Teaching about and for Sustainability

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Teaching about and for Sustainability
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Sustainability in the classroom means

• Leaving your students with an understanding of
  how their course / industry impacts on people and
  the environment
• AND
• Using resources that impact on the environment
  efficiently (especially energy).
• Being green in what you teach and how you teach

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Teaching about sustainability
Leave your students with an understanding of how
their course (and the industry it relates to)
impacts on people and the environment
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What is sustainability?

• being able to meet the
• needs of the present without compromising the
  ability of future generations to meet their own
  needs.
• Our Common Future The Brundtland Report
• World Commission on Environment and Development,
  1987

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What is sustainability?
How is the planet affected?
How am I, my family, my community affected?
What are the financial implications of this
decision?
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Options for teaching sustainability

• Teach it in your course
• Encourage students to undertake the Diploma of
  Sustainability
• Ideally do both!

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Diploma of Sustainability

• Dual qualification students are required to be
  undertaking another Swinburne course
• 4 units to gain the qualification
• A minimum of 12 face-to-face sessions
• Assessment customised on primary course
  discipline

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Resources available to you

• WebCT shell Sustainability in TAFE courses
• ask your Web CT administrator for access
• full of ready to use resources, including
  powerpoint presentations and speakers notes
• NCS Resource Bank
• http//www.swinburne.edu.au/ncs
• Further professional development and resources
• contact the National Centre for Sustainability
  9214 5997

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Teaching for sustainability

• Using resources efficiently
• Not brain science!
• Turn off lights when leaving the classroom
• Turn off computers, monitors and all AV equip
  when leaving
• Print handouts on recycled paper (or provide
  online only)
• Encourage students to use recycling facilities
  outside

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Why should we bother ?

• Lights left on in one classroom overnight -
• How many lights? 10
• How much electricity? 20 globes x 36W 25
  900Watts
• On for how long? (9pm 8am) 11hrs
• How much cost? 900W x 11 hrs 10kWh

280 and 13.25 kgs greenhouse gas emissions per
classroom per teaching year (40 weeks)
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What does it mean at Swinburne?
Community Engagement
Teaching
Research
Workplace
http//www.swinburne.edu.au/ncs/documents/Sustaina
bility_Covenant_Final.pdf
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4 ways to be sustainable at Swinburne

• Use resources wisely
• Teach sustainability within your course
• Encourage students to consider the Diploma of
  Sustainability
• Join Swin Green Office Program http//www.swinburn
  e.edu.au/ncs/swingreenoffice/