The Urban Opportunity: Enabling Transformative and Sustainable ...
Transformative Learning for a More Sustainable World · Transformative Learning for a More...
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Arjen Wals UNESCO Chair Social Learning & Sustainable Development Transformative Learning for a More Sustainable World INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE Bridging Education and Science for Sustainable Development STARPTAUTISKĀ KONFERENCE Izglītība un zinātne ilgtspējīgai attīstībai
Transcript of Transformative Learning for a More Sustainable World · Transformative Learning for a More...
Arjen Wals
UNESCO Chair Social Learning & Sustainable Development
Transformative Learning for a More
Sustainable World
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
Bridging Education and Science for Sustainable Development
STARPTAUTISKĀ KONFERENCE
Izglītība un zinātne
ilgtspējīgai attīstībai
A few questions...
Does the dumping of toxic waste in rivers damage ecosystems?
Is human caused climate change a fact?
Is biking to work more sustainable than driving to work?
Are solar panels sustainable?
Is ‘organic’ food sustainable?
Is the use of GMO-foods inevitable to feed the world?
Are vegetables grown in cities healthy?
“Student: Dr. Einstein, Aren't these the same
questions as last year's [physics] final exam?
Dr. Einstein: Yes; But this year the answers are
different.”
― Albert Einstein
Source: The Guardian
“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?”
“The conventional wisdom holds that all (international) education is good, and the more of it one has, the better.… The truth is that without significant precautions, [it] can equip people merely to be more effective vandals of the Earth” (D. Orr).
Source: Wals, 2012 “Shaping the Education of
Tomorrow” – UNESCO, Paris
A mix of approaches?
societal developmentstransitionincrementalte
ch
no
log
ical
develo
pm
en
tstr
ansitio
nin
cre
menta
l
GMO
closed-cycle
designblue revolution
>food literacy
> resource efficiency
< food waste
circulareconomy
proteinalternatives
food justice
metropolitan
agriculture
cradle-to-cradle
A mix of approaches?
societal developmentstransitionincrementalte
ch
no
log
ical
develo
pm
en
tstr
ansitio
nin
cre
menta
l
MOOCS
flippedclassroom
digi-boards
curriculum greening
alternativepedagogies
learningecologies
wholeinstitutionapproach
'No Planet B,' marchers worldwide tell
leaders before U.N. climate summit
Utilising Diversity, Creating Synergy,
Seeing Connections
Source: CDI, MSP-Guide,
Wageningen UR 2015
Empowerment and Change
The value of experiential learning in ‘nature’
Freedom
Creating
somethingLetting go
Belonging
Contact
Ownership
Growth
Challenge
Security
VALUES
Source: Anne Remmerswaal
Ethics and Empathy
Sustain’abilities’
Sustainability competence Examples of sustain’abilities’
Dynamics and content of
sustainability
• Sustainability literacy
• Systems thinking
• Adopting an integral view
• Learning to know
Critical dimension of
sustainability
• Questioning hegemony and routines,
• Analysing normativity
• Disruptiveness, transgression
• Learning to critique
Change and innovation
dimension of sustainability
• Leadership and entrepreneurship
• Unlocking creativity, utilizing diversity
• Appreciating chaos & complexity
• Adaptation, resilience
• Empowerment and collective change
• Learning to make change
Existential and normative
dimension of sustainability
Connecting with people, places and
other species
Passion, values and meaning-making
Moral positioning, considering ethics,
boundaries and limits
Learning to be, learning to care
Curriculum
Integrating sustainability in
courses, modules, programmes, new
content: biomimicry, cradle-to-cradle, etc.
Pedagogy, learning & teaching
Systems thinking
Social learning
Integrative design
Values & ethics
Discovery
Research/Inquiry
Professional development,
reflexive practitioners
citizen science
Society
World of business, citizens and governance
Operating within multi-stakeholder
environments
Societal impact
Schools as institutions
Walking the talk: experimenting with and learning from creating sustainability on location
Facilitating
Sustain
‘ability’
From the UNESCO ESD Global Action Program
Thank you for
your attention
and enjoy a great
conference!!
@arjenwals
www.globalee.net
www.transformativelearning.nl
