Lorraine Lander, SUNY Empire State College

1. Lorraine Lander, SUNY Empire State College Optimism and Inspiration in Sustainability Education Lorraine.lander@esc.edu

2. Sustainability Education • Sustainability Education or Education for Sustainable Development • United Nations • Interdisciplinary • Focus on systems (environment, economic, social) • Often problem based • Critical thinking • Transformational learning

3. Motivation Theory • Achievement Motivation Theory – Andrew Elliot • Approach and avoidant goals • Internal versus external • Students who are approach and internal are more likely to value learning and pursue learning for own sake • Students who are afraid (avoidant) and external (consequences) are more disorganized and have low persistence when work gets difficult

4. Self-determination Theory • Deci and Ryan • Internal motivation is self-sustaining • External motivation is not

5. What is Optimism? • Hopeful, confidence of success, anticipation of positive outcome • Dispositional trait versus learned (Seligman) • If learned, does optimism have value?

6. Importance of Optimism in Sustainability Education • Optimism and inspiration allow individuals to see they can change the world. • Need accurate information, but gloom and doom alone is de-motivating. • Fear limits action • Need positive information • Self-efficacy promotes action • Positive vision emphasizes solutions

7. Importance of Optimism (cont.) • Optimism – • Allows positive visions that connect with goals • Enhances the relevance of role models • Changes focus from problems and destruction to progress • Promotes connection of societal goals with personal goals • Allows for celebration of progress

8. Psychology of Inspiration • What is inspiration? (Thrash) • Psychological construct • Process of inspiration • Evocation (feeling more open, high attraction, not under personal control) • Motivation (energy for action) • Transcendence (experience is highly positive, enhanced, or has high clarity)

9. Psychology of Inspiration • Where does it come from? • Internal versus external • Triggers include - • Mentor or role model • Aesthetics • Access to successful performance or ideas • Ideas or insights that provide a sense of necessity or excitement

10. Psychology of Inspiration • Research shows – • Individuals were inspired by outstanding role models • Inspiration is correlated with well-being (happiness) • Getting creative ideas and inspiration are distinct, with creative ideas preceding inspiration

11. Psychology of Awe “A mixed emotion of reverence, respect, dread, and wonder inspired by authority, genius, great beauty, sublimity, or power” • Part of inspiration? • Feeling of vastness (or insignificance) • Heightened awareness and concentration or attention • Openness to experience

12. Inspiration and Creative Solutions Insight Interest Inspiration Innovation Creative process……..fostered by open learning (interest) and self-direction, energized by inspiration

13. Self-Directed Learning Theory • Brockett and Hiemstra, Personal Responsibility Orientation Model • Self-efficacy • Initiative • Motivation • Self-regulation

14. Sources of Inspiration • AASHE Conference (2010) • Importance of narratives • Sharing the work • AASHE Workshop Piedmont/Ponderosa Model • Inspiring others

15. Inspiration - Bioneers • http://www.bioneers.org/ • “Bioneers is inspiring a shift to live on Earth in ways that honor the web of life, each other and future generations.” • Two goals - • Connect people with solutions. • Grow social capital. • Gary Hirschberg (example): http://vimeo.com/15892392

16. Inspiration - EcoGeek • www.ecogeek.com • Most popular stories for 2010 http://www.ecogeek.org/ecogeeks/3386

17. Inspiration – TED talks • Over 800 Talks by experts in their field • www.ted.com • Tim Jackson – Prosperity Without Growth • Janine Benyus – Biomimicry-Solutions for human problems from nature • Paul Stamets – How Fungi can change the world

18. Share Your Inspirations Questions? Thank you