EDF1033 - Education for environment and sustainability - 2017

6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Undergraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Faculty

Education

Coordinator(s)

Dr Sylvia Almeida

Unit guides

Offered

Peninsula

  • Second semester 2017 (Day)

Synopsis

In this unit students are introduced to place-based and experiential opportunities to begin developing their own practices for teaching about environment and sustainability. Students investigate how environment and sustainability concepts and practices are facilitated in early years education. They develop an appreciation for their local environments and explore how these can be integrated into teaching and learning through extensive fieldwork both on- and off-campus. They investigate and understand the cultural, social, economic, ecological and political factors that influence attitudes and action towards environment and sustainability. Students develop theoretical and pedagogical knowledge of how to develop holistic learning experiences for environment and sustainability throughout the early years of education.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. critically reflect upon their own environmental experiences and understandings
  2. describe and understand current environmental and sustainability perspectives in early years education
  3. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the national and global reasons that have led to the emergence of education for sustainability as an educational priority
  4. discuss and evaluate the influence of cultural, social, economic, ecological and political factors on how concepts of environment and sustainability are understood and incorporated into curricula in local and global contexts
  5. design, implement and evaluate holistic learning experiences for environment and sustainability throughout the early years of education.

Assessment

Journal: analysis of local, national and global environment and sustainability curriculum for early childhood and/or primary education settings (1600 words, 40%)

Group development task: plan, implement and evaluate strategies for learning experiences related to environment and sustainability in early years and/or primary education settings (2400 words, 60%)

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload equals 12 hours per week comprising:

  1. Contact hours for on-campus students:
    • 2 hours per week
  2. Additional requirements:
    • 10 hours of independent study per week

See also Unit timetable information

Chief examiner(s)

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study