Purpose
This study aims to demonstrate which course elements were responsible for community building, fostering subjectification and learning for being in an online course on environmental and sustainability education (ESE) during the COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing.
Design/methodology/approach
The study investigates a graduate-level course on Environmental Education for Sustainable Living that due to COVID-19 had to be taught mainly online. A retrospective analysis was conducted when the facilitators reflected on why the course, against expectations, appeared to have affected so many students in such a meaningful and profound way as shown by their personal reflections and the course evaluation. Methodologically, this study can be described as explorative and interpretative, although it was complemented by a standardised empirical analytical end-of course evaluation.
Findings
Within the context of this study, sense of community is linked to and facilitated by the online learning environment and the educators’ and students’ roles throughout the course. This study found that interaction and inclusion can be augmented by a hybrid educational design and supported by the mutual efforts of educators and students. Reflective tasks and discussions most prominently evoked subjectification. The encouragement of students to see themselves as central subjects and the inclusion of creative tasks supported both personal exploration and sense of community.
Originality/value
This study provides educational institutions teaching online with valuable information regarding course elements that foster subjectification and create a sense of community. This is particularly of interest for the design of online ESE emphasising learning for being and more relational approaches towards teaching and learning.
This paper reports on research into teachers' perspectives on education to prepare students for working with 'wicked' problems (Rittel and Webber 1973). These problems are complex, lack clear boundaries, and attempts to solve them -generally by bringing together multiple stakeholders with contrasting viewpoints -often have unforeseen consequences. Examples include many of the most significant current global challenges. We conducted semistructured interviews with twenty teachers in higher education who focused on wicked problems, and a comparison group of 15 other teachers. We used the theoretical lenses 'ways of thinking and practising in the subject area ' (Anderson and Hounsell, 2007) and 'figured worlds' (Holland et al., 1998) to frame our perspectives on high quality learning in relation to wicked problems. Our findings elaborate four key aspects of learning for wicked problems.Implications for policy makers and institutions include the structural changes that would likely be required to support such teaching.
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