Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T04:27:11.008Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Introducing Environmental Literacy in the Tertiary Curriculum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 June 2015

Ian Thomas ,
Louise Kyle  and
Amaya Alvarez
Amaya Alvarez
Affiliation:
RMIT University
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

There are many examples of environmental courses in tertiary institutions, but the integration of environmental education across the range of courses has generally not occurred. The paper describes a process and strategy to establish environmental literacy in tertiary courses. This strategy was developed from a project to introduce waste minimisation education into four disciplinary based courses. Since waste minimisation was introduced in the context of ecological sustainability, the project provided a framework for the broad principles of environmental literacy. The project began with the assumption that adequate materials were already available, but what was needed was a process that would guide academics in the revision of their course content, and would support them in making changes. The paper reports on the conduct of the project and, based on our experiences, presents a strategy for developing curriculum change. This strategy has been developed to recognise the contexts associated with environmental understanding and tertiary institutions, and the processes needed to facilitate the change.

Type
Research Article
Information
Australian Journal of Environmental Education , Volume 15: Volume 15-16 , 1999 , pp. 95 - 101
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1999

References

Alabaster, T. and Blair, D. 1996, ‘Greening the University’, in Huckle, J. and Sterling, S. Education for Sustainability, Earthscan, London, pp. 86–104.Google Scholar
Ali Khan, S. 1991, Greening the Curriculum, Committee of Directors of Polytechnics and WWF, London.Google Scholar
Ali Khan, S. 1990, Greening Polytechnics, Committee of Directors of Polytechnics, Middlesex.Google Scholar
Ali Khan, S. 1994, Taking Responsibility: Promoting Sustainable Practice Through Higher Education Curricula, Environmental Responsibility Centre, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield.Google Scholar
Alvarez, A. and Kyle, L. 1998, Integration of Waste Minimisation Principles into Higher Education Curricula, EcoRecycle Victoria, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Barbera, M. 1994, Environmental Issues: A Challenge for Management Accountants, Australian Society for Certified and Practicing Accountants, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Cairncross, F. 1995, Green Inc: Guide to Business and the Environment, Earthscan, London.Google Scholar
Callenbach, E., Capra, F., Goldman, L., Lutz, R. and Marburg, S. 1993, EcoManagement: The Elmwood Guide to Ecological Auditing and Sustainable Business, Berrett-Koehler, San Francisco.Google Scholar
Committee on Environmental Education in Further and Higher Education 1993, Environmental Responsibility: An agenda for further and higher education, (Toyne Chair), HMSO, London.Google Scholar
Commonwealth of Australia 1994, National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development, AGPS, Canberra.Google Scholar
Connellan, J. 1996, Learning More, Wasting Less: RMIT University's Waste Minimisation Strategy, unpublished report, Asset Management Group, RMIT University, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Cosgrove, L. and Thomas, I. 1996, ‘Categorising Tertiary Environmental Education in Australia’, Australian Journal of Environmental Education, vol. 12, pp. 27–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cowell, S.J., Hogson, S.B. and Clift, R. 1998, ‘Teamwork for Environmental Excellence in a University Context’, in Moxen, J. and Strachan, P. A. Managing Green Teams, Greenleaf Publishing, Broom Hall, pp. 131–144.Google Scholar
Dingle, P. 1998, President's Report, OZEE News, Issue 73, 07, pp. 3–4.Google Scholar
Dyer, C. 1996, Moving from Rhetoric to Reality: An Initial Exploration of Theories and Approaches to Curriculum Greening Appropriate to the Faculty of Environmental Design and Construction, RMIT University, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Dyer, K. 1997, ‘Environmentalism as Social Purpose: in Higher Education: A Green Education Agenda’, Australian Journal of Environmental Education, vol. 13, pp. 37–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ebutt, D. 1992, Ordering The Elements : The Management Of Environmental Education Across The Curriculum, World Wild Life Fund for Nature(WWF), Godalraing (Surrey).Google Scholar
Greenall, A. 1981, An Introduction to Environmental Education, in Curriculum Development Centre, Environmental Education: A Sourcebook for Primary Education, CDC, Canberra.Google Scholar
Greene, D. 1994, RMIT: Becoming the University for a Sustainable Future, unpublished report prepared for the RMIT Environmental Management and Policy Committee, RMIT, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Institution of Engineers (Australia) 1992, Environmental Principles for Engineers, IE (Aust), Canberra.Google Scholar
Keniry, J. 1995, Ecodemia: Campus Environmental Stewardship at the turn of the Twenty First Century: Lessons in Smart Management from Administrators, Staff and Students, National Wildlife Federation, Washington.Google Scholar
Orr, D. W. 1992, Ecological Literacy, Education and the Transition to a Postmodern World, State University of New York Press, Albany.Google Scholar
Ridener, L.R. 1997, ‘University Students' Attitude to the Environment: An Australian/USA Comparison and the Effects of an Educational Program’, Australian Journal of Environmental Education, vol. 13, pp. 77–84.Google Scholar
RMIT 1998, RMIT University Teaching and Learning Strategy 1998-2000 Melbourne, RMIT University and http://www.teaching.rmit.edu.au/teaching.htm Google Scholar
Royal Australian Institute of Architecture 1995, Environmental Design Guide, RAIA, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Schmidheiny, S. 1994, ‘Looking Forward: Our Common Enterprise’, in Kolluni, R. V. (ed) Environmental Strategies Handbook, McGraw-Hill, New York.Google Scholar
Sterling, S. 1996, ‘Education in Change’, in Huckle, J. and Sterling, S., Education for Sustainability, Earthscan, London.Google Scholar
Strauss, B. H. 1996, The Class of 2000 Report: Environmental Education, Practices and Activism on Campus, Nathan Cummings Foundation, New York.Google Scholar
Victorian Environmental Education Council 1992, Learning to Care for Our Environment, VEEC, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Victorian Government 1987, Protecting Our Environment—Victoria's State Conservation Strategy, Victorian Government Printer, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Woods, S. 1994, The Environmental Agenda, Taking Responsibility, The Built Environment, Pluto Press, London.Google Scholar