‘Weaving the future’ – interdisciplinary learning in

ESD for taught postgraduates

Lindsey McEwenUniversity of Gloucestershire

HE Academy, York 14th December 2011John Powell (Glos), Stephen Sterling

(Plymouth), Glenn Strachan (London South Bank), David Norcliffe (Newport), Sheila Bennell (Bangor), and Jon Kelly (Glos)

Aims

• To explore students’ perceptions of interdisciplinary learning in ESD at taught postgraduate level

• To provide underpinning pedagogic research evidence base to support curriculum development in taught postgraduate courses

Background

Builds on:McEwen, L. J., Jennings, R., Duck, R. and Roberts, H. (2009) Student experiences of interdisciplinary Masters’ coursesReport for Higher Education Academy

For further information on current project: see project website www.glos.ac.uk/interdisciplinarymasters

Defining the nature of the postgraduate ‘bar’

• ‘Traditional’ Master’s level descriptors (QAA, SEEC, NICATS etc.); emphasis on skill development

• Importance of affective/attitudinal domains and personal skills (Fink, 2003)

• ‘Creative professionalism’ (Kennedy, 2002) - ability to self-direct and renew learning

• Postgraduate learning - distinctive approaches to co-learning activities and socialisation

Predicted learning outcomes of ESD programmes mapped against those from interdisciplinary learning (Ivanitskaya et al., 2002) in McEwen et al. (2009)

The project - evaluating students’ experiences of IDL and ESD at taught Master’s level:

• How students’ knowledge, understanding, abilities, motivations, language and culture, and conceptions/styles of learning are brought to ID co-learning environments for ESD; 

• What kinds of learning can occur in IDL teaching-learning environments for ESD. In what settings can IDL be transformative?; 

• How students perceive, experience and approach different IDL teaching-learning environments/ activities including assessment; and

• What students perceive as graduate attributes/skills for employability achieved through IDL in ESD.

Methodology

Literature review

Questionnaires – students/staff – eleven HEIs

Focus groups – five institutions

‘Weaving the Future’ Workshop

Staff and student guides

ESD IDL

Postgraduate learning

Resources• Website www.glos.ac.uk/interdisciplinarymasters• Guidance for staff and students• Summary report from student questionnaire survey• Project report to HE Academy• Good practice case-studies – suggested by

students/ staff• Article - Planet 27 (May/June, 2011) ‘Weaving the

future’: student and staff perceptions of interdisciplinary learning in ESD at taught postgraduate level’

Title College/ HEI MSc in Holistic Science Schumacher College MSc Learning for Sustainability Plymouth University MSc Environmental Policy and Management MSc European Rural Development PGDip Landscape Architecture

University of Gloucestershire

MA Sustainable Development St Andrews University MSc Sustainable Waste Management UCLAN MA ESD and Global Citizenship MSc Marine Environmental Protection MSc Conservation and Land Management Postgraduate Programme in Community Development

University of Bangor

MSc Leadership for Sustainable Development (validated as a Masters in Professional Studies)

Middlesex University/ Forum for the Future

MSc Education for Sustainability London South Bank University

MA ESD and Global Citizenship University of Newport MSc Sustainable Development University of Exeter MSc International Development University of Birmingham

Courses surveyed:

Student perceptions questionnaire – selected themes:

• Understandings of interdisciplinary learning

• Learning outcomes

• Perceptions of co-learning environments

• Interdisciplinary learning and skills for employability

• Approaches to teaching and learning

• Interdisciplinary learning for transformation

Character of the 61 student respondents:• Average age of respondents - 34.7; range from 22-

55.• 64% female; 36% male• All had work experience; average = 9.65 years,

range = 3 months to 37 years.• 28% - full time study; 44% - part time.• 41% -distance learners; 31% - work-based

learners• Learning contexts very diverse – campus based v

remote

Discipline(s) of prior degree

Motivations for

study:

‘personal growth’ (75%)

‘retraining’ (28%)

Theme 1: Understandings of IDL

‘learning that involves a transformative process allowing the connections between disciplines to emerge/become apparent’

Perceived learning outcomes % agree

% disagree

I can communicate knowledge and ideas effectively in an interdisciplinary context to students from different disciplinary backgrounds

78.7 1.6

I am able to apply an interdisciplinary knowledge structure to new problems or themes

80.3 1.6

I have a better understanding of the strengths and limitations of disciplines other than my own

62.3 8.2

I have developed the ability to see and establish connections between similar and dissimilar contexts

85.2 1.6

Interdisciplinary learning has enabled me to engage holistically with problems

78.7 8.2

I am developing skills in systems thinking through my course

70.5 3.3

I am able to communicate knowledge and ideas effectively across disciplinary boundaries

77.0 0

Student voice: ‘learning outcomes’

‘I was a black and white thinker - typical engineer! And now I am beginning to feel more comfortable working in the shade of grey.’

‘Has expanded my thinking by giving me opportunities to discuss issues and values, has made me read more about issues I am interested in and challenged me to write about them.’

‘The variety of backgrounds represented mean there are some very different value systems within the student group.’

Perceptions of co-learning environments

• 92% students agreed that working with students from varied disciplinary backgrounds is a valuable learning experience.

• Only half the students (49%) perceived that their course provided plenty of opportunities for interdisciplinary co-learning at postgraduate level.

‘I feel that I have paid to attend a taught course in order to be taught by leaders in their research and teaching fields, not other students.’

‘Student voice’: ‘student co-learning and IDL’

‘Being a distance learner I am not able to participate in these opportunities’

‘It does but not sure about plenty as it is a part time course and people only tend to meet up on the taught weekends’

‘Especially during the residential sessions’

‘But not as part of course’

Q: ‘Staff are not important role models in IDL’

‘Only a minority of staff actually practice "interdisciplinarity". Most remain in their scientific field of interest.’

(4.9%)

(6.6%) (18.0%)

(52.5%)

(18.0%)

Interdisciplinary courses and skills for employability

85% students perceived that interdisciplinary learning would prepare them for the work place.

‘but I am not sure it's recognised as a benefit in current employment opportunities’

(13.1%)

(49.2%)(32.8%)

(4.9%)

Which aspects of your interdisciplinary learning prepare you for the workplace?

‘My workplace is made up of people from a variety of disciplines and I am able to understand better where they are coming from and use this to better meet their needs or explain my views to them. It also helped me to understand why some of my workmates are the way they are, some of their sentiments and behaviour are ingrained and I do not hold it against them. I had not understood this before.’

Approaches to teaching, learning and assessment: that provide the best opportunities for interdisciplinary learning in ESD

‘I found that I understood things best when I was with a group of people from different disciplines and each gave their understanding of a situation. It was harder when I was on my own and had to figure out what things meant.’

‘Pedagogies that support social critical interactions between learners and/or learning interventions of varying disciplines.’

‘We have used a focus or theme as a context for the activities undertaken. Other approaches could be location or time based. An emphasis on participatory activities seems to enable formative thinking and discussion.’

‘Student voice’: types of teaching and learning environments that provide the best opportunities for interdisciplinary learning in ESD

‘Environments where all students feel comfortable and supported enough to contribute to discussion. Environments where students are encouraged to participate. 'Dialogical' rather than 'banking'-style learning, in which the teacher sort of follows you where you take them and attempts to understand your perspective and interests. Environments in which students feel equal to the teacher and equally able to contribute.’

‘Student voice’: Teaching and learning environments (cont.)

Most important factor in making a learning experience more likely to be transformative is:

% agree % disagree

The lecturer or facilitator 91.8 3.3 The pedagogy or teaching methods employed

85.2 1.6

The topic or subject matter 78.7 3.3 The setting (atmosphere and design of learning location)

60.7 9.8

Previous understanding of the learner 50.8 13.1 Disposition of the learner 86.9 3.3 ‘The facilitator’s passion is transferred to the learners’

‘The lesson/session has to be as interactive as possible’

‘This is possibly the most important factor: the attitude of the learner, and the willingness to explore and reflect’

writing a reflective learning journal

gender, human rights EU Policies and Research methods

immersive stay for a week at a land based learning centre

learning of my personal impact on the marine environment

relationship between the local and global perspectives

placement with an NGO

The apparent unstructured approach of my tutors has made me work harder for my outcomes, and has challenged my pre conceptions of Masters level study.

This thinking and understanding has helped me advise and even inform other people on key issues in community development and eco-tourism related issues in Uganda.

Identification of a specific learning experience (IDL and transformative learning)

‘Building bridges’ and ‘developing tools’

• Building ‘knowledge’ bridges – taking network discussions out beyond academia – to employers and professional bodies (GEES funded follow-on project)

• Developing tools (‘Living documents’ as guidance; e.g. shared exploration of pedagogies that encourage IDL in ESD at taught postgraduate level).

Conclusions• Research base as stimulus for student/staff discussion

about IDL in ESD at M- level• Student perceptions here – match those of staff (in

literature)• Importance of making IDL explicit• Need to move student ‘neutral’ responses• Need to support transitions to IDL in ESD at PGT• Explore IDL and work-based elements of courses• Establish case-studies of good/ innovative practice• Themes for further investigation

– IDL, sustainability and employability– IDL, sustainability and transformative learning

Resources from project: www.glos.ac.uk/interdisciplinarymasters

Selected references

Brewer, G. D (1999) ‘The challenges of interdisciplinarity’ Policy Sciences 32, pp 327-337.

Graybill, J. K. et al. (2006) A Rough Guide to Interdisciplinarity: Graduate Student Perspectives BioScience, 56 (9), 757-763

Hansson, B. (1999) ‘Interdisciplinarity: For what purpose?, Policy Sciences 32, pp339-343.

Ivanitskaya, L. et al. (2002) Interdisciplinary learning: process and outcomes. Innovative Higher Education 27, 95-111.

Selby, D. (2006) The catalyst that is sustainability: bringing permeability to disciplinary boundaries. Planet 17, 57-59.

Sterling, S (2001) Sustainable Education – Re-visioning learning and change, Schumacher Briefing no.6. Schumacher Society/Green Books, Dartington.