Teaching and Learning Process on Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development
Though the global situation is complex and daunting, education for sustainable development attempts to empower students with the knowledge, values, and ability not only to understand but also to act upon that understanding so that they might create a world in harmony with the environment. In summer...
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SIT Digital Collections
2010
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| Online Access: | https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/faculty_symposium/environment/tuesaugust10/6 https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1032&context=faculty_symposium |
| Summary: | Though the global situation is complex and daunting, education for sustainable development attempts to empower students with the knowledge, values, and ability not only to understand but also to act upon that understanding so that they might create a world in harmony with the environment. In summer 2009, 19 university students from North America came to Iceland to study renewable energy on the SIT Study Abroad (a program of World Learning) program ―Iceland: Renewable Energy, Technology, and Resource Economics.‖ The students traveled around the country, stayed with host families, underwent intensive coursework, visited power plants and policy firms, and conducted independent study projects. This case study evaluates the program through in-depth interviews, qualitative analysis, and discussion of the emergent theory and its implications for practice. It was found that the students were most influenced by their cultural experiences with their host families which made them reflect on themselves and their place in the world. They learned real-life applications and gained confidence for the future by seeing renewable energy and examples of sustainability in practice in Iceland. From the analysis and discussion, it emerged that the program could be improved by emphasis on ethics in the course, creation of a forum for critical, multidisciplinary, open discussion, and community involvement and student agency in the independent study project. Reflection on my role as facilitator led me to realize that I need to create a challenging but encouraging learning environment in order to enable authentic, transformative, sustainable education. |
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