Development and delivery of a Sustainable Development unit in UK universities: A Higher Education’s guide for future sustainability leaders

Eleni Michalopoulou; Aisling  Tierney; Ed Atkins; Tabitha H J Stanmore; Lin Ma; Natalie A Jester; Chris W Preist

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-63399-8_30

Development and delivery of a Sustainable Development unit in UK universities: A Higher Education’s guide for future sustainability leaders

Eleni Michalopoulou, Aisling Tierney, Ed Atkins, Tabitha H J Stanmore, Lin Ma, Natalie A Jester , Chris W Preist

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter in a book

1 Citation (Scopus)

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Abstract

In 2016, the University of Bristol launched its institution-wide, interdisciplinary Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) initiative. Bristol Futures (BF) is formed of two parts: a free online course available to university students and the public, and an optional, credit bearing unit available to all undergraduate students. This initiative encourages learners to understand the role that everyday behaviours have in creating and mitigating global environmental challenges. This paper profiles the Sustainable Futures (SF) pathway of this initiative, which offers innovative education to students to illuminate the role of their core discipline in solving sustainable development challenges. In doing so, it encourages them to become engaged citizens and agents in both understanding and addressing the challenges that humanity faces, whilst giving them a broad educational experience which, in turn, enhances their future employability. By adopting a challenge-based, post-disciplinary approach to global challenges and therefore ESD,
and the combination of a range of learning and teaching methods including multimedia platforms, blended learning and flipped classrooms, we put forward Bristol’s model of teaching ESD in the Anthropocene. This work demonstrates the fusion of these key characteristics that has allowed for the Bristol Futures curriculum to enhance student learning and provide interdisciplinary
engagement with complex challenges in a way that forms Sustainable Development leaders of the future.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Universities, Sustainability and Society
Subtitle of host publication	Supporting the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals
Editors	Walter Leal Filho, Amanda Lange Salvia, Luciana Brandli, Ulisses M Azeiteiro, Rudi Pretorius
Publisher	Springer Nature
Pages	465-481
Number of pages	17
ISBN (Electronic)	978-3-030-63399-8
ISBN (Print)	978-3-030-63398-1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63399-8_30
Publication status	Published - 2021

Publication series

Name	World Sustainability Series
ISSN (Print)	2199-7373
ISSN (Electronic)	2199-7381

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021.

Research Groups and Themes

Bristol Interaction Group

Keywords

education
sustainable development
curriculum
global challenges
blended learning
SDGs

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-030-63399-8_30

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Michalopoulou, E., Tierney, A., Atkins, E., Stanmore, T. H. J., Ma, L., Jester , N. A., & Preist, C. W. (2021). Development and delivery of a Sustainable Development unit in UK universities: A Higher Education’s guide for future sustainability leaders. In W. Leal Filho, A. Lange Salvia, L. Brandli, U. M Azeiteiro, & R. Pretorius (Eds.), Universities, Sustainability and Society: Supporting the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (pp. 465-481). (World Sustainability Series). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63399-8_30

Michalopoulou, Eleni ; Tierney, Aisling ; Atkins, Ed et al. / Development and delivery of a Sustainable Development unit in UK universities : A Higher Education’s guide for future sustainability leaders. Universities, Sustainability and Society: Supporting the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. editor / Walter Leal Filho ; Amanda Lange Salvia ; Luciana Brandli ; Ulisses M Azeiteiro ; Rudi Pretorius. Springer Nature, 2021. pp. 465-481 (World Sustainability Series).

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abstract = "In 2016, the University of Bristol launched its institution-wide, interdisciplinary Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) initiative. Bristol Futures (BF) is formed of two parts: a free online course available to university students and the public, and an optional, credit bearing unit available to all undergraduate students. This initiative encourages learners to understand the role that everyday behaviours have in creating and mitigating global environmental challenges. This paper profiles the Sustainable Futures (SF) pathway of this initiative, which offers innovative education to students to illuminate the role of their core discipline in solving sustainable development challenges. In doing so, it encourages them to become engaged citizens and agents in both understanding and addressing the challenges that humanity faces, whilst giving them a broad educational experience which, in turn, enhances their future employability. By adopting a challenge-based, post-disciplinary approach to global challenges and therefore ESD,and the combination of a range of learning and teaching methods including multimedia platforms, blended learning and flipped classrooms, we put forward Bristol{\textquoteright}s model of teaching ESD in the Anthropocene. This work demonstrates the fusion of these key characteristics that has allowed for the Bristol Futures curriculum to enhance student learning and provide interdisciplinaryengagement with complex challenges in a way that forms Sustainable Development leaders of the future.",

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Michalopoulou, E, Tierney, A , Atkins, E, Stanmore, THJ, Ma, L, Jester , NA & Preist, CW 2021, Development and delivery of a Sustainable Development unit in UK universities: A Higher Education’s guide for future sustainability leaders. in W Leal Filho, A Lange Salvia, L Brandli, U M Azeiteiro & R Pretorius (eds), Universities, Sustainability and Society: Supporting the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. World Sustainability Series, Springer Nature, pp. 465-481. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63399-8_30

Development and delivery of a Sustainable Development unit in UK universities: A Higher Education’s guide for future sustainability leaders. / Michalopoulou, Eleni; Tierney, Aisling ; Atkins, Ed et al.
Universities, Sustainability and Society: Supporting the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. ed. / Walter Leal Filho; Amanda Lange Salvia; Luciana Brandli; Ulisses M Azeiteiro; Rudi Pretorius. Springer Nature, 2021. p. 465-481 (World Sustainability Series).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter in a book

TY - CHAP

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AU - Tierney, Aisling

AU - Atkins, Ed

AU - Stanmore, Tabitha H J

AU - Ma, Lin

AU - Jester , Natalie A

AU - Preist, Chris W

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Michalopoulou E, Tierney A , Atkins E, Stanmore THJ, Ma L, Jester NA et al. Development and delivery of a Sustainable Development unit in UK universities: A Higher Education’s guide for future sustainability leaders. In Leal Filho W, Lange Salvia A, Brandli L, M Azeiteiro U, Pretorius R, editors, Universities, Sustainability and Society: Supporting the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Springer Nature. 2021. p. 465-481. (World Sustainability Series). Epub 2021 May 4. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-63399-8_30

Development and delivery of a Sustainable Development unit in UK universities: A Higher Education’s guide for future sustainability leaders

Abstract

Publication series

Bibliographical note

Research Groups and Themes

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Handle.net

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