Download Promoting sustainability education

Promoting sustainability education: A
theory and theory-based methods to
promote ESD, good environment and
good life. Results of over 30 years of
cumulative R&D program
Mauri Ahlberg
Professor of Biology and Sustainability Education
University of Helsinki
http://www.helsinki.fi/people/mauri.ahlberg
• Sustainability Education vs. different versions of
Environmental Education
•1977 Tbilisi Congress: Very broad definition of
Environmental Education
•1992 Rio de Janeiro: Importance of biodiversity
clearly understood for sustainable development
•2002 Johannesburg: Political decision: Sustainable
development requires continual integration of (1)
ecological (environmental), (2) economic and (3)
social development.
•UN DESD (2005 – 2014) The Decade of Education
for Sustainable Development
My personal development:
(1) 1966 - 1992: traditional Environmental
Education:
(2)1993 – 2004: Integrating Environmental
education (economical and social aspects
integrated with ecological education)
(3) 2004 – 2011: Education for Sustainability:
integrating ecological, ecological and social
education
(4) 2006 – 2011: The core of sustainability
education is biodiversity ecucation
Rationale:
(1)Humans (Homo sapiens) are part of the
biosphere and totally dependent on the rest of
biodiversity for their food, renewable raw materials
and other ecosystem services.
(2) Biosphere consists of different organism species
that are partly different in different parts of the
world.
(3) There is no cumulative biological research or
learning without knowing species.
(4) Biosphere and its biodiversity ought to be used
sustainably. Local people are responsible for local
biodiversity and its conservation and sustainable
use.
The first theory based tools to promote biodiversity
education:
(1)Improvered concept mapping: Ahlberg, M.
1993. Concept Maps, Vee Diagrams and Rhetorical
Argumentation Analysis (RAA) : Three Educational
Theory-based Tools to Facilitate Meaningful
Learning,
http://www.mlrg.org/proc3pdfs/Ahlberg_Meaningf
ulLearning.pdf
The second theory based tool to promote biodiversity
education:
(2) NatureGate Online Service for rapid, interactive
species identification that is based on a patented
method and system: Ahlberg, M., Lehmuskallio, E. &
Lehmuskallio, J. 2006. NatureGate®, concept mapping
and CmapTools: Creating global networks of servers for
improved learning about, in and for nature,
ecosystems, biodiversity, and sustainable development.
In Canas, A. & Novak, J. (Eds.) Concept Maps: Theory,
Methodology, Technology. Proceedings of the Second
International Conference on Concept Mapping. San
José, Costa Rica - September 5-8, 2006. San Jose:
Universidad de Costa Rica, 457 - 460,
http://cmc.ihmc.us/cmc2006Papers/cmc2006p230.pdf#search=%22NatureGate%22
In 2009, IUCN CEC writes about NatureGate Online
Service:
http://www.iucn.org/about/union/commissions/ce
c/?2614/
How improved concept mapping differs from
original Novakian concept maps (Novak & Gowin
1984, Novak 1998)
Åhlberg, M. 2004.Varieties of concept mapping. In
Canas, A., Novak, J., Gonzales, F. (Eds.) Concept
Maps: Theory, Methodology, Technology.
Proceedings of the First International Conference
on Concept mapping. CMC 2004. Pamplona, Spain,
Sept 14 – 17, Vol. 2, 25- 28,
http://cmc.ihmc.us/papers/cmc2004-206.pdf
An early example of how concept mapping can be
used intergrating materials from NatureGate:
Lehmuskallio, E., Lehmuskallio, J., Kaasinen, A.
& Åhlberg, M. 2008. NatureGate® online service as
a resource source for CmapTools. In Cañas, A,
Reiska, P., Åhlberg, M. & Novak, J. ( Eds.)
2008. Proceedings of the Third
International Conference on Concept Mapping.
Concept Mapping: Connecting Educators. Tallinn,
Estonia & Helsinki, Finland 2008,
http://cmc.ihmc.us/cmc2008papers/cmc2008p801.pdf
As an interactive web page created out of a concept
map created by CmapTools:
http://cmap.helsinki.fi/rid=1GFXKWXZZ-1G8ND1459S/Concept_map_for_demonstrating_power_of_
CmapTools_CMC_2008.cmap
An example of integrating use of CmapTools and
NatureGate: Demonstrating food chains and food
webs:
• Improved concept mapping, improved Vee
heuristic, and my version of action research are
central elements in the following textbook in print:
Wheeldon, J. & Ahlberg, M. 2011.
Visualizing Social Science Research: Maps,
Methods, & Meaning. Los Angeles: SAGE,
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