Teaching the teacher A possible pathway to assist HEI lecturers towards sustainable higher education at VIVES University College
Brussels, December 8th 2015 kristof.dewaele@vives.be
Who am I ? • • • • •
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engineer in biotechnology clinical psychologist lecturer at VIVES University College international coordinator, sustainability coordinator member or PERL network (Partnership for Education and Research about Responsible Living www.livingresponsibly.org) focus on understanding (un)sustainable consumer behaviour from a psychoanalytical perspective
ESD … “for” or “about”? ESD = education for sustainable development for = goal is a more sustainable society = focussing on competencies (knowledge, skills, attitudes,..) = changing learning/teaching methodology (no ‘foie gras’ or ‘boulimia’ education) about = focus on knowledge (content)
FOR + ABOUT ! Need for basic body of knowledge about sustainability.
BEWARE : knowledge - attitude - behaviour gap !!
How? • • • •
4 half days voluntary max. 20 participants (multidisciplinary) methodology : lectures, visits, self-study
• 2 hours “lecture” + 1 hour Q&A about own course material
Goals? To give lecturers a decent basic knowledge about SD to offer useful methodologies that will enhance a more sustainable higher education combining both will help to form students that will (hopefully) contribute to a more sustainable society !
Day 1: introduction to SD lecture giving by an “expert” possible topics : - (historical) introduction to sustainable development - ‘state of the planet’ - current societal paradigms : technological/economical vision (eco modernism) vs social/ecological vision - wicked problems/system thinking Instructions about the self-task
Day 2 : visiting/inviting a best practice
possible topics: - company CSR - ‘social’ project - inviting a lecture to explain a good practice Depending on the interest/diversity of the group
Day 3 : new educational methodologies lecture giving by an educational expert possible topics (http://www.ecodesignlink.be/nl/eho-kit ) - activating lectures - brainstorm - cases - demonstration - discussion - jigsaw - ‌. What works when, how, where?
Day 4 : try out ! Teaching teaches the teacher Every group member gives a short demonstration lecture within his own expert field using new educational tools and implementing issues of sustainability
Threats/opportunities? •
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a diverse group is both valuable and a threat (bipolar society is also present at University level), don't get stuck in a ecomodernism vs social/ecological paradigm what’s in it for me ? investing time is easier if there’s a real return (assisting lecturers to transform their course material) walk your talk SD is not on an island… (21st century skills)
Questions?
kristof.dewaele@vives.be