspective and from the perspective of others. Here, for example, you could examine if your actions and behaviours are consistent when you are at home, work, with friends, your family, or on holidays, and how they may have changed from when you were younger to now. 

A list of discourses is offered in the table below as a start, but you are also expected to read widely

In your assessment, you can draw from multiple examples, such as:

1. Specific actions or behaviours (what you do as a citizen)

2. Values (how you reflect on events, local to global, and those around you/ in your social media feeds)

3. Opinions (how you may judge others – for example, the actions of politicians, businesses, or NGOs)

 

 

 

Examples of sustainability discourses
Weak sustainability Strong sustainability Eco feminism Deep ecology Social ecology Ecological modernisation Traditional / Indigenous perspectives Degrowth	Rights based Anthropomorphic Eco-centric Sustain-centric Techno-centric Neo Malthusian Eco-centric Neo liberal Cornucopian

 As a recap, a discourse is a shared way of looking and talking about the world and is underpinned by a ‘worldview,’ while a theory is a system of ideas based on a set of principles. Each discourse uses certain language and has a shared understanding of the meaning of terms used, assumptions, judgments, and contentions. These terms may not be easily understood by those who subscribe to other discourses or those with differing fields of study and so discussion and collaboration can be fraught. 

Discourses are essentially bound up in power and politics that compete for our attention and priorities. Importantly, discourses influence decisions and have consequences; this may relate to the conditions that define them, how they are interpreted, and in turn how they address environmental and social affairs (Dryzek 2005:9).

 

 

 

Karl-Werner Brand (2015) Sustainable Development, International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2nd ed, Vol 23

 

Gladwin, T. N., Kennelly, J. J., & Krause, T.-S. (1995). Shifting Paradigms for Sustainable Development: Implications for Management Theory and Research. The Academy of Management Review, 20(4), 874–907. https://doi.org/10.2307/258959 p883

 

 General Sources

You will find references to a discourse from a general source such as those below or by using key words in MQ library Multisearch.

·       Baker S. 2016 Sustainable Development London: Routledge

·       Blewitt J. 2018 Understanding Sustainable Development (3rd ed) London Earthscan Routledge

·       Brand K-W. 2015 Sustainable Development International Encyclopaedia of the Social and behavioural Sciences (second edition)

·       Dryzek, J.S. (2005) The Politics of the Earth Environmental Discourses 2nd ed Oxford Univ Press (note there are more recent updates to this in the library)

·       Dryzek J.S. & Schlosberg D. (2005) D. Debating the Earth An Environmental Politics Reader 2nd ed Oxford University Press

·       Feindt, P. H. & Angela Oels, A. (2005) Does discourse matter? Discourse analysis in environmental policy making, Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, 7:3, 161-173, DOI: 10.1080/15239080500339638

·       Gladwin, T. N., J. J. Kennelly, and T.- S. Krause. 1995. “Shifting Paradigms for Sustainable Development: Implications for Management Theory and Research.” Academy of Management Review 20: 874–907.https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1995.9512280024.

·       Rac, I., Erjavec, K., & Erjavec, E. (2024). Agriculture and environment: friends or foes? Conceptualising agri-environmental discourses under the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy. Agriculture and Human Values, 41(1), 147–166. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-023-10474-y

·       Toft, K. H., & Hansen, M. B. (2025). Sustainability Discourses in the Leadership and Management Literature: A Critical Review. Business Strategy and the Environment, 34(2), 1751–1770. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.4061

 

Before submission of paper to ilearn

•       Check the paper has a title and your name on it
•       You clearly identify your dominant discourse in the title
•        The doc is saved with Surname_ENVS8525_Assign 1
•        Check you have covered the elements in the marking criteria
•        You have done an English spell check and grammar check

 

 

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA (35%)

Criteria	Elements	Mark
Reflection	Is there a clear line of sight between the discourse and the students personal worldview? Within the reflection are their insights as to how behaviours are complex, multi-dimensional and sometimes contradictory	25
Application	Do the examples of the student’s behaviour, values and opinions provide validity their selection of their primary and alternative discourses?  Here the student should provide at least 5 detailed examples that can offer an explanation of their reaction to a contemporary event (and provide sufficient references for the event – social media, newspaper articles etc…)	25
Describe and explain (1)	Does the student identify and describe the broad parameters of their primary and alternative discourses (noting they may offer more than one alternative) and explain this against related the theories and other literature	30
Writing	Well-structured and written paper References list is consistent and accurate (e.g. Harvard or APA and you can integrate these with foot/end notes for example when referring to articles or events in the mainstream or social media	20
		100

Note: 1. As evidence that you have read and understood the discourses or theories, it is expected that you would cite around 5-7 peer-reviewed papers and an equivalent number of sources from grey literature (totalling at least 15 references/sources)

 

 

 

Assignment 2. Report and preentation 

Title: Critical analysis of an aspect of sustainable development topic and in-class presentation (final workshop on 7 July)

Due Date: 7 July to deliver in-class presentation and 10 July for written report

Format:  Report and presentation

Weighting Value:  40% (10% presentation and accompanying slides, 30% written report)

Length: Report: 1700 words (max) inclusive of references and or endnotes

              Presentation: 8 minutes (recommend around 8 slides)

You are required to present a critical and comprehensive analysis of a sustainable development topic/issue and identify future strategic actions for a corporation or entity.

This has 2 elements:

1. a written report to a pre-determined format / template (30%) and

2. an in-class 8-minute presentation on your report (including power point slides) (10%) (include your PPT slides as an appendix to your report)

This assignment provides students with an opportunity to explore an area of interest in sustainable development in greater depth.

This assessment enables students the opportunity to research an area that they want to know more about. You can choose a topic and relate it to your own country or is relevant to organisation you are or may like to work for in the future.

1. The written report

This must follow the format as outlined below

Executive Summary (first page)

This is the executive Summary. This must be one page only.

Within this one page you must highlight the purpose of report, why it is relevant (to the organisation/reader/decision maker) and what action should do to address the issues or concerns you raise. The text in this one page should offer sufficient detail to be a stand-alone document from which the subsequent pages support your case.

From a formatting perspective, you should add a header to your document that identified the name of the organisation you are reporting to (e.g. the name of the government agency, NGO, company board etc…)

Body of the report: This must use the following headings

Rationale

This is a short section and should identify:

Your problem statement (what problem are you trying to solve),

What is the scope of the problem

Why is it important for your organisation – this should be focused in on the remit of the organisation you are writing/working  for (ie not the UN) so keep it local 

Context Analysis:

This is the “body” of your report – the how and would provide the substantive information about the issue, and possibly identifying what should be done.

This would typically occupy up to 4 pages. Here you should outline the various options (strengths and weaknesses) that could be taken that would then support your detailed recommendations

Recommendations

What are you proposing, by when and what resources need to be allocated.

You may also include when a subsequent progress / final report be brought back to the executive

References

Should be at the end of the report and are not included in the page count

Slides

 

Report TEMPLATE HEADINGS

 

Executive summary	1 page max and should have the following subheadings: Title Key information Financial implications Key Recommendations
Rationale	This is a short section and should identify your problem statement, what are you trying to solve, what is the scope of the problem in the context of the organisation (how does it affect it or how can it control it)
Context	This is the “body” of your report and would provide the substantive information about the issue and possibly identifying what should be done. This would typically occupy up to 4 pages). This section would outline the various options that could be taken that would then support your detailed recommendations
Recommendations	What are you proposing, by when and what resources need to be allocated. You may also include when a subsequent progress / final report be brought back to the executive
Author details	(Your name)

 

 

 

 

Executive Summary

(the following headings are to be used for your summary)

(must not exceed 1 page)

TITLE Add a one-line title

Write a core message summarising the briefing in no more than 3 sentences and up to 5 lines. Summarise the issue, the Department’s analysis of the issue and the actions that should follow. You can structure the core message with 1 sentence each on the topic, the analysis and the action, being sure to capture why the Minister should support the recommendation.

 

Key Information

Start with a minimal descriptive context of the topic and the issues it raises. Limit this to 1 or 2 paragraphs. Place most of the traditional ‘Background’ in the ‘Context’ section over the page if further detail is needed. 

Foreground your analysis of the issue

As briefly as you can, discuss the analysis that supports your recommendation, capturing the main conclusions about the topic and the reasons supporting the recommendation.

If your readers need more extensive analysis, include the most important elements on the first page and place any further detail in the ‘Rationale’ section over the page.

As an emerging practice, you could also identify which UN Sustainable Development Goal (UNSDG) is relevant

Use analytical headings to structure your key information

Structure this page by your analysis of the issue rather than by the narrative of the research.

Your main reasons should appear in one-line analytical headings, and the text under each should briefly justify each reason and support it with evidence.  The Executive members should be able to read the core message, scan the headings and understand the essence of the briefing and the reasoning for the recommendation.

Be as concise as possible

Consider your reader’s needs rather than the level of detail you may prefer. How much information does the Executive really need to understand and act on your recommendation?

In more complex briefings, foreground the most important information on the first page, then follow with supporting information. The Executive can decide how much detail she/he needs.

Make sure the key information and recommendations do not go over 1 page.

Financial Implications

This should include both funding and financial impacts. Funding implications include cost, total budget, funding source. Financial implications include information on any potential broader risks (e.g. even though no additional funding is being sought, there may be a change in a pattern of service delivery, or if the recommended project is not funded, there may be wider financial implications for government).

Note:  In the real world your report would be considered by the Finance Directorate to ascertain the funding implications, and their comment and analysis would be included in this section (or in more detail in the main body of the report).

Recommendations (in brief)

That the Executive Group.....

i.e. What do you want them to agree on/ action etc?

This could be simple maintain a watching brief on the issue, commission a more detailed study, implement a specific program or policy….

Your summary recommendations in this section must align with the fuller list of recommendations at the end of your report.

Each recommendation should be a standalone and numbered point (this can aid future governance process) and avoid including multiple ideas in a single recommendation.

Also remember that recommendations must be within the remit or power of the institution you are writing for.

RATIONALE

Do not repeat key information from the executive summary

This is a short section and should identify:

Your problem statement (what problem are you trying to solve),

What is the scope of the problem – this should be focused in on the remit of the organisation you are writing/working for (i.e. not the UN) so keep it local 

CONTEXT

This is the main ‘discussion section’ and is designed to provide more detail examining the implications of the policy on your organisation and support your recommendations. Think of this as the HOW an action could be undertaken with reference to the problem statement.

As you are writing from the perspective of a local council OR state agency/utility, you should reference documents contained as part of the organisation’s strategic plan. These should be publicly accessible. If you are writing to the executive of an NGO or private company, you will need to dig around their website to ascertain their strategic plan, mission, priorities etc…

Do not repeat the descriptive information that you included at the start of the Rationale section. This ‘Context’ section is for additional background detail that the Executive may turn to after reading the most important points.

You may include a chronology of events (to summarise how the policy has changed and to highlight key impacts) - this can be used as part of providing a short history of key events, policies, and legislative change.

Your context section must also contain a comparative (but brief) analysis of similar actions or approaches within a domestic or overseas organisation. This analysis needs to demonstrate your understanding of the specific policy intent in reference to others and comment whether it is best practice or where the organisation may have room to improve if it wanted to be the exemplar of sustainable practice.

This section should also unpack what the organisation should do moving forward to address the issues of concern. This can include an analysis of options and the implications of these options. You should consider time scales (short, medium, long), impact on other parts of your organisation and on other organisations, institutions, customers/stakeholders (inter and intra analysis). This analysis should also identify what is in or outside your control (see for example, Covey’s circles of influence). This section is to ultimately support your recommendations (that you included on page 1) and should be about providing the case for what your organisation needs to do moving forward.

RECOMMENDATIONS  

This section will contain a detailed and numbered list of actions you would like the executive to take to address the issue you identify.

The recommendations should give reference to the organisation’s capacity (resourcing), timing (when to start or when something should be completed), and broader governance concerns (reporting back to the executive).

 

AUTHOR

Add author’s name (you)

 

 

 

RERERENCES

 

End note style is preferable to intext citation – this section is not included in your word count

 ATTACHMENT

 Your power point slides

 Criteria for assessment

Written

Criteria	Aspects	%
Evidence	·       Evidence that you can identify the key issues and value positions in relation to sustainable development and can contextualise this for your chosen organisation/area ·       Evidence of international, and critical reading informing a comprehensive treatment of the issue ·       Evidence that you are reflecting upon the issues associated with progressing sustainable development	33
Analysis	·       Able to summarise the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and obstacles to sustainable development in the area chosen ·       Ability to use other evidence and examples to support arguments ·       Evidence based recommendations that are realistic given your organisation/context	34
Writing	·       Well-structured assignment in the format chosen and follows the heading structures with clear writing and expression  ·       Evidence of original and creative thought ·       Correct citation and adequate acknowledgement of source	33
	Total	100

 

Some references to assist your wiring include: 

Young, Eoin, and Lisa Quinn, “The Policy Brief,” http://blog.lrei.org/tmurphy/files/2009/11/PolicyBrief-described.pdf

For example, you may be providing a report to the executive of the Coles Group on their 2019 Sustainability Report (https://www.colesgroup.com.au/sustainability/?page=sustainability) and how this may inform their ethical sourcing of goods then relate this to their corporate strategy and supporting governance frameworks. Alternatively, you may be reporting on procurement options for Macquarie University to comply with their sustainability agenda and reduce Scope 3 emissions and comply with their Modern Slavery policy.

 

2. Presentation

Your presentation must not have than eight (8) slides in total. The format here is up to you but bear in mind:

1.  Your audience (executives who will know a bit but not the nuance)

2. That the recommendations from your report should be foregrounded,

3. It clearly articulates the relevance to UNSDGs and or similar international/national/subnational policy or frameworks.

4. If offers some direction/recommendations/ways forward

Your presentation should be pitched to the executive level of your chosen organisation. Keep it specific and on point. Avoid unnecessary background, focus on why it matters and what they can do about it.

Your presentation will be delivered in class (in small groups of around 8) and must be concluded within 8 minutes (someone in your group will keep you to time). There will be an additional 2 minutes where your group can ask you questions.

Your presentation will be marked by your peers (5 marks).

I will mark your PPT slides (these should be embedded at the end of your report (so that there is only one file to upload to iLearn). (5 marks)

 

Your report and ppt files must be submitted as one file (the ppt would be an appendix to your report)

Before submission of paper to ilearn

          Check the paper has a title and your name on it

          The doc is saved with Surname_ENVS8525

          Check you have covered the elements in the marking criteria

          Check you have done an English spell check and grammar check

Assignments with less than 12 relevant references will most likely not be graded with more than a ‘Pass’.

Your assignment needs to be well edited and structured as per the template.

Note you are free to suggest a topic so that you can research areas a where you would like to develop more understanding. You will find it more concrete to focus on a country or region or even an organisation or a specific topic.

Criteria for assessment

Your presentation will be evaluated by at least three peers from the class for 30 marks (which in the final assessment will be a an average mark of your peers (forming 5% of your total mark); and the convenor will mark you ppt slides (that are to be attached to your report) for the other 5% of the presentation mark.

 

 

Peer Review Assessment by:
STUDENT PRESENTER NAME:
LAYOUT and CONTENT OF THE SLIDES
Please indicate how well you think each of the following has been accomplished	Allocated Mark	Excellent (2)	very good (1.5)	Good (1)	Adequate (0.5)	Poor (0)
The diagrams in the slides are clear and easy to read and understand	2
Only key words were used on slides (not masses of text)	2
THE CLARITY OF THE STORY OF THE PRESENTATION
The introduction stated the problem and why it was important	2
The presenter identified the issues and provided a way forward / recommendation	2
The presenter could explain the actions needed to achieve the UNSDG or related framework	2
The presenter spoke clearly and in explaining was easy to understand	2
The presentation was engaging, and I was convinced of their argument	2
TOTAL (out of 14)	14
Mark (out of 5) divide by the score and multiple by 5 (to get a mark out of 5)	5

For the purpose of quantifying the marking, if the allocated mark is 2 then: Excellent (2 marks); Very good (1.5 marks); good ( 1 mark); Adequate (0.5); poor (0 marks)

 

 

The Convenor marking will follow these criteria to the PPT slides

Unit Convenor's Assessment
STUDENT NAME:
Criterion	Allocated Mark (%)	Excellent	Very good	Good	Adequate	Poor	Achieved Mark
1. Peer assessment mark ·       Averaged mark from class peers of your presentation	30
2. Focus and context ·       The SDG or related framework is clearly identified ·       The proposed areas of action to achieve the SDG or framework was provided (diagrammatically and or in text) ·       The importance of the SDG/framework and its contribution to sustainable development (diagrammatic)	25						0.0
2.  Analysis ·       Explanation of the issue (broadly but most importantly to the organisation ·       An analysis of the present situation (pressures, state and response) in relation to the identified issue ·       There is consideration of institutional context/corporate strategy ·       Future orientation: what are the recommendations and how this is supported by the analysis	30						0.0
3. Presentation ·       Ideas are represented in diagrams (clear and understandable) ·       Relevant question/s are proposed and or uncertainties outlined to stimulate discussion	15						0.0
TOTAL	100						0.0

 

Assignment 3. Practice-based Task

Due Date: 23 July

Format: Report (group work with individual marks calculated through SparkPlus)

Weighting Value: 25%

Length: 4,000 words or 20 pages (max) – noting the expectation of a well-presented strategy

NOTE:

Only 1 person in the group is to submit the report in Turnitin, but this MUST contain all group members and a statement of their attribution to the report.

 

Assessment Task: Organisational Sustainability Strategy

You have been engaged as a sustainability consultant by an organisation seeking to improve its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance while maintaining long-term organisational resilience and competitiveness. You could interpret this as them wanting to transition to a sustainable business (preferable) or maintain business as usual (minimal change with a green tinge) – aim for the former. 

Select a real organisation from the private, public, or not-for-profit sector and prepare a sustainability strategy for that organisation (or a key part of that organisation-  as relevant).[1] 

You may choose to find an organisation without an existing sustainability strategy (ideally) or if an organisation has one already, your work must substantially improve its focus (and be very clear why a change is needed, where and how).

Your strategy should:

1. Analyse the organisational context
• Describe the organisation’s operations (what do they do), industry sector (the broader framing for the sector), stakeholders (including upstream – suppliers), and downstream – customers, and sustainability challenges[2].
• Identify material sustainability risks and opportunities using relevant analytical frameworks (e.g., materiality assessment (focusing on what is most important and impactful for the organisation)[3], PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technology, Legal, Environmental)[4], SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat)[5].  Note that this task should be done by all team members as it will inform the directions of your strategy that follows.
2. Evaluate current sustainability performance
• Drawing from the web, annual reports, related industry reports, and media articles. etc… critically assess the organisation’s existing sustainability initiatives, policies, and reporting practices (remember you are evaluating from the outside – if you were doing this as a consultant, you would ordinarily have access to greater information) 
• Benchmark their performance against relevant industry competitors or standards. Here, you could rely on quantitative data, if this does not exist, you may like to offer vignettes/case studies of related practices that your company could implement.
3. Develop a sustainability vision and strategic objectives
• Propose a sustainability vision aligned with organisational goals and global sustainability agendas (e.g. link to UNSDGs, relevant international and national agreements)
• Establish measurable short (e.g. 1-2 years), medium (around 5 years), and long-term (10+ years) objectives.

This strategic positioning should build on steps 1 and 2.

1. Design a sustainability strategy and implementation plan linked to your measures
• Returning to your identification of material risks and opportunities, frame these around HOW your organisation can implement its strategy against short to longer-term objectives. Here, you may like to frame these against your material sustainability assessment approach, or consider how the implementation impacts and crosses the various environmental, social, and governance dimensions. Within this section, discuss trade-offs, risks, and change management considerations associated with implementation and identify potential organisational, financial, political, and cultural barriers
• Note:  ordinarily a plan would include consideration of the governance arrangements, stakeholder engagement approaches, resource requirements, timelines, and key performance indicators (KPIs) as this is a student assessment and you are not working within an organisation this can be difficult and rather abstract so its not critical that you embark on this. However if you do have personal / professional insight into the business this can be a useful exercise to undertake.
2. Monitoring, reporting, and evaluation
• Propose mechanisms for monitoring progress, reporting outcomes, and ensuring continuous improvement.

 

Your report should demonstrate:

• Application of sustainability theory to practice
• Critical analysis and evidence-based argument
• Integration of contemporary sustainability frameworks and literature
• Strategic thinking and professional communication

 

The preparation of the resilience strategy is a group assessment. Your individual mark will be calculated using SparkPlus, which provides a coefficient of your contribution as determined by your peers. (30% of marks). In this software, you rank yourself across several criteria, and you also assess each of your group members.

 

 

 

 

Marking criteria

The final mark that each student will receive for the strategy will be a moderated group mark based on the peer reviews. For further information, refer to the section below titled: Peer Review using SPARKPLUS.  

The inside front cover of your strategy must contain a summary of the primary author for each section, the reviewer of the section, the overall project coordinator and who approved the final strategy for submission. Note that the person that approves the strategy will be the person that submits this via Turnitin.

In group work, having a peer review process is essential because takes into consideration the amount of time and effort that each member contributes to achieving the outputs (in this case, the report), as well as the different forms of contribution. Peer review allows the group mark to be adjusted for each group member accordingly.

This Assessment will enable students to develop a thorough knowledge of sustainability and resilience planning and contextualise this within an organisation.  You are expected to seek and use web sites and government data sets and apply this information across multiple scales (time and geography). This exercise is also about applied strategic planning and how to plan and position an organisation towards a more sustainable future.

Criteria weighting (25% of mark)

Criteria	%
Situational analysis, data collection and interpretation                                  Full marks will be given to responses that:        Demonstrated ability to research and synthesise relevant information        There is clear evidence of critical thinking and analysis of content        Effectively present the data in a form that is easily communicated and can be understood by the community and the institution	40
Research skills              Full marks will be given to responses that:        draw on and adequately reference key literature, reports and studies        considers and reflects on local to international issues and context        provide clear understanding of the legal context, UNSDGs and relevant government strategies	20
Coherency and argument   Did the strategy provide the necessary information that:        Adequately described the need to address sustainability as a general concept        Identifies and provides applicable actions (subject to the capacity and obligations of the organisation) as identified in the material risk assessment        Is forward thinking as to inform the activities of the organisation and others        Ultimately a strategy like this serves as a institutional and public document. Does it speak to both audiences	20
Writing and presentation                                         Text is well written, clear and focused        Information is communicated in a manner that enables the audience (the community, assessment officer and proponent) to easily understand the major points without the need for additional clarification        Figures and tables are clear relevant and used where possible to show key data or explain concepts        Presentation is of a professional standard including correct use of grammar and spelling, page numbers, table of contents, consistent font, relevant diagrams and photos        Evidence of editing and review        Similar writing styles	20
TOTAL	100

 

Delivery of the unit

The unit is delivered via face to face and in a block mode format. Combined lecture and workshop activities will be carried out across 6 full-day sessions in the Winter Vacation period.

Learning and teaching involve:

·       Background reading by the students to provide you with the foundational knowledge of the forthcoming workshop

·       Lectures to introduce theories and concepts

·       Practical workshop sessions to provide opportunities for experiential learning on tasks and through discussion with other class members (preparation is essential)

·       Student presentations of tasks prepared in advance

·       Talks from guest lecturers that convey the practice of sustainability and the ways change is facilitated

·       Assignments that require students to practice key skills, including critical and integrative thinking, taking a systems perspective, listening to stakeholders, and communicating through diverse forms including digital stories, writing and presenting in a logical and clearly argued manner

·       Assignments provide opportunities for presenting in different formats and working with people of different skills and cultural perspectives.

 

Students are expected to

·       Read set readings in advance for classes (there are optional readings for those that want to explore the literature more deeply)

·       Participate in workshop activities in small groups

·       Follow current developments with regard to sustainable development in the media/ internationally (students should use the News forum on the ilearn page to post articles or media of interest).