Undergraduate Course: Sustainability and Social Responsibility (LLLK07002)
Course Outline
| School | Moray House School of Education |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 7 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This course is for students on the HSS International Foundation Programme only; it is not available to undergraduate students.
This course involves participants in developing an understanding of 'sustainability' and 'social responsibility' and skills of enquiry, participation and reflection to understand local and global responses to its challenges and consider personal and professional actions. |
| Course description |
What is sustainability and social responsibility?
Using current thinking as a starting point the course will critically examine a range of contemporary definitions and perspectives on sustainability and social responsibility. Through discussion a collective understanding of the range and scope of 'sustainability' will be reached.
The fundamentals of how the planet's global systems work and the relationship between people and planet will be introduced through looking at current perspectives on our global ecological footprint, human well-being, social justice and equity.
Local issues and sustainable communities
The local context will be examined, connecting sustainability issues to aspects of student's lives and identifying areas of interdependence. Approaches to developing sustainable communities will be examined through case studies.
Global issues and wider positioning
Connections will be made between local issues and wider, global contexts, introducing systems thinking and complexity as frameworks to help position thinking. A range of case studies will be used to exemplify local and global connections.
Making Informed Decisions
Drawing on the knowledge gained in previous weeks students will analyse and evaluate an issue to identify its roots, effects and possible solutions. They will consider how thoughts can be turned into action at a personal, local and global level, what impacts can be expected and how success across those domains could be measured and evaluated.
Learning for sustainability: informing and educating others
Finally 'learning for sustainability' is introduced as a strategy for future action. Students will reflect on their experience of engaging with sustainability and social responsibility and examine how communication and education can be used to encourage others to engage, to bring about a value shift at a wider societal level and to engender transformational change.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2016/17, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Lifelong Learning - Session 3 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 36,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
62 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
50 %,
Practical Exam
50 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
1. Students will be expected keep a personal journal throughout the course and to add to their reflective journal on a regular basis (2500 words, 50% of final mark). (LO 1-5)
2. In pairs students will plan and facilitate a short oral presentation identifying a sustainability issue of their choice, setting out its local and global dimensions and evaluating proposed ideas for taking action (50% of final mark). (LO 3 and 4)
Students must achieve at least 40% in each component of assessment to pass the course. Students who fail to achieve 40% for either or both components of assessment will have the opportunity to resubmit failed assessment/s on an individual basis. |
| Feedback |
Formative feedback is:
1. Reflective blog posted by students based on reading and lectures. Each student will post 200-300 words once during the course and other students and staff will comment. This will enable comprehension, practice in writing and group interaction (completed by Week 4).
2. Proposal (maximum 100 words) submitted by pairs by Week 5. Feedback will be returned within a week.
Feedback on the blog and the presentation, and final marks, will be available after the final examination board in mid-July.
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the core ideas, values, concepts and debates associated with sustainability and social responsibility.
- Engage with complexity and understand responses to sustainability issues across social, economic and environmental themes at local and global levels.
- Synthesize material from a variety of sources to develop a personal and professional response to the issue of sustainability and identify positive responses to local sustainability and social responsibility challenges.
- Reflect on the potential application of the principles and practice of sustainability personally and professionally as future 'agents of change'.
- Consider the role of education (in its broad sense) and communication as a way to encourage a deeper understanding of sustainability and as a process for positive change.
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Reading List
Mulligan, M., 2014. An Introduction to Sustainability. Abingdon: Routledge.
Blewitt, J., 2014. Understanding Sustainable Development. Abingdon: Routledge.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mrs Anthea Coleman-Chan
Tel: (0131 6)51 1589
Email: Anthea.Coleman-Chan@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Zofia Guertin
Tel: (0131 6)51 1855
Email: Zofia.Guertin@ed.ac.uk |
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