BUP Teachers Course: Education for Sustainable Development in Higher Education

The course focuses on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in the learning methods in Higher Education. The participants will better integrate the UN Sustainable Development Goals into their own practical teaching, courses and study programmes.

The emphasis is especially to strengthen the goals #4 “Quality education”, #12 “Responsible consumption and production”, and #13 “Climate action”. The course includes facts in sustainability issues, with an emphasis on teaching methodology, including e-learning, peer learning and work with an individual project.

The course consists of five cycles. The participants will get an introduction to, and use different methods and processes applied in the course cycles.

Each participant will develop a so-called Change project during the course. The Change project is based on an already existing course, study programme or a future teaching experience. The idea is to change the content to better integrate the ESD. The planning and implementation of the Change project will be the main outcome of the course. All the participants will have support of a critical friend and peer reviews via the e-platform Moodle and during the workshops.

Cycle 1. E-learning on Moodle. Introduction to sustainability and ESD. Preliminary planning of the Change project (1 month).

Cycle 2. Workshop I with focus on SDG, ESD methodology and Design Thinking. Presentation of the plans and further development of the Change project (3 days).

Cycle 3. Development of the Change project at the home university. Preparation for presentation of the project (including implementation plan, teaching and learning methods). (4 months).

Cycle 4. Workshop II with focus on critical reflection. Presentation, reporting and peer learning together with the course. Discussion how to take the Change project forward. (3 days).

Cycle 5. Post course work in implementation of the Change project at the home university. Possibility to publish the project reports at the BUP website and/or a scientific journal.