Sarah Holdsworth

Professional development for education for sustainability: How advanced are Australian universities?

– This paper seeks to report research undertaken to assess the extent to which Australian universities were engaged in professional development (PD) activities focusing on the development of education for sustainability for their academics., – This web‐based survey seeks to identify the existence of PD programs and teaching induction programs within universities, or where programs in tertiary teaching that included any sustainability education content were offered., – While the vast majority of universities had information about PD available, only one offers a PD course designed to introduce academics to sustainability and teaching sustainability. This is despite the high number of Australian universities that have signed sustainability education declarations, which include commitments to achieving sustainability literacy in staff and students., – The survey focused only on information contained on web sites, and information that would not have been identified by this methodology such as informal programs, forums and workshops, and anything on secure staff “intranet” sites., – This research indicates that in Australia there is only very limited PD activity, which provides one explanation for the limited extent to which education for sustainability is evident in universities., – There is little information about PD activity in universities generally, and especially in Australia. This research provides a starting‐point investigation into activity that may have been missed by the research. More importantly, it provides a base for the exploration of PD programs that will be the most effective and efficient in facilitating education for sustainability.

Curriculum Change for Sustainability

Abstract January 2005 saw the launch of the United Nations’ ‘Decade of Education for Sustainability’ and with it a number of initiatives to promote sustainability education within the built environment disciplines. At the School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, interest was generated by a project working to embed sustainability within the core curriculum of different schools across the university. This paper describes the pedagogical research approach adopted to embed sustainability into the core curriculum within the School. The main focus of this research was based on capacity building through reflective practice. Staff members were encouraged to engage with the project team and to develop their own understanding of sustainability, while resources were provided to assist staff to make changes to their modules. In addition three new modules were developed as part of the project to give students the opportunity to further explore sustainability in the built environment. Delivery of these new modules is significant as there has been a move away from lectures to a hands on approach, making it easier for students to foster values and behaviours, deepening their understanding of sustainability.

Insights into the value of a ‘stand‐alone’ course for sustainability education

Education for sustainability (EfS) is emerging as an urgent imperative and challenge for higher education. But what exactly does it mean to put sustainability into higher education? How do we bring sustainability themes into university curriculum, across the enormous diversity of academic disciplines? This paper describes the experience of teaching a large ‘stand‐alone’ EfS subject which sits within the professional contexts of the large first‐year cohort undertaking it. We describe the themes, architecture and approach to sustainability education taken in this course and evaluate the learning and assessment activities offered to students. We conclude with reflections on the student experience and feedback, which suggests that while academics build towards a deeply embedded sustainability ethic in higher education, specialist parallel courses have a valuable role to play in the transition to sustainable futures.

Resilience at University: the development and testing of a new measure

ABSTRACT While measures of resilience have been applied in university settings, progress has been hindered by the lack of a consistent measure of resilience. Additionally, results from these measures cannot be easily translated into practical curriculum-based initiatives which support resilience development. Resilience is linked to student mental health and well-being, as well as academic engagement and achievement. This positions resilience as a key skill for students. A survey was administered to 410 Australian undergraduate students. The survey consisted of an adapted version of the Resilience at Work (RAW) scale, the Subjective Happiness Scale and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale. Data were subject to principal component analysis and scale reliability analysis. Results yielded a six-factor structure which closely replicated the seven-factor structure of the RAW scale. The research contributes to the development of a reliable and valid instrument of resilience for use in university. The new Resilience at University (RAU) scale shows promise as a valid and reliable measure of student resilience. Development and validation of the RAU scale is in its early stages and further research is required to explore the psychometric properties of the scale to ascertain whether it can be usefully applied in a university setting.

A sustainability education academic development framework (SEAD)

Academic development is one means of reorientating education within higher education (HE) to include sustainability principles. This paper identifies the requirements of academic development programmes that will provide educators with the skills to engage students in the ideas of sustainability and sustainable development. In order to determine what an ideal academic development programme for sustainability education might look like, a theoretical framework for sustainable education and academic development (SEAD framework) was constructed. This was based on an analysis of the literature in the areas of sustainability education, academic development and organisational change in HE. The aim of this paper was to present and analyse the theoretical SEAD framework against three international academic development programmes in sustainability education for HE, which utilised different approaches and delivery modes. From this analysis, it is possible to determine the elements of academic development that would most likely result in a change in educational development and delivery.

Sustainability Education and the Built Environment: Experiences from the Classroom

Abstract Embracing sustainability will change the way we work and live in the 21st century – it will be a primary focus in our intellectual and material work, and in our collective and individual lives. The key role education can play in readdressing the human–nature disconnect, which is a central cause of crisis facing modern society, is broadly accepted. However, despite international calls for a transformation of education systems to a sustainability education model, there is little evidence of change in practice. This article aims to help fill this gap by presenting research on sustainability education praxis, focusing on a sustainability course delivered in the School of Property, Construction and Project Management at RMIT University, Melbourne. Sustainability education is especially relevant to professions involved in the built environment, as they play a role in the overconsumption of natural resources and shape the interface between individuals within their communities and the natural environment. The aim of the research presented here was to critique the effectiveness of the BUIL 1229 Managing for Sustainability course through a combination of reflective practice and the results of an attitudinal survey of the 2010 student cohort. Specifically, it sought to identify if and to what degree key elements of sustainability education praxis, including pedagogy, learning and teaching approaches and curriculum, achieved the prescribed learning objectives and aims of the course.

Framework for Introducing Education for Sustainable Development into University Curriculum.

Inclusion of education for sustainable development (ESD) in the curricula of universities, and in many forums, has been promoted for over a decade. Despite this apparent enthusiasm, there is little to show that ESD has been implemented in most universities. In Australia, surveys indicate an interest in ESD but it is rarely a part of the curriculum. Having identified barriers to the adoption of ESD and building on past experience with curriculum change at RMIT, we undertook the Beyond Leather Patches project to introduce ESD into two discipline fields. Using an action learning approach, where academics were involved in audits of their courses/subjects, workshops and renewal of their curricula, the project led to new and revised courses and more capable academic staff. From the experiences of the project, the framework reported in this article was developed to guide within RMIT and at other universities who are seeking a process to implement ESD.

… Not drowning, waving. Resilience and university: a student perspective

ABSTRACT Constant change and stress in the workplace require workers with resilience. Universities have a key role to play in developing this vital capability. Past research has measured levels of university student resilience, but little is known about resilience from the learner’s perspective. This semi-structured interview study of 38 undergraduate and postgraduate students gives voice to the students’ own understanding of resilience, strategies which they use to develop their resilience, and how universities can support the development of student resilience. Thematic analysis revealed that students differed in the way they conceptualised resilience according to their year of study and life experience. Maintaining perspective, staying healthy, and developing support networks were identified as key attributes linked to resilience. Findings provide insights into the resilience needs and capabilities of the learning community, and suggest strategies which universities can implement to support resilience development.

Assessing graduate sustainability capability post-degree completion: Why is it important and what are the challenges?

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight both the need for measurement of graduate capabilities post-degree completion and the challenges posed by such a task. Higher education institutions provide an important site of learning that can equip future professionals with capabilities to manage and respond to complex sustainability challenges in their careers. Measurement of graduate uptake and application of sustainability capabilities is an important part of advancing sustainability curriculum and pedagogy to educate the twenty-first century sustainability capable graduates. Design/methodology/approach This paper explores the nature of capabilities and reviews existing approaches to capability assessment. Findings The nature of capabilities and their assessment post-degree completion pose a number of challenges for the development of assessment and measurement tools, which is why sustainability capability assessment methods are deserving of specific research attention. Research limitations/implications The assessment and application of capability in graduates’ professional contexts are an important part of closing the loop between learning and teaching in higher education and professional application of this learning. It is imperative that more research be undertaken on the methodology of graduate assessment, given the need to understand graduate learning outcomes as they apply in professional settings for graduate employability, promoting sustainability and developing effective sustainability pedagogy. Practical implications Given that there is significant overlap between employability skills, generic graduate attributes and sustainability capabilities, this paper has relevance beyond the measurement of sustainability capability to the measurement of uptake and professional application of generic capabilities more broadly. Social implications The measurement of graduate capability offers potential to enhance learning for sustainability. Measurement of graduate capabilities is a critical part of closing the loop between workplace expectations, graduate learning outcomes, learning and teaching and curriculum development during degree programs. Originality/value The review provided in this paper highlights a critical gap in research on methodologies to undertake measurement of workplace application of graduate capability. The paper explores considerations for measurement of graduate learning outcomes, specifically the difference between measuring competencies, skills and capability and the necessity for the measurement of the latter in the context of sustainability education for future professionals.

Vignette question design for the assessment of graduate sustainability learning outcomes

Abstract The development of university wide graduate attributes has become an important mechanism for setting generic learning outcomes across higher education institutions. Many universities around the world have developed sets of graduate attributes that they aim to develop through degree programs. Sustainability related attributes have been included in numerous university attribute statements, however, little research exists on methods that can be used to capture data on the application and use of these attributes by graduates. This paper evaluates an assessment tool, based on a scenario/vignette question design, which can be used to capture data on graduate attributes in context and has the potential to be used across a large graduate population which would enable comparative research of learning outcomes to be undertaken. An evaluation of the usefulness of the scenario/vignette design will be presented based on a pilot of the question design with a sample of RMIT University graduates. The results of the pilot show that scenario/vignettes address some of the limitations of existing self-assessment methods and represent a novel way to collect data on graduate sustainability attributes post-degree completion.