Daniella Tilbury, University of Gloucestershire Alex Ryan, University of Gloucestershire John Blewitt, Aston University DPR10 Conference: Changing Education 15 th April 2011 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT THE HEART OF QUALITY EDUCATION: bringing sustainability ideals face to face with new HE realities

Where are the tensions in trying to support innovation for sustainability in HE T&L? Shifting conceptual ground around sustainability definitions Different disciplinary self-perceptions of their links with sustainability Multiple delivery pathways for ESD in HEIs - formal and hidden Research-Teaching interplay yet prioritisation of research agendas Thematic overlaps between ESD and other organisational priorities Need to integrate learning aims/ambitions – personal and professional Structural challenges in creating inter-disciplinary learning opportunities (ESD: Education for Sustainable Development/EfS: Education for Sustainability)

What are the tactics needed to address ESD through the core functions of HEIs? - Regardless of profile or mission, HEIs use common mechanisms to maintain quality of provision. These processes are a consistent point of focus for encouraging and supporting ESD curriculum development sector-wide - The project sees quality assurance and enhancement as critically important for exploring ESD in organisational leadership and educational innovation - The project intersects institutional and sector level changes: i) Seeking systemic change, initiating dialogue and eliciting contributions from national agencies as well as professional stakeholders and experts. ii) Seeking to connect institutional setting with sector context – changing thinking, culture and practice across fiver partner institutions and within the academic infrastructure in terms of QAA procedures and practices.

But what are the drivers for this – now the sector is in quicksand? The HE Funding Council for England sets out its rationale and expectations in its 2008 Sustainable Development in Higher Education strategy and action plan. The Scottish Funding Council and HEFCW have linked their strategies and support for ESD at HE level to governmental education and sustainable development initiatives. 80% of a sample of 5,763 students nationally and across subject areas think sustainability skills will be important to future employers – and 65% want to see this handled through reframing the curriculum rather than stand-alone modules. (First-year attitudes towards, and skills in, Sustainable Development, 2011, HE Academy/NUS) 93% of 700 organisations across different industry sectors stated their business is likely to do more in the next five years to incorporate sustainability into their strategies – this points to the need for higher level applied skills and capabilities in this area. (Leadership Skills for a Sustainable Economy, 2010, Business In The Community/EDF Energy)

After the storm: re-imagining HE with sustainability at its heart ‘Ecology of learning’ and shifting educational paradigms – creating holistic learning environments, allowing depth as well as breadth, using engaged pedagogies and attention to learning relationships Integrative pedagogic ethos - realising human capabilities and countering disaggregated views of the person, supporting active learning relationships and space for discussion in teaching teams ‘Sustainability Literacy’ as a meta-capability across curriculum development practice and educational principles – informing the development of graduate attributes and educator competencies Enfolding sustainability issues and concerns within the emerging discourses of our academic communities of practice, to ensure credibility, relevance and connectivity of innovation in this area

Pathways for Quality Enhancement: 1. Academic Infrastructure QAA Institutional Review – new guidelines March 2011 – annual choice of thematic element (akin to ELIR in Scotland – to be addressed cross-institutionally, for commentary not judgement) - ‘issues that are attracting legitimate public interest or concern’ such as sustainability would need to be presented as a sufficiently credible in conceptualisation, and as well supported by the sector, in order to be selected QAA Subject Benchmarks – several mention sustainability issues and considerations – encouragement could be given for more widespread attention in benchmarking committees, which would also advance debate across communities of practice Underpinning definitions of Quality and Standards – rather static and passive concepts in recent academic infrastructure consultation – ‘management of learning opportunities’ – foundations of future T&L quality should be far more ambitious?

Pathways for Quality Enhancement: 2. Working with Business and Industry Issues are varied, complex and sometimes contradictory: ‘Business’ generally recognises the need for green skills but does not understand what a greener economy might mean or look like. ‘Bottom line’ & ‘business case’ mentality dominates in periods of economic recession. Professional associations vary in level and degree of commitment to sustainability (often interpreted in different ways): UG/PG programmes often built around professional/charter requirements. Partnership work essential: low carbon agenda often common ground because of its potential for quantification, monetarisation and management oversight. CPD: mosaic of focussed learning opportunities, accredited &/or non accredited, impacting positively on business and environmental performance.

Discussions: Sustainability in teaching and learning at the Institutional Level SCENARIO 1: THE NEW QAA INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW Q: The QAA reviewer: What would you expect to see at an institution that claims to be tackling sustainability coherently as a cross-curricular issue? Q: Respondent to a QAA reviewer: How might you articulate a sound enhancement approach that tackles sustainability and is embedded in institutional processes? SCENARIO 2: THE COURSE VALIDATION PROCESS Q: The validation panel Chair: What types of questions would you ask of a course team, to explore their level of academic engagement with sustainability? Q: The course development team: How might you plan ways to engage the teaching team and student cohort with sustainability issues at programme level?