The campus as a living laboratory - exploring place-based approaches to ESD

12th Feb 2014 10:30 – 15:30

This event is being hosted as part of the Higher Education Academy's Workshop and Seminar Series 2013/2014.

Information about the event

The workshop will build upon a research project that explored the opportunities for the development of ESD at two universities - Warwick University and Monash University, Australia. Findings from this research project revealed that a place-based approach to ESD has particular positive potential to engage students and wider campus communities, for example, through projects that used the campus as a living laboratory for learning, including through food growing initiatives, energy awareness programmes and through initiatives that enabled students to connect with environmental and social issues facing their local community. This event is an opportunity to bring academics working in various areas of sustainability research and teaching to the Sustainable Places Research Institute, in Cardiff University, to further explore the significance of place within learning experiences for sustainability. Students and academics from Cardiff University, the Institute of Advanced Teaching and Learning (IATL) at Warwick University and the Monash Sustainability Institute (Monash University, Melbourne Australia) will present their experiences of ESD with reference to a their specialist fields of interest, which will include transdisciplinarity, student inclusion and place-based learning. These presentations will then lead into discussions concerning future opportunities for utilising the physical and natural environments of the campus for their learning potential. The event will end with a session that encourages participants to consider how they might take ideas and collaborations forward.

Aims/outcomes

As a result of attending this event, delegates will:

• gain an appreciation of general progress made to-date on the integration of ESD into Higher Education both within a national and global context.

• have the opportunity to share institutional success stories as well as to share learning from challenges, through a facilitated discussion of place-based ESD approaches within their institutions.

• develop their skills and appreciation of the field of kinaesthetic learning and its application to ESD through practical activity.

• devise new ideas for ways to drive place-based ESD forward within their institutions.

Information about sessions and speakers

Professor Daniella Tilbury will deliver a keynote speech to contextualise the event, while Dr Paul Taylor (Warwick University) and George Ttoouli (Warwick University) will explore the role of spatial considerations in improving the experience of all students. Additionally, we aim to provide a video-link through which participants will be able to watch Professor Geoff Rose and Mark Boulet’s presentations on place-based Education for Sustainability initiatives at Monash University in Australia. Addressing these issues through the case study presentations will lead to their inclusion in collaborative discussions held later in the day.

Bookings

There is no charge to attend the seminar, but a place must be reserved. 40 places available on first-come, first-served basis.

Book on this event

Contact email
[email protected] View this event on the EAUC website →