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Environmental Education & Communication - EDU00122M

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  • Department: Education
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Naomi Holmes
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25
    • See module specification for other years: 2023-24

Module summary

In a time of unprecedented environmental crisis, affecting all of humanity, how can education and communication bring about local and global change? How can such change contribute to environmental justice? And how can urgency be conveyed in a way that avoids immobilising people? This module will focus on the role of education and communication in relation to climate change, nature and biodiversity, and pollution. Students will draw on theories of education and communication, gain experience of problem-based and solutions-focused education and develop their own evidence-informed responses to the challenge of climate change education and communication. In the course of the module, students will work in groups to define questions and research education and communication about the climate emergency, pollution and nature and biodiversity.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2024-25

Module aims

The overarching aim of this module is to prepare students to create and evaluate meaningful, research-informed education and communication approaches to climate change, loss of biodiversity and chemical pollution. This module has been designed to focus on the application of education and communication theory to environmental action.

The environmental concepts covered in this module are broad and through a problem-based/solution-orientated learning approach students will have the opportunity to tailor subject content towards their own interests and strengths. Group work will enable students to put many of the concepts and ideas discussed in this module into practice.

The module will address questions like: How do we communicate about environmental sustainability? What role does education play in stimulating environmentally sustainable action? How can (and how should) educators and communicators respond to global and local environmental challenges?

Module learning outcomes

Through your work on the module, you will be able to:

· Define problems and create solutions in environmental sustainability education and communication.

· Demonstrate a systematic and critical understanding of the role of education and communication in addressing environmental problems, and a global and multi-disciplinary view of solutions and actions.

· Critically reflect on the use of education and communication to interrogate values and worldviews, include stakeholders, elicit different perspectives, and work across differences on environmental issues.

· Demonstrate a systematic and critical understanding of advanced scholarship in environmental sustainability education and communication, and be able to apply this to professional practice, including to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

· Use a comprehensive range of approaches to education and communication focusing on nature, climate and chemical pollution action.

· Evaluate methodologies for education and communication in the field of environmental sustainability.

Graduate skills:

Through your work on this module, you will develop

· Real-world interdisciplinary problem solving

· Ability to communicate and work as a member of a team.

· Oral and written communication skills.

· Independence and time management.

· Research and information literacy

· Critical thinking, analysis and reflection skills

Ability to reflect on individual and group learning.

Module content

This module adopts a problem-based learning approach allowing students to tailor subject content to areas of interest. Working in groups, students will research environmental problems associated with: “chemical pollution action”; “climate action” and “biodiversity action” and, through the application of education and communication theories, will create an education output for each of these themes.

The problem-based learning approach will be supported by lectures focused on educational theory and practice in addition to practical workshop sessions that support the creation of educational content. Students will be required to co-create reading lists on each of the three “action” areas, allowing them to draw on source material from contexts of interest and drawing from a range of cultures of knowledge. Peer and tutor feedback will be integral to the evaluation of outputs, and one of these outputs will be developed further by students to form the final assessment.

Pre-module preparatory work

The module will be taught through a problem-based learning approach. Students should read the following article in preparation for the module:

Hmelo-Silver, C. E. (2004). Problem-based learning: What and how do students learn?. Educational psychology review, 16(3), 235-266.

Week 2

Orientation to problem based learning; how the seminars will work; principles of group work; education and communication skills to be developed through responses to the scenarios, defining standards across different types of group contribution.

Weeks 3-11

Each of the challenges below will form the focus for three weeks. A bespoke real-life scenario will be prepared for each challenge, and students will be given the opportunity to discuss the scenario, identify questions of focus, and develop their own responses to the scenario, which will result in the production of an education or communication resource. In addition to group seminars, the module will consist of skills workshops to develop students’ skills in writing, video and podcasting, and digital media, inclusive practice and training in group work. Peer, tutor and practitioner feedback will be provided throughout the module.

Challenge 1: Chemical pollution action (weeks 3-5)

Challenge 2: Climate action (weeks 6-8)

Challenge 3: Biodiversity action (weeks 9-11)

Week 12 - 16

In the final weeks of term, students will review their resources and feedback in each of the three challenges, and will make changes to respond to the feedback. For the summative assessment, students will submit a revised version of one of their three group resources along with a narrative detailing: the problem it is designed to address, the theoretical underpinnings of the resource, a reflection on how it was executed, and the steps taken to respond to feedback.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay: Resource and narrative		 N/A 80
Groupwork
Essay : Reflection		 N/A 20

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

Both assessment tasks will be marked using the rubric for MA programmes.

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay: Resource and narrative		 N/A 80
Groupwork
Essay : Reflection		 N/A 20

Module feedback

Individual written feedback reports, with follow-up tutor meeting, if necessary. The feedback is returned to students in line with university policy. Please check the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback for more information.

Indicative reading

Aubrey, K., & Riley, A. (2022). Understanding and using educational theories. Sage.

Hansen, A., & Cox, J. R. (Eds.). (2015). The Routledge handbook of environment and communication. London: Routledge.

Hmelo-Silver, C. E. (2004). Problem-based learning: What and how do students learn?. Educational Psychology Review, 16(3), 235-266.

Illeris, K. (Ed.). (2018). Contemporary theories of learning: learning theorists... in their own words. 2nd Edition. Routledge.

Milstein, T., Pileggi, M., & Morgan, E. L. (Eds.). (2017). Environmental communication pedagogy and practice. London: Routledge.

Sacco, J. (2020) Paying the Land. Metropolitan Books.

United Nations. (2021). UNEP in 2021. Planetary Action: Climate Action, Nature Action and Chemicals and Pollution Action. https://wedocs.unep.org/20.500.11822/37946

Journals:

· Applied Environmental Education & Communication

· Environmental Education Research

· Children’s Geographies

Each scenario will be supported with a reading list, co-created by students.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.