www.novia.fi

Education for Sustainable Development in Academia in the Nordic countries, ESDAN

Project leader Tove HolmE-mail: tove.holm@novia.fi

Telephone:+358 (0)44 762 3115

www.novia.fi

Education for Sustainable Development in Academia in the Nordic countries, ESDAN, objectives

The objectives for the projects are:

to development a process for including education for sustainable development in the curricula in higher education, and

as result identify and publish examples of relevant sustainability issues in different degree programs in institutions of higher education in the Nordic countries

www.novia.fi

Education for Sustainable Development in Academia in the Nordic countries, ESDAN, seminars

We´ll organize four international seminars during which a process for enhancing ESD will be further developed.

The first seminar will be on October 13th in University of Gävle in Sweden, during which the process for how ESD will be developed, on the base of the processes that are in use in the pilot universities.

The process will be tested and implemented at the pilot universities.

The second seminar will be on March 15th 2012 at Novia University of Applied Sciences in Turku in Finland, third in October 2012 at Roskilde University in Denmark. and the fourth in March 2013, in Finland.

www.novia.fi

Education for Sustainable Development in Academia in the Nordic countries, ESDAN, goals for the process

Our goals are that the process can be used in the quality assurance work in the universities, which are audited on basis of national demands, which is based on European demands for quality assurance in universities, and

that the process will be so time efficient and useful that it will be put in practice and a benefit for the universities.

The process for involving sustainable development in the curricula will include:

- guidance for competence development for the faculty and identifying relevant aspects of education for sustainable development,

- useful checklists and questions for self-evaluation and audits, - a list of virtual courses and other related material.

www.novia.fi

Education for Sustainable Development in Academia in the Nordic countries, ESDAN

The project is connected to the Nordic sustainability strategy by that we´ll develop guidelines for how education for sustainable development can be included in the curricula in higher education, which boost the vision that the Nordic countries will be the leader of enhancing the UN decade for Education for Sustainable Development.

The project enhances innovative cooperation for education and research for sustainable development. Scientific research about education for sustainable development is quite new, both internationally and nationally. New knowledge and research cooperation is important for building knowledge and for use of it in practice.

www.novia.fi

– Tampere University, Saana Raatikainen

– University of Eastern Finland, Sirpa Suntioinen/Tove Holm

– Novia University of Applied Sciences, Tove Holm

– University of Gävle, Kaisu Sammalisto and Matilda Ahl

– Kristianstad University, Jaromir Korostenski

– Umeå University, Åsa Bäckström

– University of Gothenburg in cooperation with Chalmers, Johan Boman,

– Roskilde University, Thomas Skou Grinsted

– Copenhagen Business School, Patricia Plackett

– University College Sjælland, Thomas

www.novia.fi

Programme, October 13th

Ten universities from Denmark, Sweden and Finland will present How education for sustainable development is enhanced at

their university. Each university have 15 minutes for the presentation.

Underlaget var svaren på en enkät som vi har svarat på under våren 2011

Enkäten visade på att vi vi svarat på enkäten var ganska bra på ESD.

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Programme, October 13th

• Describe how education for sustainable development (SU) is taken into account in your university’s strategy.

 • Describe you university’s connection between education for SU

and the quality assurance work. • Describe your university’s management system. Is it connected do

education for sustainable development (ESD)? • Describe collaborations (current and in plan) with external parties

with regards to ESD.

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Programme, October 13th

• Which aspects of ESD have failed at your university and why.  • What kinds of resources are needed in order to improve ESD at

your university. • What do you think are the strategic benefits to improve ESD at

your university. • Does your university provide guidance in developing competence

about ESD for teaching staff?  • Does your university use checklists for self-evaluation and audits

about ESD?• What your university considers are relevant aspects of ESD?

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Programme, October 13th

Workshop during which a tool for enhancing education for sustainable development

will be further developed.

The objective is that the tool can be used in the management systems of the universities.

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Afternoon, October 13th

Development of a pilot process for including education for sustainable development in the curricula in higher education that can be used in the quality assurance work in the universities,

Goals:-the process will be so time efficient and useful that it will be

put in practice and a benefit for the universities.

The process for involving sustainable development in the curricula will include:

- guidance for competence development for the faculty and identifying relevant aspects of education for sustainable development,

- useful checklists and questions for self-evaluation and audits,

- a list of virtual courses and other related material.

www.novia.fi

ESD in higher

education

Sustainable development,

1987

Education fundamental

for SD

International and national declarations

and strategies

Copernicus Charter 1993:

300 Ihe:s

UN Decade of Education for Sustainable

Development, 2005- 2015

Graduates: Economic,

environmental and social costs and benefits in decision making

Cross disciplinary approaches; holistic and systematic thinking

(Lindroos, 2009; Sibbel, 2008; Svanström et al., 2009; WECD, 1987; UN DESD, 2011)

www.novia.fiNational strategies for implementing the DESD, either separate, or a part of the strategy for SD

ESD in HE in the

Nordic Countrie

s

Sustainable developmen

t

Legislation

National and

international

declarations and

strategies

UN DESD, 2005- 2015

Cooperation

Challenges

Agenda 21 for Education in the

Baltic Sea Region, 2002

Nordic strategy for sustainable development

Nationally and internationally

Strengthen existing networks

Lack of proper ESD teaching tools and

research

Some rectors of HE in Finland: To integrate ESD in the quality assurance and the quality management systems

(Baltic 21 E, 2002; Honkanen et al., 2009; Lindberg, 2010; Ministry of Education in Finland, 2005, 2006; Nordic Council of Ministers, 2009; Parliament of Finland, 2003, 2009; UN DESD, 2010; Vainonen, 2010)

EuropeNOT in other Nordic countries

Swedish Higher Education Act, 2006

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The Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education

(2003)

Education is evaluated

All higher education institutions were required to

have quality assurance, national agencies were

established

1960

Mid 1990s 2000

2010

The predecessor of The Danish Evaluation Institute

(1999)

The Finnish Higher Education

Evaluation Council (1995)The National Agency for

Higher Education (1995) in Sweden had audited all, 39,

institutions of higher education

1990

European standards and guidelines for quality assurance in higher education,

2005: national quality assurance agencies

1998

Quality assurance in higher education in the Nordic countries

(Amaral & Rosa, 2010; Danø & Stensaker, 2007; Franke, 2002; Huisman & Westerheijden; 2010; Saarinen, 2005; Thune, 2001)

Quality Enhancement Framework for Icelandic Higher Education Institutions,(2011-)

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Quality assurance in higher education in the Nordic countries

• The formulation of the criteria in the Nordic countries have been developed with stakeholders. The standards are broad and “soft”.

• Some kind of self assessment is a part of the accreditation.• Finland: Indicators for SD are not included in the audit model

for quality assurance, but SD can be an optional subject for the audits in Finland, 2011-.

• Sweden: nothing about sustainability• Denmark: nothing about sustainability• Norway: nothing about sustainability• Iceland: nothing about sustainability

(Danø & Stensaker, 2007; FINHEES, 2010; Swedish National Agency for Higher Education, 2011; The Danish Evaluation Institute , 2011; The Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education, 2011; Quality Enhancement Framework for Icelandic Higher Education Institutions, 2011 )

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• AISHE: Assessment Instrument for Sustainability in Higher Education, based on EFQM

Useful checklists and questions for self-evaluation and audits, 3/5

www.novia.fi

• the Austrian Sustainability Award for Universities, http://www.umweltbildung.at/cgi-bin/cms/af.pl?navid=50

Useful checklists and questions for self-evaluation and audits, 4/5

www.novia.fi

A. Competence development for the

faculty

Process for including education for sustainable development (ESD) in curricula in higher education

• See Plan: B

• meso → micro level

Act Plan

DoCheck

B. Useful checklists and/or questions

Virtual Continuing education Self-

evaluation

Audits

Virtual courses

Other materials

Games

FilmsTextbooks

C. Materials for education

Identify relevant aspect of

education for ESD: meso →

micro level

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Pilot universities, good examples of guidance for competence development for the faculty

Pilot universities, good examples of identified relevant aspects of education for sustainable development

Pilot universities, good examples of useful checklists and questions for self-evaluation and audits

Pilot universities, good examples of virtual courses and other related material

www.novia.fi

University Competence development for the faculty

Identified relevant aspects of ESD, or methods for

Checklists and questions for self-evaluation and audits

Virtual courses and other related material

Tampere Uni

UEF

Novia UAS

Gävle Uni

Kristianstad

Gothenburg

Chalmers

Umeå Uni

Roskilde

CBS

UCS

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• Its harder to adjust the practice than the content in higher education.

• Action research in higher education render possible the twin roles of the academics as teachers and researchers.

• ... action research is a participatory, democratic process concerned with practical knowing in the pursuit of worthwhile human purposes, grounded in a participatory worldview... It seeks to bring together action and reflection, theory and practise in participation with others, in the pursuit of practical solutions to issues of pressing concern to people... (Reason & Bradbury, 2001,. P.1)

Task 2: action research

(Tormey et al., 2008)

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Task 2: to identify relevant aspects of SD

• Present the process at your institution on higher education• Test the process (or a part of it, that´s natural considering the

work and situation) at your institution of higher education, at the entire/ a department/ a section/ a faculty or a degree programme

• Make notes about the development• Document the results at an development seminar• The results should include a) identified relevant aspects of

sustainable development (=competences) in the degree programmes/ faculty that is involved and b) how they are documented in the curricula

• For identifying, use for example the STAUNCH auditing tool or the table developed in the project of the Nordic Council of Ministers

• I, as project leader, would appreciate to attend the seminar, through for example Adobe Connect Pro or other virtual solution, if possible.

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ResultsDegree programme/ faculty/ major/minor

Relevant aspects of sustainable development, (compe-tences)

Documented in curricula (core requirements/ programs/ major/ minor/ courses

• Positive reflections from piloting the process

• Development ideas from piloting the process

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Task 2

Every pilot university will write a report (1-2, max. 3 pages) of the results and plan a power point presentation (3-5 slides) of 15 minutes for the next seminar, that will be held in Turku in Finland on March 15th.

• The deadline for the report and the power point presentation is March 1st.

• Name them with the name of our university, for example: University of Gävle_seminar 2.docx. and University of Gävle_seminar2.ppt.

• Save your report and the ppt. presentation in the dropbox folder: ESDAN: seminar 15.3.2012.