Grassroot Power of Communities of Practice – The Case of SDG Literacy

With emerging consensus on an urgent need to address the potentially catastrophic issues of climate change, threats to the natural world and social injustice, Generation Z is spearheading a quiet revolution, elevating sustainability from desirable to essential. Achievement of the UN SDGs has emerged as a megatrend (Mittelsaedt et al., 2014) and universities are playing a key role in developing graduates’ sustainability knowledge, skills and mindsets (Andrews and Soares, 2017). To empower our students to solve ‘wicked sustainability problems’ (Levin et al., 2012) we, as educators, need to move beyond our discipline silos and develop cross-disciplinary collaborations that lead to innovations in our teaching, learning and assessment. We will present exemplars in practice emerging from a university-wide Community of Practice (CoP) (Wenger, 2015) in sustainability literacy called SDG Literacy which was established in 2020. The comprehensive nature of the SDG framework has brought colleagues from various disciplines together, such as business, engineering, chemistry, tourism, culinary arts and social work. The SDG Literacy CoP focuses on and promotes the enhancement of sustainability literacy and organically developing some of the key competencies listed under the new European GreenComp framework (Bianchi et al., 2022) among faculty and student cohorts. These growing impactful initiatives are aligned with Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and the broader strategic aims of the university. Collaborative initiatives emerged such as co-creation of CPD in Education for Sustainability for staff, sustainability focused modules for students from different disciplines, creation of open educational resources (OERs), regular showcases of excellence of practice events, integrated assessments and development of collaborative industry-based partnerships. The SDG Literacy CoP and its growing influence within the university is an excellent example of the power of grassroot cross-disciplinary communities of practice to catalyse the promotion of sustainability strongly supported by our students - future leaders - and matched by the strategic university focus on people, planet and partnerships. In a call to action, we hope to inspire participants, by our story, to apply ideas of interdisciplinarity in practice. References Andrews, D., & Soares, S. (2017). Growing spaces: developing a sustainability–literate graduate. In DS 88: Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education (E&PDE17), Building Community: Design Education for a Sustainable Future, Oslo, Norway, 7 & 8 September 2017 (pp. 328-333). Bianchi, G., Pisiotis, U. and Cabrera Giraldez, M., (2022). GreenComp The European sustainability competence framework, (No. JRC128040). Joint Research Centre (Seville site). Levin, K., Cashore, B., Bernstein, S., & Auld, G. (2012). Overcoming the tragedy of super wicked problems: constraining our future selves to ameliorate global climate change. Policy sciences, 45(2), 123-152. Mittelstaedt, J. D., Shultz, C. J., Kilbourne, W. E., & Peterson, M. (2014). Sustainability as megatrend: Two schools of macromarketing thought. Journal of Macromarketing, 34(3), 253-264. Wenger-Trayner, E. and Wenger-Trayner,B. (2015). Introduction to Communities of Practice Available at: https://wenger-trayner.com/introduction-to-communities-of-practice

Empowering Responsible and Sustainability-Aware Business Graduates Through Digital Authentic Assessment

Business schools must engage in fundamental change to retain their legitimacy and position themselves as providers of solutions to urgent economic, social and environmental crises. Achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has emerged as a megatrend and business education must enhance graduate skills to contribute to their achievement. The world requires the next generation of graduates to become responsible business leaders who will address wicked sustainability problems. Hence, we need pedagogy that enables students to become sustainability literate and thus develop appropriate knowledge, skills and mindsets. Authentic assessment provides transformative learning opportunities that empower students to achieve meaningful impact in the real world. Despite some recent research that connects authentic assessment and sustainability, there is a dearth of empirical research on authentic assessments for sustainability in business disciplines. We outline a pedagogical initiative designed with the aim of enhancing sustainability literacy among business students using innovative digital tools as part of authentic assessment strategy. We designed and implemented authentic assessment strategies that engage students with learning across a number of different delivery modes and in a ‘deep’ reflective manner with meaningful tasks. Business students on undergraduate, postgraduate and executive programmes follow the same format with some adjustments made to reflect the different discipline/module focus. This includes completion of: (i) a sustainability literacy test through the UN supported Sulitest platform, (ii) a written reflection on learning, stemming from the Sulitest that utilises the DIEP reflective model, (iii) the creation of digital artefacts such as a short video shared on LinkedIn; student activism involving contacting political representatives/brands; creation of social media content in partnership with sustainability-focused organisations; podcasts with invited guests; writing of opinion pieces for media; and creation of e-portfolios that showcase students\u27 work. We believe this deep reflection and awareness signposts efficacious action emerging from our transformative learning pedagogy, based digital authentic assessment design. This pedagogical approach equips students with sustainability-specific knowledge, global citizenship skills, digital skills, and creative and inquisitive mindsets

Exploring the impact of authentic assessment on sustainability literacy through reflective and action-oriented tasks: A roundtable podcast

Business schools must engage in fundamental change to retain their legitimacy and position themselves as providers of solutions to urgent economic, social, and environmental crises. To this end, we need pedagogy that enables students to become sustainability literate graduates and thus develop appropriate knowledge, skills, and mind-sets. This roundtable discussion podcast comprises six colleagues engaged in conversation and reflection around a pedagogical initiative designed with the broad aim of enhancing sustainability literacy among business students using innovative digital tools as part of an authentic assessment strategy. The pedagogical approaches we discuss engage students with learning across several different modes and in a ‘deep’ reflective manner (Meyers & Nulty, 2009).  We discuss our use of the UN supported Sulitest platform, specifically our use of the Sulitest quiz tool. The podcast transcript has been annotated through footnotes to direct the listener/reader to further reading on the various topics that emerge in our discussion

Embedding Sustainability Literacy in Business School Curricula through Reflective Pedagogy: An Exploratory Study of Student Reflections of the Sulitest

Purpose Sustainability has emerged as a megatrend affecting all aspects of management practice. SDG 4.7 has mandated business schools to provide education for responsible leadership and to integrate sustainability principles in their curricula. Faculty are challenged to mainstream sustainability through engaging pedagogy that inspires and offers concrete tools. Yet, pedagogy has been viewed as a key challenge to embedding sustainability in management education. Design / Methodology / Approach We highlight the role of reflection in promoting the enhancement of sustainability literacy in business school curricula, supporting our proposition that management education for sustainability must have a reflective dimension that engages students in deeper learning. In addition to exploring theoretical perspectives on sustainability literacy development through reflection, we draw on empirical evidence provided from a study of 300+ student reflective assignments, based on their experiences of the UN Sulitest, using the DIEP (describe, interpret, evaluate, plan) framework. Findings A thematic analysis of reflective assignments suggest that students engaged in thoughtful reflection that was transformative in nature, broadening their knowledge, questioning their mindsets and fostering change agency. Typical knowledge domains highlighted include: the circular economy, child labour, pollution, equality and clean energy. Students expressed emotions of shock, anger and surprise about the role of human affluence in unsustainable futures. Research Limitations Although our analysis paints a story limited to reflection coupled to just one learning experience, namely the UN Sulitest, future pedagogical initiatives might expand to additional tools for promoting sustainability literacy. Whilst it is meant to illustrate how elements of a sustainability literacy are developed, no data was collected to systematically evaluate transformational impact. We recommend further research to evaluate future transformation. Originality / Value Our findings contribute to the practical application of reflective pedagogy in promoting the enhancement of sustainability literacy and to a conceptualisation of the role that reflection plays in the pursuit of transformation. Moreover, it provides corroborating evidence to principles of deep learning for sustainability based on the SDG framework, emotional stimuli, advocacy and action

Using the Community of Practice model to shape approaches to Education for Sustainable Development across disciplines in a Technological University context: A Roundtable Podcast

This roundtable discussion podcast comprises eight colleagues engaged in reflective discussion of their shared experiences of being members of SDG Literacy.ie, a Community of Practice (CoP) first established in TU Dublin in 2020. This CoP focuses on and promotes the enhancement of Sustainability Literacy among student cohorts as one measure to be employed in strengthening Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in line with the broader strategic aims of the university. Harvey et al. (2021) in a case-based paper which includes examination of the CoP discussed here conclude that teaching and learning innovation took place as a consequence of the resource-sharing, idea-generation and overall peer support that CoP members experience. The voices you will hear in this podcast discussion represent the inter-disciplinary SDG Literacy academic community who all share an interest in the sustainability domain and are acutely aware of SDG4.7 which focuses on ensuring all learners acquire the knowledge and skills for sustainable development by 2030. Discussion themes include (i) our shared understanding of ESD, (ii) how membership of SDGLiteracy.ie shaped our Teaching, Learning and Assessment (TLA) approaches in relation to ESD, Sustainability Literacy and Authentic Assessment, (iii) how membership of SDGLiteracy.ie shaped our broader personal and professional development (research, collaboration, output etc.) and (iv) our future plans in relation to ESD and the CoP model. The podcast transcript has been annotated through footnotes to direct the listener/reader to further reading on the various topics that emerge in the discussion

10 Ways to Become a Sustainable Fashion Consumer

Modern consumers are more aware of the environmental and human costs of their wardrobes. Surveys in Europe and the US show that consumers would like to buy more sustainable clothes - and are willing to pay a little extra too

5 Ways For Us To Value Water In Our Daily Lives

Not everyone around the world can turn on a tap in their house to drink clean, fresh water, let alone flush a toilet with the push of a button. The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated the critical importance of adequate access to safe water and sanitation for preventing and containing diseases. According to the World Health Organisation, handwashing is one of the most effective actions you can take to reduce the spread of pathogens and prevent infections

Can A New Campaign Help Garment Makers To Be Paid Fairly?

Wages are a long-standing issue in fashion supply chains. Statutory minimum wage levels are at less than 50% of what is necessary to secure a decent life in the largest garment producing countries. Consumers take low price tags as given and are shopping more every year. The industry is worth $3 trillion globally and worldwide apparel consumption is set to rise to 102 million tonnes annually by 2030, the equivalent of 500 billion t-shirts