The topic of sustainable development can often be taught too theoretically, at times lacking a global context, and regularly without connecting it to individuals – however, this module overcomes all those obstacles, by teaching in a different, creative, and fun way.
Seminars will provide the background to local projects that students will visit, as well as a discussion of the learning objectives of each visit. Students will then be given a structured question set for each of their practical visits, to ensure that they take full advantage from learning outside the classroom. The outcome will be a group-based presentation of personal insights and real-life leadership gained.
Staff involved in sustainable development at the University, in partnership with others who lead a variety of projects in the city of Liverpool, are keen to share their experiences with students on the International Summer School, by showcasing real examples of what they have designed and delivered.
Module leader: Adam Mannis
Lecturer in Construction Management and Engineering Sustainability in the School of Engineering. Adam teaches Sustainable Development as a global and interdisciplinary topic, using real examples (outside the classroom) for ISS students to compare with the situation in their own countries, cities, and campuses.
Aims
- To use active learning approaches to evaluate the societal, environmental and financial impacts of global challenges in terms of sustainable development goals
- To provide opportunities to learn about the culture, life and people of the UK by exploring the topic of sustainable development through working on case study projects that are located near the University within the City of Liverpool
- To develop confidence in understanding and communicating cross-disciplinary ideas in different formats to diverse audiences
- To improve skills in research and collaborative learning.
Content
The following topics will be considered on the module:
- The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and other associated analytical tools
- The urban environment as a real-life resource for understanding sustainable development inaction
- Case studies of sustainable development in the city of Liverpool involving a diverse range of local people
- Comparable internationally examples of sustainable development that are taking place in other countries
- Communication mechanisms for sustainable development plans
- Production of a presentation of leadership reflections and lessons learned towards a wider group outcome.
Structure
The module will be delivered over a three-week period in six two-hour sessions (four hours per week, total 12 hours contact time). The final two sessions will be for assessment.
In addition, it is expected that students will spend 34-38 study hours outside of the classroom contact hours on activities including assigned reading, optional reading of areas of personal interest, homework tasks, web research, and preparation for assessment. Students should be aware that to fully benefit from the face-to-face classroom sessions, they will need to have done the preparation work assigned beforehand.
Teaching methods
The teaching approach will include the following:
- Taught sessions
- Small group working
- Group discussions
- Presentations
- Site visits and team interactions.
Assessment
Assessment will be by:
- Group presentation (15 minutes)
- Multiple choice/short answer questions (two ten-question papers).
Standard University policies apply regarding late submission of assessments.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students will be able to:
- Extract, summarise and evaluate information from a range of resources
- Understand and communicate complex ideas in written and spoken language
- Research a topic and work collaboratively in this research to produce a piece of work based on research.
Skills
Key skills that will be developed:
- Collaboration and teamwork, through group discussions, activities and tasks in class, collaborative research, and real-life project visits to the city of Liverpool
- Communication, developed orally in group discussions, activities and tasks in class, and in writing by production of assessed assignment
- Synthesising complex information, through site visits, team interactions and presentation of group work.
Reading
The University Library website provides access to many relevant books, as well as academic journals and databases.
Recommended pre-course reading
- Liverpool City Council (2015): Mayor of Liverpool’s Commission on Environmental Sustainability
- World Bank Group (2015): What Makes a Sustainable City?
Useful websites
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