Sustainability CETLS:

Bridging the Learning Gap

EAUC 11th Annual ConferenceThursday 19th April 2007

The University of Gloucestershire

The Centre for Active Learning in Geography, Environment and Related Disciplines

(CeAL)

Russell Goodwin

The Centre for Active Learning (CeAL)

“Tell me and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand”

Confucius 450BC

Aim

The Centre for Active Learning (CeAL) aims to be an international centre of excellence to review, develop, promote and embed inclusive and exemplary active learning for students in geography, environment and related disciplines such as landscape architecture, community development and heritage management.

The Gloucestershire Approach to Active Learning

Active learning involves learning by thinking, doing and reflecting

The distinctive feature of the University of Gloucestershire (UoG) definition of active learning is that it centres on the mastery of theory within a ‘learning by doing’ approach involving working in real places with actual people and live projects

The Centre for Active Learning

• Pedagogic developments

• Pedagogic Research

• CeAL Building - Dedicated Learning Space

The Centre for Active Learning

Pedagogic developments• Supported work on over 20 modules e.g. new inquiry-

based learning first year module; joint fieldwork with students from Poland; testing an environmental audit of the University; peer-support for Dissertation students; development of ‘verbal argument’ skills

• Capturing inputs to teaching from external professionals, through video, MP3 or sound files, and in editing this for subsequent use in class, or in podcasts e.g. use of digital stories; careers website

• Partnerships with other organisations e.g. Black Environment Network; the Waterways Trust; and British Waterways

Pedagogic Research– Effectiveness of education for

sustainable development – Teaching scientific uncertainty: the

case of climate change– Students’ experiences of landscape

studios – Student and staff experience of

curriculum innovation in the first year of higher education

The Centre for Active Learning

The CeAL Building

Education for sustainable development (ESD)

‘The Gloucestershire approach to ESD is to develop in students an understanding of

the nature of society and its relationship with the environment, together with the

capabilities and potential to promote justice in the distribution of economic,

social and environmental assets, now and for the future.’

Sustainability at the University of Gloucestershire • Whole Institutional Policy on Sustainability in place since 1991• First English university to achieve British Standard ISO14001

Environmental Management System for the whole institution (July 2005), including (uniquely?) the curriculum within the scope of approval

• Forum for the Future (NGO) identified the university as a – ‘Trailblazer’ institution, 1997, in their HE21 initiative funded by central government

• Highly commended for transport policy, ‘Green Gown Award’, 2006

• Highly commended, Times Higher Education Supplement Award ‘Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Development’ 2006

• Highly commended for curriculum development, ‘Green Gown Awards’ 2007

• Environmental and sustainability commitment in the University ‘Vision’ statement

• Institutional level policy and implementation strategies on sustainable development

• Vice Chancellor’s commitment to sustainability, including in the curriculum

• Strongly centralised quality assurance systems for teaching

Sustainability at the University of Gloucestershire

Sustainability and Active Learning

Active Learning

… is the mechanism for developing …

Sustainability Literacy and Ecological Citizenship

… is the mechanism for rolling out …

Enabling the Wider HE Sector to become more Sustainable

• CeAL’s Contribution

– Joint Projects

– Dissemination of Project Outcomes, Case Study reports, Best Practice Examples, etc

– ESD Research

Dissemination of Project Outcomes, Case Study reports, Best Practice Examples, etc• New publication ‘Greener by Degrees:

Exploring sustainability in Higher Education curricula’

‘Bringing together the thinking and action of awhole institution on sustainable development to create meaningful working linkages and synergies is clearly no easy task! This collection of ideas and actions has successfully met the challenge and will be of great value to practitioners, and policy makers addressing the issue of how to create an innovative and sustainable knowledge-based university.’

Preface by Professor Steve Martin

Visiting Professor in ESD, Open University Consultant on ESD to the HEA

CeAL’s contribution: Doctoral Research

• Education for Sustainable Development and Ecological Citizenship in Higher Education: The Incidence of Transformative Learning at the University of Gloucestershire

Investigating whether the teaching of sustainability issues at the University of Gloucestershire (UoG) is effective in influencing students' attitudes and values, to the extent that they will adopt sustainable behaviours and actions in their future lives.

The CeAL website:

www.glos.ac.uk/ceal

Thankyou!

The Centre for Active Learning

The University of Gloucestershire