Beer bottle tops: a simple forest management game
International Forestry Review 8:432-438 (2006)
Forest planning and management concepts can sometimes be difficult to grasp. Games provide an effective way to... more Forest planning and management concepts can sometimes be difficult to grasp. Games provide an effective way to demonstrate different concepts and facilitate deeper understanding of approaches and practices to sustainable forest management. In this paper we describe a game devised to demonstrate alternative ways to set allowable harvest levels in large (>10,000 ha) native forest planning units. The game requires minimal materials (photocopies of relevant maps and a few hundred beer bottle tops), and can be played and debriefed in 2-3 hours. The game focuses on the principles underlying area control and volume control of timber harvesting, and provides a basis for discussion of inventory and monitoring needs. The game has been popular and effective in courses for forestry professionals in developing countries, and for students in an undergraduate forestry course.
Download (.pdf) Kılınç, A., Eroğlu, B., Boyes, E., & Stanisstreet, M. (2013). Could Organisms and Ecosystems Be Used as Motivators for Behaviour to Reduce Global Warming? The Views of School Students. International Journal of Research in Geographical and Environmental Education.
by Ahmet Kilinc
Global warming resulting in climate change is thought to be a serious threat to the environment and, consequently, to... more Global warming resulting in climate change is thought to be a serious threat to the environment and, consequently, to the world’s social, political and financial stability. Therefore, there is a serious need to identify strategies that are effective in promoting behavior change to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One possibility is to raise awareness of the potential detrimental effects of global warming on biological organisms, since such effects are concrete and may be emotive. This study examines the beliefs of Turkish school students about the possible effects of global warming on the survival of a range of organisms and ecosystems and, separately, explores students' views about the importance of the survival of those organisms and ecosystems. Of the items raised by the questionnaire, those perceived to be most endangered by global warming were polar bears, and those thought to be most worth conserving were rainforests. In addition, Cluster Analysis revealed four sub-groups of students: ‘More valuing extinctionalists’ (students who valued organisms or ecosystems more highly, and thought them vulnerable to global warming), ‘Less valuing extinctionalists’, ‘More valuing non-extinctionalists’ and ‘Less valuing non-extinctionalists’. Thus, although students hold a variety of pre-existing views, convincing more students of the importance of maintaining biodiversity, and increasing their awareness of the potential detrimental effects of global warming on various organisms and ecosystems may be one way of encouraging students to undertake actions to reduce global warming.
Engaging for sustainability: An Enterprise GreenWorks master class
Mellalieu, P. J. (2008). Engaging for sustainability: An Enterprise GreenWorks™ master class. Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS) network conference. Presented at the Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS) network conference, Christchurch, N.Z.
According to historian Arnold Toynbee (1978) "Man is the first species of living being in our biosphere that has... more
According to historian Arnold Toynbee (1978) "Man is the first species of living being in our biosphere that has acquired the power to wreck the biosphere and, in wrecking it, to liquidate himself". Furthermore, commentators such as Geering (1999, 2000), Gore (2006), and Oram (2007) argue for urgent implementation of effective national policy for taking care of the natural environment for current and future generations.
However, the New Zealand Ministry of Education - the principal funder of many TEOs - has established tertiary investment policies that lack stated priority for investing in sustainable practice and Education for Sustainability (EfS) ( PCE, 2004; MOE, 2007; Mellalieu, 2008a,b).
This dilemma raises the question: How can Tertiary Educational Organisations (TEOs) establish strategies, policies, and operations that lead to exemplary sustainable practice and education for sustainability throughout their communities?
The session will explore the barriers, drivers, and tactics required to transition EfS beyond the enthusiasts and early adopters across the 'chasm' (Moore, 1991, 1999) into the mainstream of a TEO's strategy, policy, and operations.
The session employs an educational leadership master class format (Caldwell, 2006) informed by the Enterprise MasterWorks™ learning adventure format first deployed to create an iconoclastic learning environment for innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship for the Enterprise Development programme at Massey University (Mellalieu, 1998a,b).
The Enterprise GreenWorks (EGW) format involves several stages. EGW engages participants in a 'reality TV'-like experience in conjunction with a master class. (Think of The Apprentice - but with the aim of generating insights, ideas, and shared learning - rather than firing someone!). The sequence of a typical EGW 'episode' is: Introduction; Presentation of the dilemma (as posed earlier in this abstract); Background information; Fishbowl discussion; Breakout task groups to devise solutions to the dilemma; Report back of solutions; Critical feedback from the expert master(s); General discussion; Summary of key insights, ideas, and new learning; Action planning for implementing solutions and sharing insights. The proceedings are video recorded for subsequent use in teaching and publication in multimedia formats.
Possible reasons for the dilemma have been indicated in Mellalieu (2008a,b), drawing strongly on the work of Boven (2000) who identifies fundamental flaws in the dominant paradigm that underlies economic policy making. In consequence of the Ministry of Education's investment policy there is at least one instance in which a TEO is allowing its previous commitments to sustainability to lapse. Other TEOs could take similar decisions. Yet it is opinion leaders and professional - such as designers, managers, engineers, and teachers - who hold the key to changing the values of customers, employees, and voters so that we all make informed choices about taking action to towards environmental sustainability. Since professionals are educated through TEOs, it is necessary to debate the proposition that "ALL tertiary graduates leaving TEOs should possess a core understanding of ... environmental sustainability as a result of institutes encouraging EfS throughout their organisations", a recommendation made by the New Zealand Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment in 2004 (PCE, 2004, 2007).
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Investing in education for eco-sustainability: A ʻfast followerʼ strategic posture for Unitec Institute of Technology
Mellalieu, P. J. (2008). Investing in education for eco-sustainability: A “fast follower” strategic posture for Unitec Institute of Technology. Unitec Business School Working Paper Series. Auckland: New Zealand Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Unitec Institute of Technology.
Conducts an exploratory Programme Evaluation of Unitec Institute of Technology focussed on assessing the state of... more
Conducts an exploratory Programme Evaluation of Unitec Institute of Technology focussed on assessing the state of Unitec’s capability for eco-sustainable development and delivering programmes of education for sustainability.
Identifies key strategic issues:
•Unitec’s absence of a strategy, policy, and culture for eco-sustainability;
•the foundering of sustainability initiatives established from the late 1990s; and
•the rising recognition by senior managers that eco-sustainability issues are of increasing importance and should be supported by the institution.
One key reason for for Unitec’s situation is identified as the failure of Unitec’s key funder - the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) - to make an explicit funding priority for sustainability, despite government’s espoused aims for balancing economic progress with care for the environment.
Drawing on the arguments of Oram, Boven and Geering, argues for Unitec adopting a posture significantly more proactive that the increasingly laggard posture that is emerging through its failure to consider eco-sustainability issues at top level strategy-making.
Presents recommendations for identifying, developing, and implementing an appropriate strategic posture of ‘fast follower’ for Unitec.
Preparing to engage in education for sustainability: A critique of the New Zealand tertiary education strategy
Mellalieu, P. J. (2008). Preparing to engage in education for sustainability: A critique of the New Zealand tertiary education strategy. Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia conference proceedings. Presented at the Engaging Communities: HERDSA 2008 conference, Rotorua: HERDSA.
Notes that the natural environment remains under increasing threat from humanity's actions, and that New Zealand's... more Notes that the natural environment remains under increasing threat from humanity's actions, and that New Zealand's response has been inadequate (Geering; Gore; Bender & David; Oram). Explores the question: 'To what extent should tertiary educational organisations (TEOs) engage in Education for Sustainability?' (EfS). As part of a wider-ranging Program Evaluation, presents the results of a content analysis of the key document that informs the priorities for tertiary educational funding in New Zealand, the Tertiary Education Strategy and Statement of Tertiary Education Priorities (TES). Distils from the analysis the key strategic issue that: 'The government's TES places no priority for investment in sustainable development or EfS within TEOs. The government does espouse several aims to balance economic progress with care for the natural environment. The TES also affirms that the tertiary education system needs to assist with New Zealand's need to develop sustainable use of natural resources. However, these aims are not translated into an explicit investment funding priority for the tertiary education sector.' This result is discussed in relation to the work of Boven who explains why governments are likely to deliver inadequate policy and action to safeguard the natural environment. TEOs possess the principal avenue for changing citizens' values and behaviour towards taking informed care of the environment. Consequently, concludes that TEOs should adopt the 2004 recommendation of New Zealand's Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment that: 'all tertiary graduates leaving TEOs should possess a core understanding of environmental sustainability as a result of institutes encouraging EfS throughout their organisations'.
Schlüsselkompetenzen für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung der Weltgesellschaft. Ergebnisse einer europäisch-lateinamerikanischen Delphi-Studie
Rieckmann, M. (2011). Schlüsselkompetenzen für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung der Weltgesellschaft: Ergebnisse einer europäisch-lateinamerikanischen Delphi-Studie. Gaia, 20(1), 48-56.
Education for sustainable development aims at developing key competencies that enable individuals to help the world... more Education for sustainable development aims at developing key competencies that enable individuals to help the world society progress on a more sustainable path. There is, as yet, no agreement in the international debate on what are the most important key competencies. In a Delphi study, experts from Europe (Germany, Great Britain) and Latin America (Chile, Ecuador, Mexico) were asked: Which individual key competencies are crucial for under standing central challenges facing the world society and for facilitating its development towards a more sustainable future? The participants discussed and defined a number of key competencies. These were condensed to twelve key competencies, all of which are considered relevant for sustainable development both in the North and the South. However, the results also reveal some differences between the European and Latin-American percep tions. The key competencies identified here show similarities with other sustainability competence concepts. In addition, they also focus on aspects that so far have not been sufficiently taken into account.
The Rise and Fall of Education for Sustainability in New Zealand's Tertiary Education Strategies: An Orchestrated Conspiracy of Ignorance?[Extended version]
Mellalieu, P. J. (2011). The Rise and Fall of Education for Sustainability in New Zealand’s Tertiary Education Strategies: An Orchestrated Conspiracy of Ignorance? XXIX International Conference of the International Council for Higher Education (Vol. 24). Presented at the Innovation and Development in Higher Education, Miami/Ft Lauderdale: International Council for Higher Education. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/4935qol
New Zealand has traded successfully on its self-created brand as ‘100 % Pure’ since its introduction in 2000. The... more
New Zealand has traded successfully on its self-created brand as ‘100 % Pure’ since its introduction in 2000. The country enacted pioneering legislation embracing the notion of sustainable development through its Resource Management Act (1991) and was an early signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992). In its Tertiary Education Strategy 2007-2012 the government signalled its desire that the country’s higher education sector should support its ambitious environmental vision and goals.
A strategic audit of the environmental performance of a publicly-funded New Zealand tertiary institution was conducted to examine the extent to which the institution achieved its stated environmental goals, and the environmental goals stated in the government’s national and educational priorities. The audit identified that the institution had retreated substantially from its earlier pioneering commitments to environmental initiatives, commenced in the late 1990s. In conversation with senior leaders, two factors appeared influential in accounting for this retreat. First, the institution was under financial duress. Secondly, there was significant dissonance between the government’s stated vision and aims supporting education for sustainability and practical policy implementation. Specifically, there was a failure to translate the aims into an explicit investment funding priority for the tertiary education sector.
New Zealand's Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment recommended that: 'all tertiary graduates leaving [higher educational institutions] should possess a core understanding of environmental sustainability as a result of institutes encouraging education for sustainability throughout their organisations'. Despite the recommendation, the most recent tertiary education strategy retreats further from this position, condemning the nation’s future innovation and ability to develop sustainably through a ‘conspiracy of ignorance’.
Academic staff development as a catalyst for curriculum change towards education for sustainable development: an output perspective
Barth, M. , & Rieckmann, M. (2012). Academic staff development as a catalyst for curriculum change towards education for sustainable development: an output perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production, 26, 28-36.
Implementing education for sustainable development (ESD) in university curricula poses a new challenge to the academic... more Implementing education for sustainable development (ESD) in university curricula poses a new challenge to the academic system. In recent years many universities have undertaken activities towards its implementation and numerous case studies of such processes have been documented. However, it remains a great challenge to change university curricula in such a way that they are transformed into ‘built-in’ sustainability. How then can deep-rooted implementation be facilitated? It has been argued that learning processes which can enable transformative changes largely depend on academic staff and their capabilities and willingness to support such processes. Although there are only few examples that focus on academic staff in higher education as a starting point to bring about change, research indicates promising opportunities to do so. In this context this article describes the case of an academic staff development programme which was implemented at the Universidad Técnica del Norte (Ecuador) and analyses the extent to which such a programme has positive effects on transformative changes towards a sustainable university. The analysis of the programme shows that it not only facilitated the personal competence development of the participating academic staff and changed their teaching practice, but also that it influenced the general organisational development of the university. The results of this case study thus highlight the potential benefits of ESD academic staff development programmes in terms of their relevance for initiating individual learning processes as well as for facilitating social learning and, in this respect, confirm the idea that the competence development of academic staff is an essential prerequisite for a sustainability paradigm shift in higher education.
Haigh, M. 2010. Education for a Sustainable Future: Strategies of the New Hindu Religious Movements. Sustainability 2, 11, pp 3500-3519. Available (open access): (http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/2/11/3500/pdf). DOI:10.3390/su2113500. [ISSN 2071-1050; CODEN: SUSTDE]. (This article belongs to the special issue: Sustainable Education)
by Martin Haigh
Haigh, M. 2010. Exploring sustainability in the context of Land Reclamation: an exercise for Environmental Management trainees. International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development 9, 1-3, pp 255-268. ISSN (Online): 1478-7466 - ISSN (Print): 1474-6778. DOI: 10.1504/IJESD.2010.029975. (This article belongs to the special issue: “Sustainable Development and Environmental Education”).
by Martin Haigh
2010 integrating sustainability in to teaching and research at USP
by Cresantia (Frances) Koya Vaka'uta
Co-authored:
Kanayathu C. Koshy, Aliti Koroi, Neil Netaf and Cresantia Koya-Vaka’uta
An examination of ESD efforts at the University of the South Pacific. An examination of ESD efforts at the University of the South Pacific.
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Kılınç, A., Boyes, E., & Stanisstreet, M. (accepted) Exploring Students' Ideas about Risks and Benefits of Nuclear Power Using Risk Perception Theories. Journal of Science Education and Technology
by Ahmet Kilinc
Due to increased energy demand, Turkey is continuing to explore the possibilities of introducing nuclear power. ... more Due to increased energy demand, Turkey is continuing to explore the possibilities of introducing nuclear power. Gaining acceptance from local populations, however, may be problematic because nuclear power has a negative image and risk perceptions are complicated by a range of psychological and cultural factors. In this study, we explore the views about nuclear power of school students from three locations in Turkey, two of which have been proposed as sites suitable for nuclear power plants. About half of the student cohort believed that nuclear power can supply continuous and sufficient electricity, but approximately three quarters thought that nuclear power stations could harm organisms, including humans, living nearby. Rather few students realized that adoption of nuclear power would help to reduce global warming and thereby limit climate change; indeed, three quarters thought that nuclear power would make global warming worse. There was a tendency for more students from the location most likely to have a nuclear power plant to believe negative characteristics of nuclear power, and for fewer students to believe positive characteristics. Exploration of the possible nuclear power programmes by Turkey offers an educational opportunity to understand the risk perceptions of students that affect their decision-making processes.