Download Interdisciplinarity and Conservation: What and why?

Sustainable Development
Programme
University of St Andrews
Rehema White
Department of Geography & Sustainable Development
Contents
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Principles of the SD Programme
Past and present structure of the SD Programme
Threats to interdisciplinary HE teaching
Conclusions
PRINCIPLES
Why Sustainable Development?
The fear/crisis message
Planetary boundaries
Rockstrom et al. (2009)
Why Sustainable Development?
The alternative futures (hope) message
Rationale for Sustainable Development
Meet needs of
future
generations
Social justice
Environmental integrity
What is Sustainable Development?
‘Sustainable Development is development that meets
the needs of present generations without
compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs’ (Brundtland Report, 1987).
Key features:
•Social justice within environmental limits;
•A process
•Multiple pathways towards alternative futures
•Recognition of a diversity of perspectives
•Recognition of new models of knowledge
production and exchange.
Aim of SD Programme
Enable students to critically interrogate the
principles, practice and plurality of
sustainable development and contribute
to the evolution of innovative,
interdisciplinary thinking and action
necessary to move towards more
sustainable futures
Principles of SD degree
1. Critical interrogation of SD
2. Interdisciplinarity
3. Transformative vs. Transmissive
learning
4. Academia as if the world matters
5. Local focus and global perspective
1. Critical interrogation
“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of
thinking we used when we created them”
Albert Einstein
“Let him that would move the world first
move himself”
Socrates
2. Interdisciplinarity
Strong vs weak sustainability
Interdisciplinarity:
Schools contributing to teaching
Biological
Sciences
Management
International
Relations
Chemistry
Department of Geography
& Sustainable
Development
(coordinator)
Economics and
Finance
Film Studies,
Philosophy and
Social
Anthropology
Divinity
Mathematics
and Statistics
Medicine
History
External experts
Estates
3. Pedagogy - Transformative learning
& multiple skills
Educational
display
Group work
Design
Essays
Visiting
speakers
Dissertation
Marketing
Debate
Exams
Reports
Popular
articles
Careers
support
Independent
research
Presentations
Time
Reflective
management assignments
External
linkages
Fieldtrips
4. Curriculum: Academia as if the world matters:
Contemporary issues framework
UN’s five priority areas:
• Water and sanitation
• Energy
• Health
• Agriculture
• Biodiversity
Cross cutting themes:
•Research and education
•Policy, decision making and governance
•Markets and institutions
•Changing behaviour
•Values, philosophies and ethics
•Gender and equity
Contemporary sustainability issues matrix
2016
Topics:
•Poverty
•Health and wellbeing
•Water and sanitation
•Climate change and energy
•Prosperity and responsible consumption and
production
•Sustainable communities and cities
•Biodiversity and ecosystems
Cross cutting themes:
•Knowledge for research, learning and practice
•Policy, decision making and governance
•Partnership and diversity
•Sustainable behaviours
•Values, philosophies and ethics
•Equity and Gender
5. Local focus-global perspective
Think global-act locally..
Global
National
Global
Regional
National
Local
Examples:
•HIV Aids in Ethiopia
•European Water Framework
Directive
•UK Sustainable Development
Indicators
•Scotland’s Sustainable
Development Commission
•Fife Council Waste Management
•University of St Andrews
SD PROGRAMME - PAST
How is the SD Programme taught?
Students tailor individual SD Pathways with partner disciplines to at
match their skills, interests and career goals
SD Interdisciplinary core modules
+ specialism modules
At every level students combine core SD modules with modules from other
disciplines (both MA and BSc)
e.g. geography, biology, management, modern history, social anthropology,
economics, philosophy, chemistry.
SD Pathways
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Climate change
International development
Environmental management
Sustainable technologies
Social justice
Knowledge and education for
sustainability
• Business and corporate social
responsibility
• Policy for sustainable development
Structure
Second Year Third Year
Fourth Year
Senior Honours
SD4001
Sustainable
Development:
Priorities and
Pathways
Junior Honours
SD2001
2-3 Honours
SD: Ecological & options from other
programmes &
Environmental
from those taught
Aspects
by SD staff
+ Two other
subjects
+ 1 Other
subject
+ 1 other option
SD1003
SD2002
Sustainable
Development:
Towards
alternative
futures
+ Two other
subjects
SD: Social &
Economic
Aspects
First Year
Semester 1
Semester 2
SD1001
+ 1 Other
subject
SD Research
methods
+ additional SD
research methods
or subject options
Experience of
SD
SD4002
Dissertation in
SD
1st Year
Approach:
- Breadth topics
- Interdisciplinary
- Themes
- Holistic
SD1001 Sustainable development: Priorities and
pathways
Themes:
• History and frameworks of sustainable
development;
• Biodiversity conservation;
• International development and culture;
• Institutional SD strategies.
SD1003: Sustainable development:
towards alternative futures
Themes:
• Climate change and responses;
• Sound science, knowledge and
learning for SD;
• Water and sanitation;
• Governance for SD;
2nd
Year
Approach:
- Separate and more in-depth
focus on environmental and
social aspects
- Maintains interdisciplinarity
& holism
SD2001: SD: Ecological & Environmental
Aspects
Themes:
• Ecosystem functions & services
• Anthropogenic effects on ecosystem
functions & services
• Technology & the environment
• Environmental monitoring & assessment
• Conservation & protection strategies
SD2002: SD Social and Economic
Aspects
Themes:
• Values, philosophy and history of SD
• Policy, decision making and
governance
• Markets and institutions
• Development, cultures and social
justice
Presentations
Social audit
Essays
Posters
Statistics
workshops
Field trips
Displays
3rd Year
Research Methods Training
30, 40 or 60 Credits from the following:
10 credits compulsory
10 credits
UNIT 1: Interdisciplinary Research Methodology/Design
UNIT 2: Qualitative Methods for Social Science
10 credits
10+10 credits
20 credits compulsory
UNIT 3: Quantitative Methods for Social Science
UNIT 4: Physical Science Methods
UNIT 5: Field Course – group research exercise/future scenarios planning
4th Year
Independent research dissertations
Example titles:
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A Framework Analysis of the European Union Emission Trading Scheme
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Limitations Facing Behavioural Change in Light of Global Climate Change
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How the media's portrayal of climate change influences public opinion and political response
•
The future of commercial fishing in Scotland
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Post Deep-water Horizon: BP's reputation management in relation to its corporate social responsibility
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Assessing the economic, environmental and social effectiveness of a microloans project for women and
sustainable agriculture in rural Zambia
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Sustainable Building Design: Reconciling New and Traditional Methods with Sustainability
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Drivers and benefits of the recent urban farm movement in Chicago
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An analysis of commercial wind farm contributions to community benefit schemes in Scotland
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The implications of bee decline in Fife
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How can Sustainable Development be considered by NGOs in post-natural disaster redevelopment?
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Rocky Road to Recovery: The role of NGOs in Paving Kenya's Path to Sustainable Development in the
Aftermath of the 2007 Election Crisis
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People & Power: A case study of health & health care in an Indian Tea Garden
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Barriers and opportunities for domestic microrenewables to contribute to reduction in carbon emissions
•
Acting like it matters: Using the Dramatic Arts for Sustainability Education in Scottish Primary Schools
Doing interdisciplinarity well…
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Reconciling epistemological incompatibilities!
Linking teaching staff (harder than-)
Explicitly discussing it with students
Synthesis lectures
Framework for modules, assignments, programme…
Themes and case studies
Assignments: learning by doing, critical reflection,
discussion and dialogical pedagogy
• Making it real – linking to practical initiatives
Reconciling our epistemological
incompatibilities
• How do we reconcile our epistemological
incompatibilities as individuals or collectively?
• Do our methodologies align with our
epistemological position?
Carbon emission reduction
SD1003
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Calculate personal carbon emissions for semester 1
Make a plan to reduce carbon by 20% for semester 2
Record carbon emissions semester 2
Write a reflective essay explaining whether target
was met and if not why, critically analysing results in
relation to literature on climate change mitigation
and behaviour change
Sustainable Development Programme
‘Willow weaving’ material based practice in SD2002
4th Year Fieldtrip
Findhorn ecovillage
Findhorn
wards a sustainable university? University of St Andrews
Teaching
Estates
Research
Governance
Students
Community
White 2013; White and
Harder 2013; White 2014
wards a sustainable university? University of St Andrews
Teaching
Research
Estates
Transition UStA
Governance
Students
Wider Community
White 2013; White and
Harder 2013; White 2014
Successes…….
Universities that Count recognition for teaching and research in SD
Green Gown Award 2009 Best UK Sustainability Course
Scotland’s flagship Higher Education case study for the UN Decade
for Education in Sustainable Development
Times Higher Education Award for Outstanding Contribution to
Sustainable Development 2006
First class status for People and Planet Green League Environmental
Performance 2007 and 2008 (top Scottish University)
BREEAM Excellent 2009 for new medical building
Green Tourism Award
SD PROGRAMME - PRESENT
CHALLENGES FOR
INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMMES
Challenges
• Need senior and local buy in
• Need to be formally embedded in wider University
structures
• Need sufficient resourcing – interdisciplinarity takes
time, trust, relationships, commitment
• Need to permit innovation
• Recognise stages – pioneer, growth, stable, erosion….. ?
Conclusions
• Interdisciplinarity in sustainability programmes is necessary
and exhilarating, but requires resource, time and commitment
• It can occur within modules or across modules and will look
very different depending on your institutional interest
• Essential to consider curriculum and pedagogy
• Develop a theoretical underpinning
• Engage with practice within and beyond the institution
• Beware of the challenges even when established!