Design
This section guides you in re-formulating your learning outcomes with a focus on enhancing learners’ sustainability competences. This should be done in parallel with reviewing or revising teaching and assessment approaches. You may use the supplied case studies, and Library of Resources for inspiration.
The following key documents include examples of Learning Outcomes linked to topics and learning activities to support your module design.
Familiarise yourself with the UNESCO document specifically the SDG's you have identified as aligned with your module/programme Education for Sustainable Development Goals: learning objectives - UNESCO Digital Library
In particular see;
- From page 13: Practical examples of Learning Outcomes, Topics and Activities/Assessments for each SDG.
We need to extend the value of learning outcomes beyond the knowledge about SDGs to fostering sustainability competences (this also relates directly to the sustainability related graduate attribute). EU competency framework GreenComp identifies a set of sustainability competences to feed into education programmes to help learners develop knowledge, skills and attitudes that promote ways to think, plan and act with empathy, responsibility, and care for our planet and for people.
In particular see;
- Table 1 p. 14 for competence definitions,
- Chapter 4 for further explanation & examples of Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes for each competence,
- Appendix 2 for several Knowledge, skills and attitudes statements for each competence.
GreenComp competences framework
| Competence Area | Competence | Descriptor |
|---|---|---|
| Embodying sustainability values | Valuing sustainability | Reflect on personal values; identify and explain how values vary among people and over time, while critically evaluating how they align with sustainability values. |
| Supporting fairness | Support equity and justice for current and future generations and learn from previous generations for sustainability. | |
| Promoting nature | Acknowledge that humans are part of nature; respect the needs and rights of other species and of nature itself to restore and regenerate healthy and resilient ecosystems. | |
| Embracing complexity in sustainability | Systems thinking | Approach a sustainability problem from all sides; consider time, space, and context to understand how elements interact within and between systems. |
| Critical thinking | Assess information and arguments, identify assumptions, challenge the status quo, and reflect on how personal, social, and cultural backgrounds influence thinking and conclusions. | |
| Problem framing | Formulate current or potential challenges as a sustainability problem in terms of difficulty, people involved, time, and geographical scope, to identify suitable approaches to anticipating and preventing problems, and to mitigating and adapting to already existing problems. | |
| Envisioning sustainable futures | Futures literacy | Envision alternative sustainable futures by imagining and developing alternative scenarios and identifying the steps needed to achieve a preferred sustainable future. |
| Adaptability | Manage transitions and challenges in complex sustainability situations and make decisions related to the future in the face of uncertainty, ambiguity, and risk. | |
| Exploratory thinking | Adopt a relational way of thinking by exploring and linking different disciplines, using creativity and experimentation with novel ideas or methods. | |
| Acting for sustainability | Political agency | Navigate the political system, identify political responsibility and accountability for unsustainable behaviour, and demand effective policies for sustainability. |
| Collective action | Act for change in collaboration with others. | |
| Individual initiative | Identify own potential for sustainability and actively contribute to improving prospects for the community and the planet. |