act for sustainability course at wageningen university ... · straightforward. obvious. many...
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SHE Forum March 2018Arjen Wals
June 6th, 2017
ACT for Sustainability Course at WageningenUniversity: Responsive, Relevant,
Responsible and Reflexive Higher Education
“While we marvel at Nasa’s discoveries, we destroy our irreplaceable natural resources – so we can buy pre-peeled bananas and smartphones for dogs”
George Monbiot, The Guardian, 30-09-2015
“There may be flowing water on Mars… But is there intelligent life on Earth?”
Five interrelated key area’s for sustainability science & education
Area 1: Understanding change, complexity and transitionsArea 2: Dealing with values, ethics and moral dilemmas Area 3: Building agency and transformative capacityArea 4: Utilizing diversity, uncertainty and dissonanceArea 5: Boundary crossing, systems thinking and
connectivism
A clear problem witha clear solution
PredictableStraightforwardObvious
Many familiar elementsHidden root coursesNon-linearInter-operating parts affect each other
Problem and solution not understood and keep shifting when we try to define them
Ambiguous, chaoticMany stakeholders withconflicting perspectivesMany elements are hiddenand unknownNo right/wrong solutionNot-quantifiableNo precedents
The problem and the solution are not clear but can be understood with timeSum
mar
yPr
oper
ties
Sum
mar
y
Sum
mar
yPr
oper
ties
Prop
ertie
s
Source: Rob Gibson, 2013
EASY TO SOLVE RESISTS SOLVING RESISTS DEFINING
‘Simple’
Wicked
‘Complex’
Authoritative
Hierarchical
Training
Participatory
Democratic
Social Learning
Open
Self-determined
Co-created
Closed
Predetermined
Prescribed
Authoritative
Hierarchical
Training
Participatory
Democratic
Social Learning
Open
Self-determined
Co-created
Closed
Predetermined
PrescribedInstructors Coaches
Facilitators & co-learners
Universal
Contextual
Active-empowered
Passive receivers Active receiversExtrinsic/external
Intrinsic/internal
Understanding Change, Complexity & Transitions
Doing what we do better vs doing better things…
societal developmentstransitionincrementalte
chn
olog
ical
dev
elop
men
tstr
ansi
tion
incr
emen
tal
GMO
closed-cycle
designblue revolution
>food literacy
> resource efficiency
< food waste
circulareconomy
proteinalternatives
food justice
metropolitanagriculture
cradle-to-cradle
Adapted from Wageningen UR
A mix of approaches?
societal developmentstransitionincrementalte
chn
olog
ical
dev
elop
men
tstr
ansi
tion
incr
emen
tal
MOOCS
flippedclassroom
digi-boards
curriculum greening
alternativepedagogies
learningecologies
wholeinstitutionapproach
add-on
denial
build-in
whole system re-design
Considering ethics and normativity
www.ianimal360.com
Creating Vital Coalitions Utilising Diversity
Boundary crossing & seeing connections
Source: creative commons
Hybrid Learning Configuration
A vital coalition of multiple stakeholders
engaged in a common challenge using a
blend of learning processes in a rich context
(sum>parts)
Example: ACADEMIC CONSULTANCY TRAINING (ACT) @ Wageningen UR
ACT equips students to develop and to execute sustainability-driven (real life)
consultancy projects within collaborative environments
Organizations in society =
Commissioners
Teams of Studentssociety
a real life query/challenge
academia
an advice
ACADEMIC CONSULTANCY TRAINING @ Wageningen UR
- Scientists- Coaches
The ACT-team brokering, mediating & coordinating
Stu
A consultancy setting: an office - submission CV & application letter - formalised functions -performance interviews - etc.
Enhancing Skills: reflexivity - collaboration -problem solving - innovation
society
a real life query/challenge
academia
an advice
ACADEMIC CONSULTANCY TRAININGThe Design = an example
Commissioner:a consultancy + a Ministry in NL
A strategy for stimulating the circular
economy (in the Netherlands)
Team of Students from:- Management &
Economics- Forest & Nature
conservation - Plant Science- International
Development
23
Every year:
ACADEMIC CONSULTANCY TRAININGSome facts
ACT engages almost 1,000 students from 19 MSc programmes
ACT engages commissioners of societal and private organizations in about 150 projects in which they receive advice from students.
ACT is highly appreciated by students. In 2015-2016 average score is 4.1 (max = 5; min. = 1)
Responsible Research and Inquiry
Source: Tassone et al. in press
Source: CDI, MSP-Guide, Wageningen UR 2015
Source: CDI, MSP-Guide, Wageningen UR 2015
www.mspguide.org
Adapted from Siemens, G. (2005)
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Any questions?
Source: Banksy
Twitter: @arjenwals
Email: [email protected]
Blog: www.transformativelearning.nl