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

The assessment tasks are all different to the usual academic essay format of assessments, and so provide an opportunity for more creative presentation and the use of different media.

The assessments are dependent on you reading international literature in the field which includes work from the UN and international authors who write in journals, as well as national examples.

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

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

• Hopkins, C & McKeown, R (2000). Chapter 2, Education for sustainable development: an international perspective in Tilbury, D., Fien, J., Stevenson, R.B., and Schreuder, D. (2000). Education and Sustainability: Responding to the Global Challenge. Gland: IUCN Commission on Education and Communication Available athttp://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/edocs/2002-002.pdf
• Wals, A. 2012 “Shaping the Education of Tomorrow” 2012 Report on the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, Abridged version by Kathy Nolan Paris: UNESCO  http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002166/216606e.pdf
• Aichi-Nagoya Declaration on Education for Sustainable Development (2014)  ​http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002310/231074e.pdf
• UNESCO Roadmap for implementing the global action plan for education for sustainable development http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002305/230514e.pdf

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)

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.