SEI York shared insights on the collaborative teaching of sustainability and policy, using its interdisciplinary module at the University of York as a case study, at the 16th Nordic Environmental Social Science Conference in Finland.
Group of students discussing sustainability
Photo: laddawan punna/Getty Images
The 16th Nordic Environmental Social Science Conference was hosted by Åbo Akademi University in cooperation with the University of Turku, Finland. It brought together environmental social science scholars, and researchers in related fields, to discuss current challenges related to knowledge co-production and co-creation for sustainability.
Eleni Michalopoulou and Sarah Foster presented insights from SEI York’s interdisciplinary teaching module on sustainability and policy at the University of York as part of Workshop 17 “Co-producing knowledge for research-based Education for Sustainability (EfS) in Higher Education”. Details below.
Tuesday 4 June, Workshop session V 13:00-15.00
Our planet is facing a plethora of urgent, planetary and life-threatening challenges: climate change and extreme weather events, wildfires, droughts and floods, air, water and land pollution, and extended biodiversity loss. Dealing with these challenges has become even more difficult due to a series of events including extended periods of financial hardship, a global pandemic, and war. The science-policy interface has always been the space where theory turns into action. This space is now more important than ever as time is running out for humanity to solve those critical challenges that are affecting both environmental and human health.
To this end, education on Sustainability and Policy is key to building an informed body of citizens and social actors. At the University of York, Sustainability and Policy is taught to undergraduate students through cross disciplinary teaching using collaborative, blended, research led and solutions oriented methods on a York Interdisciplinary Module. The module focuses on presenting critical environmental and social challenges with a focus on policy engagement, and how best to engage different types of stakeholders on local, national and international scales to achieve change in both developed and developing economies.
In the module, knowledge and skills based learning is delivered through an online portal including participatory activities and videos, whilst active, constructive learning is delivered through in person lectures. These lectures involve collaboration with key academics across the Stockholm Environment Institute, alongside creative collaborative learning methods, such as role play and debate. Assessment is group orientated, and self reflective challenges are built into the introduction of the course to enable effective group learning.
In this discussion, we will present our main takeaways of using collaborative teaching methods and theory in the Sustainability and Policy module, and assess their effectiveness and limitations.
Feature / SEI's York centre has launched an interdisciplinary module for final-year undergraduates at the University of York.
Past event / Sam Bland hosted this session on the SAMHE project and the opportunities and challenges of using web apps to engage young people in citizen science.
Feature / The BALTIPLAST project developed practical tools for municipalities to turn single-use plastic reduction ambitions into action.
Perspective / Cold homes and rising power bills are fuelling public anger and challenging trust in how Sweden’s energy transition is being managed.
