Digital education reading group: October 2023
This month the digital education reading group is meeting to discuss education for sustainable development. We explore what we mean by the term education for sustainable development (or education for sustainability) and learn about the work being done in this area at other UK universities. We then go on to discuss how might we get involved at the University of London, and consider the unique challenges and opportunities for online education.
Education for sustainable development (ESD) gives learners of all ages the knowledge, skills, values and agency to address interconnected global challenges including climate change, loss of biodiversity, unsustainable use of resources, and inequality. It empowers learners of all ages to make informed decisions and take… action to change society and care for the planet. ESD is a lifelong learning process and an integral part of quality education.
(UNESCO, 2023)
Resources
This month’s reading group has been researched and facilitated by Carly Norris (Associate Director Academic Projects and Programme Support) and Tom Cassidy (Academic Project Coordinator). Thank you!
1. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (2021) Education for Sustainable Development guidance
2. UNESCO (2023) What you need to know about education for sustainable development
3. University of Gloucestershire (2023) Students driving curriculum quality for sustainability
A rich project website sharing how the University of Gloucestershire, University of the Arts London and King’s College London have been approaching education for sustainability with the aim of setting benchmark principles to be used by other institutions to evaluate their programmes.
4. University of Gloucestershire (2020) Anti-greenwash education kit
In 2020, SOS UK (a sustainability charity for the education sector in the UK) asked over 8000 students how they are experiencing teaching and learning for sustainability in higher education.
5. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (2023) Co-creating the blueprint for quality Education for Sustainability YouTube
6. Wonkhe (2023) How to ensure quality when embedding sustainability into the curriculum
Meeting student demand for sustainability is an opportunity to develop powerful and coproduced learning argues Alex Ryan, director of sustainability at the University of Gloucestershire.
7. United Nations (nd) Universities: Getting ready for the SDGs
The traditional separation between academia and the professional world is becoming more porous and dynamic. How, in that regard, will the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) affect universities and vice versa?
8. UCL (2023) Embedding sustainability into your teaching and learning: Teaching toolkit
This toolkit aims to support staff from all faculties and disciplines to develop educational experiences that empower and enable UCL students to become leaders and activators in the global transition.
9. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and Advance HE (2021) Education for Sustainable Development Guidance, Executive summary
The Education for Sustainable Development Guidance is intended to help UK higher education institutions incorporate Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) within their curricula. QAA and Advance HE, together with a group of experts representing academic, business and student communities, published a new version of the guidance for 2021, with the aim of supporting students from any discipline to acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to develop values and take actions to transition society towards sustainable futures.
List of topics discussed at previous meetings
