New Episodes of Northern Lights Student Podcast

Reinventing Climate Change Education

After a successful Arctic Innovation Lab pitch, Research Assistant Ulla Hemminki-Reijonen received funding from the Arctic Initiative to develop her idea into a paper that reviews the changing world of climate change education and opportunities for adopting innovative pedagogical approaches. Below are her key recommendations:

CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION CHECKLIST

Allow students to experience climate change instead of just asking them to read about it Create an ecosystem of media Be open for the opportunities with new technologies such as virtual reality Instead of substituting old content with digital workflows, try to redefine the teaching

Prioritize creative, cross-curricular, and participatory methods Encourage cooperative relationships between faculty and students and student-led curriculum design Promote exchange with scientists Be open for unexpected collaboration; leave room for new innovations Try flipped classroom method and encourage students’ own explorations Consider arts-based education as an approach

Improve the systemic support and involve policymakers and educational institutions to collaborate

New Episodes of Northern Lights Student Podcast

The spring semester saw the release of three new episodes of Northern Lights, a student-produced podcast that showcases vibrant stories from and about the Arctic. The project was created by former Postdoctoral Research Fellow Sarah Mackie and launched in March 2021. Interview excerpts from the latest episodes are featured below.

Episode 15: Climate Change and the Arctic Food Web

Produced by Ulla Hemminki-Reijonen, Sarah Littlefield, Annick Steta, and Jenna Wu “Arctic ecosystems systems are often described as fragile, but we’re finding ways in which the Arctic is actually somewhat robust and malleable. It can absorb some change. However, at the higher levels of the food web, some species are very particular about what they choose to eat and will probably struggle to adapt. Other species have a much more plastic response to change.” —Finlo Cottier, Scottish Association for Marine Science