Green and academic literacies: embedding sustainability into learning development practice

Abstract

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), an internationally understood educational concept, ‘equips learners across all disciplines with the knowledge, skills, attributes and values required to pursue sustainable visions of the future’ (Advanced HE, n.d.). The potential for learning development (LD) to contribute IN this endeavour by embedding green literacy into LD practice while supporting students to develop their academic literacies is a longstanding professional interest of the author. There is broad agreement that effective ESD necessitates supporting students to develop self-reflection, systematic thinking, problem solving and collaborative learning skills, some of the key competencies that LD seeks to foster.

This mini keynote briefly presented the nature, scope, and purpose of the author’s work in embedding ESD within their LD practice. It aimed to provoke a discussion about the potential of LD to contribute to the ESD agenda within higher education by, for example, participating in departmental, faculty or institution-wide Climate Themed Learning events or by integrating ESD into regular LD practice. It also aimed to encourage information and ideas exchange, and a consideration about the formation of an ALDinHE Education for Sustainable Development Community of Practice.