Sustainable Development Literacy

In Unit 2 we will introduce SDL as a tool for critical thinking. This Unit will empower you with sustainability competencies like systems thinking, anticipatory thinking,normative thinking, strategic thinking, collaboration thinking, self-awareness, and integrated problem-solving. We will also explain how to identify a problem, organize and express ideas, synthesize information from more than one source and we will show you how to critically assess issues of peace, justice, inclusion, and strong institutions in their region, nationally, and globally. There will also be suggestions on how to recognize and reflect on one’s own personal demands on the local infrastructure such as cleaning the environment, empowering women entrepreneurs, carbon and water footprints, and food miles.

One of the definitions of Sustainable Development Literacy given by Salonen and Siirilä (2019) states: „Learning how to respond to erratic and extreme weather, learning how to grow and distribute food more equitably, and with less ecological damage, as well as learning how to mitigate and adapt to dramatic social, economic,and environmental changes will become some of the most important skills young people can acquire or develop“. That is the reason we start Unit 2 with critical thinking development.

At the beginning of this Unit we are offering you an explanation of why we need competent teachers and other agents ready to promote sustainable development,as is stated in the brochure Learning for the future (UNECE, 2012):

“There is now widespread concern that the model of development that is evident across the globe is unsustainable. We are faced with the urgent need to recast our ways of living, away from ones that rely on the unsustainable consumption of resources, the degradation of ecosystems, and the exploitation of people, towards a model that strives to enhance the well-being of all human beings within the limits of our planet.

Sustainable development is described by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development as being underpinned by an ethic of solidarity, equality, and mutual respect among people, countries, cultures, and generations; it is developed in harmony with nature, meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

While the need for sustainable development is clear, the ways to approach it may differ and will evolve. It is widely held that the development of sustainable societies is a continuous learning process and one in which issues and dilemmas are commonplace and appropriate answers and solutions may not be definitive.

Education should play an important role in enabling people to live together in ways that contribute to sustainable development. However, at present, education often contributes to unsustainable living. This can happen through a lack of opportunity for learners to question their own lifestyles and the systems and structures that promote those lifestyles. It also happens through reproducing unsustainable models and practices. The recasting of development, therefore, calls for the reorientation of education towards sustainable development.

Even as education for sustainable development (ESD) raises awareness of the complexity and dynamism of issues, it also plays a key role in making sustainable development understood and that it is applied in a concrete way. ESD helps to develop the capacity for critical reflection and systemic and future thinking, as well as to motivate actions that promote sustainable development.

The development of a sustainable society should be seen as a continuous process of learning and change, involving a variety of actors providing guidance and leadership in non-formal and informal learning. This requires a corresponding enhancement in the competencies of educators, leaders, and decision-makers at all levels of education.” This Unit will enhance your ability to envision new ways of teaching Sustainable Development Literacy.

Activity 1

As it is explained by Snyder&Snyder (2008), the best way to develop critical skills is to use the Six Steps to Effective Thinking and Problem Solving, or “IDEALS” (Facione, 2007)[2]. You should use the model called IDEALS to Identify, Define, Enumerate, Analyze, List, and Self-Correct:

I - Identify the Problem: What is the real question we are facing?

D - Define the Context: What are the facts that frame this problem?

E - Enumerate the Choices: What are plausible options?

A - Analyze Options: What is the best course of action?

L - List Reasons Explicitly: Why is this the best course of action?

S - Self-Correct: Look at it again … What did we miss?

Please, watch the video 

Title: The Decline of Ecosystems [Video] (2.29 min)

Simpleshow Foundation. (13 October 2022). The Decline of Ecosystems. YouTube. Creative Commons Attribution License (reuse allowed). 

After watching the video, please consider the following questions using the IDEALS model:

Activity 2

As it is explained in the graph in the brochure Learning for the future (UNECE, 2012), when we refer to the competence named learning to know, we are looking for the„educators who understand:

• The basics of systems thinking are ways in which natural, social, and economic systems function and how they may be interrelated,

• The interdependent nature of relationships within the present generation and between generations, as well as those between rich and poor and between humans and nature,

• Their personal world view and cultural assumptions and seek to understand those of others,

• The connection between sustainable futures and the way we think, live, and work,

• Their own thinking and action in relation to sustainable development.“

• The root causes of unsustainable development,

• That sustainable development is an evolving concept,

• The urgent need for change from unsustainable practices toward advancing the quality of life, equity, solidarity, and environmental sustainability,

• The importance of problem setting, critical reflection, visioning, and creative thinking in planning the future and effecting change,

• The importance of preparedness for the unforeseen and a precautionary approach,

• The importance of scientific evidence in supporting sustainable development.“

When we talk about achieving transformation, we are talking about the„educators who understand:

• Why there is a need to transform the education systems that support learning,

• Why there is a need to transform the way we educate/learn,

• Why it is important to prepare learners to meet new challenges,

• The importance of building on the experience of learners as a basis for transformation,

• How engagement in real-world issues enhances learning outcomes and helps learners to make a difference in practice.“

In order to understand a variety of problems that are to be solved in the future, please, watch the video 

Title: AI for good - sustainability [Video] (3 min). 

XPRIZE. (13 October 2022). AI for Good - Sustainability. YouTube. Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed)

After watching the video, we will ask you to solve the crossword named Artificial intelligence and sustainability.

Activity 3

In chapter 4.1. named  “Promising Practices Developing Competencies in ESD”, authors Laura Sims and Thomas Falkenberg pointed out that the “UNECE (2012) has identified core competencies for ESD for educators. The 40 competencies are divided into four clusters:

• learning to know (refers to understanding the challenges facing society both locally and globally and the potential role of educators and learners),

• learning to do (refers to developing practical skills and action competence in relation to education for sustainable development),

• learning to be (addresses the development of one’s personal attributes and ability to act with greater autonomy, judgment, and personal responsibility in relation to sustainable development),

• learning to live together (contributes to the development of partnerships and an appreciation of interdependence, pluralism, mutual understanding, and peace).”

Before we start with this activity, we kindly ask you to read the beginning of Chapter 2 from the UN book on SDL education. 

After reading Chapter 2, use accordion cards and learn how to explain the key sustainability competencies which are of particular importance for thinking and acting in favor of sustainable development.

Activity 4

There are many problems that should be solved by increasing public awareness. The Sustainable Development Literacy Module aims to point out some of the contemporary problems we are facing. For example, there is a problem of climate change caused by a carbon footprint. One of the definitions of the phenomenon named carbon footprint has been given by Wiedmann and Minx (2007): "The carbon footprint is the measure of the exclusive total amount of carbon dioxide emissions that is directly or indirectly caused by an activity or is accumulated or the life stage of a product".

Please, watch the short cartoon on carbon footprint: 

Title: Simpleshow explains the Carbon Footprint [Video] (2 min.)

 

Simpleshow Foundation. (13 October 2022). Simpleshow explains the Carbon Footprint. YouTube. Creative Commons Attribution License (reuse allowed). 

Please, solve the Memory card game.