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  • Welcome

    Allotment garden with flowers

    Welcome to the course Sustainability in Teaching!

    After completing this course, you will be able to 

    • understand the basics of the sustainability crisis, the concepts of sustainability/sustainable development and the sustainable development goals (SDG), and relate them to one’s own specific subject field 

    • identify and apply different approaches to integrate sustainability into teaching on course or programme level  

    • reflect how key competences for sustainability can be utilised in developing teaching in one’s own subject field 

    • design and apply learning outcomes, learning activities and assessment methods for integration of sustainability relevant themes in teaching   

    • reflect on the role of values and emotions in teaching in relation to the sustainability crisis  

    Download the detailed Course description from below and save it on your computer as a future reference.   

    Between the sessions all participants work independently.

  • Pre-assignments and Zoom link

    Zoom-link to our sessions.

    Pass: kestavyys

    The same link is used for all sessions!


    Before we meet again on Friday September 16th, check and complete these pre-assignments!

    1) Questionnaire DL Wed September 14th: https://link.webropolsurveys.com/S/A7C347962E9FF331


       Answer some questions in this questionnaire. 

    The responses will be used for charting the advance experiences of participants in the area of sustainability in teaching and for being able to address specific questions of the participants during the course. Anonymized quotes and summaries of the responses may be showed during the course.

                  

    2. Introductory assignment: Who are we? DL Wed September 14th 

    Introduce yourself to the other course participants in the Forum below. 

    - Write your introduction, e.g. who are you, what do you teach, what brought you to this course,...

    - Add at least one comment or question to your colleagues introduction.

                           

    3. Reading assignment to be completed before the first online session, DL before our session on Fri September 16th

    The open access course Sustainable.now offers a thorough package of basic knowledge on the different dimensions of sustainability (ecological, economic, social, cultural), beginning with the elaboration on the concept of these dimensions of sustainability (section 1 of each topic, with several sub-sections). Read at least about two of these four dimensions. Take the one that interests you most, and the one that is least familiar to you. Naturally, feel free to look through all of them, if possible.      

    You can access the material with your Aalto credentials (choose: Login with HAKA- account)  at: https://digicampus.fi/course/view.php?id=1735     



  • First meeting: Fri 9.9. at 14:00, Zoom

  • Session 1: Fri 16.9. at 12:15, on campus: Väre, F102 Ryhmäopetus

    Pieces of wood


    The topics of our session are:

    • Getting to know each other

    • Introduction to sustainability​

    • Sustainability in different fields



    Assignment 1 (see below).

    Reading task for Session 2: Wiek, Withycombe and Redman, 2011.
    https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-011-0132-6

  • Session 2: Fri 30.9. at 12:15, Zoom

    Man and lights


    Themes of the session:

    • Different starting points for integrating sustainability​
    • Introduction to competencies for sustainability​
    • Applying competencies into participants' own fields  ​

    Session materials

    Sustainability competency framework.

    Flinga-board

    Homework A-D

    A. Assignment 2 (dl 11.10.)

    B. Peer discussion (before submitting Assignment 2.): Book a timeslot for an informal discussion with a department colleague.

    Topic of discussion: What are the most relevant and important sustainability competences in your field? Share a brief reflection in the assignment.

    C. Reading task for session 3 - choose either:

    1. SDG Science Perspective, pages 5-11, 85-86, (if SDGs are not yet so familiar to you)

    or

    2. Alm et al (2021) Advancing SDG competencies in higher education: exploring an interdisciplinary pedagogical approach. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. (if SDGs are familiar to you)

    D. Interconnectedness of SDGs (video starts at 19:20 minutes):


  • Session 3: Fri 14.10. at 12:15, Zoom



    Theme of the session:

    • Sustainable development goals ​


    Session materials

    Homework for our next session:

    Assignment (see below)

    Reading task for session 4: Tejedor et. al., 2019.

    Video (10 min) Example of using SDGs in teaching (Tomi Kauppinen, Aalto e-learning)

    Discussion with student

    Book a timeslot for an informal discussion with a student from your field (can be from your own course, guild, student association …). Discuss from a student perspective, e.g.:   

    • Has his/her education included sustainability topics thus far? Enough? Too much? What is lacking or getting too much attention? 

    • Does the student feel competent in implementing possible sustainability-related tasks in working life (after graduation)? Why/why not? 

    • What expectations does the student have for university education in relation to sustainability? 



  • Session 4: Fri 28.10. at 12:15, Zoom



    Themes of the session:

    • Teaching methods for 
      • different approaches of sustainability​
      • different types of courses

    Session materials



    Homework

    • Assignment 4 (consisting of two submissions: the written home assignment, and a oneslider!), DL 8.11.
    • Take the Sulitest, DL 11.11., see instructions here.
    • Reading task: Shephard & Egan (2018) Higher Education for Professional and Civic Values: A Critical Review and Analysis.






  • Session 5: Fri 11.11. at 12:15, Zoom

    COlour plates, photo by Valeria Azovskaya

    Themes of the session:

    • Teaching methods
    • Values in teaching and assessment

    Session materials




    FOR SESSION 6:

    • Assignment 5
    • Try the Self-study tool on integration of sustainability in courses and give us feedback on it. The tool is in Webropol: link here

    • Readings: Moser S. (2015). Whither the heart (-to-heart)? Prospects for a humanistic turn in environmental communication as the world changes darkly (please scroll down for the file)

    • Prepare to discuss during the session:
      • What kind of emotions and bodily reactions have you encountered as a teacher in your students in regard to (un)sustainability related questions (e.g. climate or eco anxiety)?
      • What about yourself as a teacher - what kind of emotions and reactions have you identified (if any)?
      • What could help with difficult feelings and emotions? Is there something that especially teacher could do (or definitely shouldn’t do)?

  • Session 6: Fri 25.11. at 12:15, U119 Deloitte

                                                  



    Themes of the session:

    • Emotions in teaching sustainability
    • Course ending

    Session materials


    Final assignments

    Assignment 6
    Course feedback, fill in no later than Fri 9.12.: https://link.webropolsurveys.com/S/76314BD2C7FB31B6