Education for Sustainability E3562AS

Course Outline
Course Instructor: Main Campus, University of Namibia
Prof C.N. S. Shaimemanya
[email protected]
Class Meetings:

Dates and Times: Friday 11.30 to 13.25

Venue: Online Classes via Bigbluebutton (to accommodate Distance students)

Consultation Hours:
Friday: 10 am to 13 hours (Media Lab and by Appointment)

Education for Sustainability advice will be provided through group

consultations/group meetings due to class size. Due to limited office space, we
will need to have consultation meetings in the Media Lab. The exact meeting
location will be provided before the meeting. As a class, I encourage you to
develop supports within the group so that you can get together or work via
Moodle or other platforms.

Course Rationale:
Sustainability starts with teachers. The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development sets 17 sustainable development goals and provides a shared
blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the
future. In this module, student teachers will engage in Sustainability Change
Projects on issues of their choice to take action and develop personal
responsibility and move toward reaching UN set goals 2030. Education for
Sustainability module is a 100% CA based module in which students are
required to come up with a Change Project that they can work on throughout the
semester.

Contact Hours: 4 hours 2 hrs contact sessions and 2 hours Change Project
Research time
Module Assessment: Sustainability Change Project
Continuous assessment: 100%
Examination: No Examination

Course Methodology
The module is structured in such a way that it allows students to build up a
Sustainability Change Project which they can get feedback on at different times
of the module teaching and present their final Change Projects at the end of the
module/semester as a Final assessment. The standard methodology is highly
practical and participative with hands on approach that comprises real
sustainability issues and case study examinations. Students will do Change
Projects; action project’ students are meaningfully engaged throughout the
entire process—from deciding on the topic of the project to how it will be
carried out. In Action Projects, students choose an issue that is important to the
group; steps involved include: visioning, researching, acting, reflecting and
celebrating. There is meaningful engagement of students through an entire
process. Due to large class sizes and to encourage exchange of ideas among
students, change projects are done in groups.
Course content and fundamental information will be introduced through themes
from Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future; a UNESCO programme
for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development that
provides professional development for student teachers, teachers, curriculum
developers, education policy makers, and authors of educational materials.

Education for Sustainability employs a hands-on approach, interactive teaching

approaches and active participation within a group consisting of students with
similar interests and needs. The course prepares student teachers to implement
sustainability in their everyday life and profession.

Module Requirements and Expectations:

Regular checking of the Portal, active participation in Change Project research

activities and discussions, Moodle Discussion Forum; acquisition of
prescribed/recommended material on Sustainability are compulsory; reading of
prescribed/recommended materials in advance; timely reporting on
Sustainability Change Projects; plagiarism, cheating and other forms of
academic dishonesty are prohibited; students with disabilities should contact
their lecturer in advance to explain their needs; all module requirements must be
fulfilled; engaging in learning circles is recommended; be aware of the
University and Faculty Assessment Policies. All students must fully participate
in Sustainability Change Projects to earn a grade.

Themes

Theme 1 – Introduction to Sustainability/ Sustainability in Education /

Education for Sustainable Development
Theme 2 – Creating, facilitating, and evaluating projects focusing on
sustainability with students
Theme 3 – 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Theme 4 – Global Citizenship education and Sustainable Development
Theme 5 – Analysing Curriculum documents on ESD (using SDGs)
Theme 6 – Key global, regional and national policies on ESD (i.e., Education
for 2030, ESD strategy for Southern Africa, Namibian ESD Policy etc
Theme 7 – Critical sustainability issues in context (globally, nationally, locally)
Theme 8 – Transformative pedagogies and assessment on ESD
Theme 9 – Values, Ethics and Sustainable lifestyles

Exit Learning Outcomes (ELO):

Upon the completion of this module students should be able to:

1. Know and understand the concepts of sustainability and Education for
Sustainable Development (ESD.
2. Understand how to create, facilitate, and evaluate projects focusing on
sustainability with students.
3. Be aware of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their
connection to education (Agenda 2030).
4. Understand the role of Global Citizenship Education in achieving
sustainable development.
5. Analyse curriculum documents on ESD (using the SDGs).
6. Key global, regional and national policies on ESD (i.e., Education for
2030, ESD strategy for Southern Africa, Namibian ESD policy etc.).
7. Observe critical sustainability issues / challenges in context (global,
national, local).
8. Explore transformative pedagogies and assessment strategies for
ESD.
 9. Understand the importance of individual responsibility and values in
our daily lives and in responsible decision-making.

Recommended Reading Material

Brinkmann, R. (2016). Introduction to Sustainability. Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 336
Brundtland Commission (World Commission on Environment and
Development) (1987). Our common future. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Cavallar, G. (2012). Cosmopolitanisms in Kant’s philosophy. Ethics & Global
Politics, 5(2), 95-118, DOI: 10.3402/egp.v5i2.14924.
Hoyler, J.C. Ed. (2015). The Guide to Education for Sustainability 2015
Edition. Shelburne Farms’ Sustainable Schools Project Vermont, USA 2015
https://corporate.enelx.com/en/question-and-answers/what-is-biodiversity#
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda/
https://sustainablelifestyleseducation.org/theme/values-ethics/
https://www.globalcitizenshipfoundation.org/about/global-citizenship-education
https://en.unesco.org/themes/gced
Malmsten, M. (2017). Global citizenship education in the Finnish context.
Lund: Lund University, Graduate School.
National Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable Development
Policy 2019 (available online)
North-South Centre (2002). Europe-wide Global Education Congress: The
Maastricht Global Education Declaration. Retrieved from
https://rm.coe.int/168070e540
OECD (2018). Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Sustainable Development.
Policy Highlights
Pacho, T. O. (2021). Role of global citizenship education in sustainable
development. Journal of Research Innovation and Implications in Education,
5(4), 173 – 182.
Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our
Common Future available online
SADC_ESD_Regional_Strategic_Framework_Draft_2 (available online)
Schattle H. (2009). Global citizenship in theory and practice. In The handbook
of practice and research in study abroad: Higher education and the quest for
global citizenship, R. Lewin (Ed.). London: Routledge.
Shaping the Future We Want - UN Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development Final report 2014 available online
The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2022 UN
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/
UNESCO (2018) Guidebook on Education for Sustainable Development for
educators - Effective teaching and learning in teacher education institutions in
Africa20. Available Online
UNESCO (2021) Citizenship Education for democratic and sustainable
communities - UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities Citizenship
Education cluster. Available Online
UNESCO (2002) Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future - A
Multimedia Teacher Education Programme Available Online
UNESCO (2008) Teacher’s Guide for Education for Sustainable Development
in the Caribbean
UNESCO (2016). Global citizens for sustainable development: A guide for
teachers. Paris: UNESCO.
UNESCO (2015). Global citizenship education: Topics and learning objectives.
Paris: UNESCO.
United Nations (2012). Global Education First Initiative. An initiative of the
United Nations Secretary-General. New York. Retrieved from
http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_
asset/20120927_EducationFirst_en_0.pdf
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