140 likes | 257 Views
A critical, collaborative and constructivist pedagogy for the social science of climate change Peter Hughes University of Bradford p.hughes3@bradford.ac.uk. April 29, 2010 C-Change in GEES Manchester. Structure. CC & pedagogy A critical, collaborative, constructivist pedagogy
E N D
A critical, collaborative and constructivist pedagogy for the social science of climate changePeter HughesUniversity of Bradfordp.hughes3@bradford.ac.uk April 29, 2010 C-Change in GEES Manchester
Structure • CC & pedagogy • A critical, collaborative, constructivist pedagogy • CC pedagogy in action “Global Environmental Management” 1993-2010
A Pedagogy of/for Climate Change Characteristics of climate change that present challenges/opportunities for pedagogy • Uncertainty/indeterminacy • Inter/trans-disciplinarity • Knowledge constantly being reconstituted • Secularisation of knowledge through mass media and popular culture • A ‘super-complex issue’ (Barnett & Hallam, 1999)
A Critical/Constructive/Collaborative Pedagogy (Garrison & Archer, 2000) • “…Knowledge is actively constructed by individuals or social communities.” Tynjala, 1999: 364 • Collaboration is essential for social validation of personal meaning making • Critical thinking and metacognitive awareness enable learners to become more self-directed/autonomous
Pedagogy of Climate Change in Action • Global Environmental Management • Final year 20 credit module • 1993-2002 (University of Sunderland) • 2005-2010 (University of Bradford) • An interdisciplinary social science module available to various combinations of Geog., Env. Studies, Env. Sci., Env. Man. Tourism students
GEM knowledge domain • Concepts: sustainable development; ecological modernisation; risk society; equity; governance; commons; regimes • Themes: issue evolution; actor groups; local-global connections; values • Issues: climate change, ozone, biodiversity, forests, oceans, Antarctica, nuclear technologies
GEM - A Critical Pedagogy? • Comparative perspective • Social construction of issues • Developing confidence in critical engagement with sources (academic journals; media)
A Collaborative Pedagogy • social learning space • In-class discussion • Collaborative group blog • Learners encouraged to share and draw upon each others learning resources • Student-led teaching sessions • Group role-play
A Constructivist Pedagogy • Pre-existing conceptions exposed at start of each class • Issues presented as ‘live’ , and real-time engagement encouraged • Learners encouraged to construct narrative for module in terms of their own learning journey • Individual learning journals • Culminate in assessed e-portfolio • E-portfolio as fusion of subject and self
Specific learning activities • Developing critical engagement with academic journals (see Hughes & Boyle, 2005: 26-27) • Student-led teaching sessions (Hughes: GDN/GEES Good Practice Abstract 219) • Use of the internet to engage with ongoing negotiations in international environmental affairs (Hughes: GDN/GEES Good Practice Abstract 177)
Review • This is A pedagogy of climate change, not THE pedagogy of climate change • It has developed as an ongoing conversation between subject matter, educational theory & practice, departmental and institutional contexts, the changing nature of learners, the experiences of the learners…
References • Barnett, R. (2000) Supercomplexity and the curriculum, Studies in Higher Education, 25, 3, 2000. • Barnett, R. and Hallam, S. (1999) Teaching for supercomplexity: a pedagogy for higher education, in Mortimere, P. (ed) Understanding pedagogy and its impact on learning, London: Sage, 137-154 • Garrison, DR and Archer, W (2000) A Transactional Perspective on Teaching and Learning, Oxford, Pergamon. • Hughes, P. and Boyle, A (2005) Assessment in the Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies, Plymouth: Higher Education Academy GEES Subject Centre • Social Learning Group (2001a) Learning to Manage Global Environmental Risks: Comparative History of Social Responses to Climate Change, Ozone Depletion and Acid Rain, Vol.1, MIT Press • Social Learning Group (2001b) Learning to Manage Global Environmental Risks: Functional Analysis of Social Responses to Climate Change, Ozone Depletion and Acid Rain, Vol.2, MIT Press • Tynjala, P. (1999) Towards expert knowledge? A comparison between a constructivist and a traditional learning environment in the university, International Journal of Educational Research, 31: 357-442