International spotlight – The University of Gloucestershire
Internationally renowned expert Professor Daniella Tilbury, from the University of Gloucestershire, recently visited the Australian Learning and Teaching Council to discuss Education for Sustainability (EFS).
Professor Tilbury was based in Australia for almost 10 years before returning to the United Kingdom to take up a role as Senior Manager responsible for sustainability at UoG, an institution that is globally recognised as a leader in this area. Professor Tilbury’s team have won numerous awards, including the 2010 UK Green Gown Award for efforts to embed sustainability across programs, and the Marie Curie IIC award, which supports the UoG commitment to re-orienting professional courses to ensure alignment with Education for Sustainability.
“Our ambition is to embed Education for Sustainability across the student experience by 2012, so that all students, regardless of program choice, develop capabilities in this area during their time at the university,” said Professor Tilbury. She argued that it is critically important for staff and students to consider professional expectations and requirements in this area and have the understanding, experience and capability to contribute meaningfully to the global sustainability agenda.
The University of Gloucestershire has taken a number of practical steps so far in working toward the 2012 goal, having developed various materials such as: a business case summary for heads of departments and senior managers; a ‘Framework Guide’ to assist academic staff to embed EFS in their programs; and subject guides which align with discipline benchmarks released by the UK Quality Assurance Agency.
“In parallel, we have offered university-wide workshops which feature national and international experiences in this area, as well as tailored mentoring and support programs for teaching teams,” said Professor Tilbury. “For example, this year we have worked very closely with the Business Management teaching team, helping them redesign their first year curriculum.”
While Professor Tilbury acknowledges that the process of embedding such a huge framework for change will be a lengthy one, the university has already conducted evaluations to measure the impact of the EFS strategies to date.
The results so far are promising.
“Our evaluation work has seen a significant improvement in students’ understanding and engagement with sustainability issues. We see a high connection between the opportunities we are offering students in this area and our high employability rates.”
In regards to the progress of EFS in Australia, Professor Tilbury is confident that higher education is heading in the right direction, having already developed a leading example in schools, local council and at Commonwealth government levels.
“When I was based in Australia, I was certainly influenced by the thinking and commitment of many educators, as well as many public servants who were deeply committed to progressing EFS at all levels,” she said. “The challenge now is to look at ensuring that all higher education students, regardless of speciality, have the opportunity to experience Education for Sustainability.”
One challenge that EFS faces, is to increase understanding and awareness of what the issues are really about. Professor Tilbury highlighted that while it is important to take actions to limit our ecological footprint, it is only part of the picture.
“Sustainability is a complex area and requires people to stand back and see this complexity as well as to ask questions which ensure that decisions and actions that are taken, are genuinely contributing to a better world,” she said.
“Education for Sustainability provides the basis for engaging educators, as well as learners, in this process.”