Transcript Interdisciplinary learning in ESD at taught postgraduate

‘Weaving the future’ –
interdisciplinary learning in
ESD for taught postgraduates
Lindsey McEwen
University of Gloucestershire
HE Academy, York 14th December 2011
John Powell (Glos), Stephen Sterling
(Plymouth), Glenn Strachan (London South
Bank), David Norcliffe (Newport), Sheila
Bennell (Bangor), and Jon Kelly (Glos)
Aims
• To explore students’
perceptions of interdisciplinary
learning in ESD at taught
postgraduate level
• To provide underpinning
pedagogic research evidence
base to support curriculum
development in taught
postgraduate courses
Background
Builds on:
McEwen, L. J., Jennings, R.,
Duck, R. and Roberts, H.
(2009) Student experiences of
interdisciplinary Masters’
courses
Report for Higher Education
Academy
For further information on current
project: see project website
www.glos.ac.uk/interdisciplinarymasters
Defining the nature of the
postgraduate ‘bar’
• ‘Traditional’ Master’s level descriptors (QAA,
SEEC, NICATS etc.); emphasis on skill
development
• Importance of affective/attitudinal domains and
personal skills (Fink, 2003)
• ‘Creative professionalism’ (Kennedy, 2002) ability to self-direct and renew learning
• Postgraduate learning - distinctive approaches
to co-learning activities and socialisation
Predicted learning outcomes of ESD programmes
mapped against those from interdisciplinary learning
(Ivanitskaya et al., 2002) in McEwen et al. (2009)
The project - evaluating students’ experiences
of IDL and ESD at taught Master’s level:
• How students’ knowledge, understanding, abilities,
motivations, language and culture, and
conceptions/styles of learning are brought to ID colearning environments for ESD;
• What kinds of learning can occur in IDL teachinglearning environments for ESD. In what settings can
IDL be transformative?;
• How students perceive, experience and approach
different IDL teaching-learning environments/
activities including assessment; and
• What students perceive as graduate attributes/skills
for employability achieved through IDL in ESD.
Methodology
Literature
review
Questionnaires – students/staff –
eleven HEIs
Focus groups – five institutions
‘Weaving the Future’ Workshop
Staff and student guides
ESD
IDL
Postgraduate
learning
Resources
• Website www.glos.ac.uk/interdisciplinarymasters
• Guidance for staff and students
• Summary report from student questionnaire
survey
• Project report to HE Academy
• Good practice case-studies – suggested by
students/ staff
• Article - Planet 27 (May/June, 2011) ‘Weaving the
future’: student and staff perceptions of
interdisciplinary learning in ESD at taught
postgraduate level’
Courses surveyed:
Title
MSc in Holistic Science
MSc Learning for Sustainability
MSc Environmental Policy and
Management
MSc European Rural Development
PGDip Landscape Architecture
MA Sustainable Development
MSc Sustainable Waste Management
MA ESD and Global Citizenship
MSc Marine Environmental Protection
MSc Conservation and Land Management
Postgraduate Programme in Community
Development
MSc Leadership for Sustainable
Development
(validated as a Masters in Professional
Studies)
MSc Education for Sustainability
MA ESD and Global Citizenship
MSc Sustainable Development
MSc International Development
College/ HEI
Schumacher College
Plymouth University
University of
Gloucestershire
St Andrews University
UCLAN
University of Bangor
Middlesex University/
Forum for the Future
London South Bank
University
University of Newport
University of Exeter
University of Birmingham
Student perceptions questionnaire –
selected themes:
•
•
•
•
Understandings of interdisciplinary learning
Learning outcomes
Perceptions of co-learning environments
Interdisciplinary learning and skills for
employability
• Approaches to teaching and learning
• Interdisciplinary learning for transformation
Character of the 61 student respondents:
• Average age of respondents - 34.7; range from 2255.
• 64% female; 36% male
• All had work experience; average = 9.65 years,
range = 3 months to 37 years.
• 28% - full time study; 44% - part time.
• 41% -distance learners; 31% - work-based
learners
• Learning contexts very diverse – campus based v
remote
Discipline(s)
of prior
degree
Other (please specify):
Commitment to sustainable principles:
Increased employability:
Personal growth:
Exposure to new ideas:
Retraining:
0
10
20
30
Frequencies
40
50
Motivations for
study:
‘personal growth’
(75%)
‘retraining’
(28%)
Theme 1: Understandings of IDL
Learning that involves teaching and
learning with students from different
disciplinary backgrounds:
Learning that involves teaching and
learning with staff from different
disciplinary backgrounds:
Learning that involves non-academic
practitioners working with academics to
identify, research and develop solutions to
real world problems:
Learning that integrates knowledge from
different disciplines across a central theme
or focus:
‘learning that involves a
transformative process
allowing the connections
between disciplines to
emerge/become apparent’
0
20
40
Frequencies
60
Perceived learning outcomes
I can communicate knowledge and ideas
effectively in an interdisciplinary context to
students from different disciplinary backgrounds
I am able to apply an interdisciplinary knowledge
structure to new problems or themes
I have a better understanding of the strengths
and limitations of disciplines other than my own
I have developed the ability to see and establish
connections between similar and dissimilar
contexts
Interdisciplinary learning has enabled me to
engage holistically with problems
I am developing skills in systems thinking
through my course
I am able to communicate knowledge and ideas
effectively across disciplinary boundaries
%
agree
78.7
%
disagree
1.6
80.3
1.6
62.3
8.2
85.2
1.6
78.7
8.2
70.5
3.3
77.0
0
Student voice: ‘learning outcomes’
‘I was a black and white thinker - typical engineer!
And now I am beginning to feel more comfortable
working in the shade of grey.’
‘Has expanded my thinking by giving me
opportunities to discuss issues and values, has
made me read more about issues I am interested in
and challenged me to write about them.’
‘The variety of backgrounds represented mean there
are some very different value systems within the
student group.’
Perceptions of co-learning environments
• 92% students agreed that working with students
from varied disciplinary backgrounds is a valuable
learning experience.
• Only half the students (49%) perceived that their
course provided plenty of opportunities for
interdisciplinary co-learning at postgraduate level.
‘I feel that I have paid to attend a taught course in
order to be taught by leaders in their research and
teaching fields, not other students.’
‘Student voice’: ‘student co-learning and IDL’
‘Being
a distance learner I am not able to
participate in these opportunities’
‘It does but not sure about plenty as it is a
part time course and people only tend to
meet up on the taught weekends’
‘Especially during the residential sessions’
‘But not as part of course’
Q: ‘Staff are not important role models in
IDL’
(4.9%)
(6.6%)
(18.0%)
(52.5%)
(18.0%)
‘Only a minority of staff actually practice
"interdisciplinarity". Most remain in their scientific field
of interest.’
Interdisciplinary courses and skills for
employability
(13.1%)
(49.2%)
(32.8%)
(4.9%)
85% students perceived that interdisciplinary
learning would prepare them for the work place.
‘but I am not sure it's recognised as a benefit in
current employment opportunities’
Which aspects of your interdisciplinary learning
prepare you for the workplace?
‘My workplace is made up of people from a variety
of disciplines and I am able to understand better
where they are coming from and use this to better
meet their needs or explain my views to them. It
also helped me to understand why some of my
workmates are the way they are, some of their
sentiments and behaviour are ingrained and I do
not hold it against them. I had not understood this
before.’
Approaches to teaching, learning and assessment:
that provide the best opportunities for interdisciplinary
learning in ESD
‘Student voice’: types of teaching and learning
environments that provide the best opportunities for
interdisciplinary learning in ESD
‘I found that I understood things best when I was with
a group of people from different disciplines and each
gave their understanding of a situation. It was harder
when I was on my own and had to figure out what
things meant.’
‘Pedagogies that support social critical interactions
between learners and/or learning interventions of
varying disciplines.’
‘We have used a focus or theme as a context for the
activities undertaken. Other approaches could be
location or time based. An emphasis on participatory
activities seems to enable formative thinking and
discussion.’
‘Student voice’: Teaching and learning
environments (cont.)
‘Environments where all students feel
comfortable and supported enough to contribute
to discussion. Environments where students are
encouraged to participate. 'Dialogical' rather
than 'banking'-style learning, in which the
teacher sort of follows you where you take them
and attempts to understand your perspective
and interests. Environments in which students
feel equal to the teacher and equally able to
contribute.’
Most important factor in making a
learning experience more likely to be
transformative is:
The lecturer or facilitator
The pedagogy or teaching methods
employed
The topic or subject matter
The setting (atmosphere and design
of learning location)
Previous understanding of the learner
Disposition of the learner
% agree
%
disagree
91.8
85.2
3.3
1.6
78.7
60.7
3.3
9.8
50.8
86.9
13.1
3.3
‘The facilitator’s passion is transferred to the learners’
‘The lesson/session has to be as interactive as possible’
‘This is possibly the most important factor: the attitude of the
learner, and the willingness to explore and reflect’
Identification of a specific learning
experience (IDL and transformative learning)
writing a reflective learning
journal
This thinking and understanding
has helped me advise and even
inform other people on key
issues in community
development and eco-tourism
related issues in Uganda.
immersive stay for a week at a
land based learning centre
relationship between the local and
global perspectives
learning of my personal impact
on the marine environment
placement with an NGO
gender, human rights
The apparent unstructured
approach of my tutors has made me
work harder for my outcomes, and
has challenged my pre conceptions
of Masters level study.
EU Policies and Research
methods
‘Building bridges’ and ‘developing tools’
• Building ‘knowledge’ bridges – taking
network discussions out beyond academia –
to employers and professional bodies
(GEES funded follow-on project)
• Developing tools (‘Living documents’ as
guidance; e.g. shared exploration of
pedagogies that encourage IDL in ESD at
taught postgraduate level).
Conclusions
• Research base as stimulus for student/staff
discussion about IDL in ESD at M- level
• Student perceptions here – match those of staff (in
literature)
• Importance of making IDL explicit
• Need to move student ‘neutral’ responses
• Need to support transitions to IDL in ESD at PGT
• Explore IDL and work-based elements of courses
• Establish case-studies of good/ innovative practice
• Themes for further investigation
– IDL, sustainability and employability
– IDL, sustainability and transformative learning
Resources from project:
www.glos.ac.uk/interdisciplinarymasters
Selected references
Brewer, G. D (1999) ‘The challenges of interdisciplinarity’
Policy Sciences 32, pp 327-337.
Graybill, J. K. et al. (2006) A Rough Guide to Interdisciplinarity:
Graduate Student Perspectives BioScience, 56 (9), 757-763
Hansson, B. (1999) ‘Interdisciplinarity: For what purpose?,
Policy Sciences 32, pp339-343.
Ivanitskaya, L. et al. (2002) Interdisciplinary learning: process
and outcomes. Innovative Higher Education 27, 95-111.
Selby, D. (2006) The catalyst that is sustainability: bringing
permeability to disciplinary boundaries. Planet 17, 57-59.
Sterling, S (2001) Sustainable Education – Re-visioning
learning and change, Schumacher Briefing no.6.
Schumacher Society/Green Books, Dartington.