Pedagogy, Places And People

• Authors: Ros Wade
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The paper will explore the potential of new technologies in helping educators to play an active role in creating and promoting the learning that is needed for local and global communities to live sustainably. In particular, it will examine the potential of the virtual world to develop local and global communities for transformative learning for sustainable development. It is organised into three sections: 1) the need for new ways of knowing, learning and understanding; 2) the challenges an opportunities of the virtual world; 3) the role of virtual learning communities in education for sustainable education; 4) regional centres of expertise as a mobilising mechanism. Faced with the major challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, poverty and social inequality, it is clear that learning to live sustainably has never been more urgent. The credit crunch has thrown these into sharp relief and provided an opportunity to take stock of our current ways of organising the world economy which have led us to this unsustainable impasse. We are faced with a critical moment in world history which offers the chance to make the changes needed to set human beings on a path to a more sustainable future. In order to address these immense challenges, new forms of learning are needed, and the paper will argue that all educators, as responsible members of local and global communities, need to play key roles as agents for change. Globalisation and new technologies have changed the way we think about the world and about what constitutes the global and the local. It is clear that both local and global solutions must be found to address the serious dilemmas of the 21st century. This paper will see to examine the opportunities and challenges of the virtual world in enabling and supporting the development of effective ESD communities of practice.

Keywords

EN

education for sustainable education; regional centres of expertise; communities of practice; virtual learning communities

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability
• Year: 2012
• Volume: 14
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 147-167

Dates

published

2012-12-01

online

2013-03-27

Contributors

author

Ros Wade

References

• ACCU (Asia Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO). (2009). Tales of Hope II: InnovativeGrassroots Approaches to ESD in Asia and the Pacific. Tokyo: ACCU.
• Atkinson, H. (2012). Local democracy, civic engagement and community: From new labour tothe big society. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
• Bowers, C. A. (2000). Let them eat data: How computers affect education, cultural diversity andthe prospect of ecological sustainability. Athens: University of Georgia Press.
• Castells, M. (1996). The network society. Oxford: Blackwell.
• Castells, M. (2000). Materials for an exploratory theory of the network society. British Journalof Sociology, 51(1), 5-24 DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-4446.2000.00005.x.[Crossref]
• Daniel, B. K. (2009). Social capital modeling in virtual communities information science reference:Bayesain. Belief network approaches. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport. (2009). Digital Britain, final report. London: DCMS.
• Dolan, P., Layard, R., & Metcalfe, R. (2011). Measuring subjective well-being for public policy:Recommendations on measures. Special paper No. 23. Retrieved October 29, 2012, from http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/special/cepsp23.pdf
• Ginsburg, M., Cooper, S., Raghu, R., & Zegarra, H. (1991). Educational reform: Social struggle, the state and the world economic system. In M. Ginsburg (Ed.), Understandingeducational reform in a global context: Economy, ideology and the state (pp. 3-24). New York and London: Garland Publishing.
• Inman, S., Mackay, S., Rogers, M., & Wade, R. (2011). Effecting change through learning networks: The experience of the UK Teacher Education Network for ESD and global citizenship. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 12(2), 97-109.
• Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. New York: Cambridge University Press.
• Mochizuki, Y., & Fadeeva, Z. (2008). Regional centre of expertise on education for sustainable development (RCEs): An overview. International Journal of Sustainability in HigherEducation, 9(4), 369-381.
• New Economics Foundations. (2012). Happy planet index. Retrieved October 29, 2012, from http://www.happyplanetindex.org/
• Parker, J. (2008). Unit 1 study guide - introduction to education for sustainability. London: Distance Learning Centre, London South Bank University.
• Pigozzi, M. J. (2003). Reorienting education in support of sustainable development through afocus on quality education for all. Paper presented at the GEA Conference, Tokyo, Japan, 25 October, UNESCO.
• Quality Assurance Agency. (2011). Report on the education masters provision at London SouthBank University. Retrieved October 29, 2012, from http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Pages/default.aspx
• Quinn, J. (2010). Learning communities and imagined social capital; learning to belong. New York: Continuum.
• Sachs, J. (2012). Rio+20: Jeffrey Sachs on how business destroyed democracy and virtuous life. Retrieved December 12, 2012, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/rio-20-jeffrey-sachs-business-democracy
• Sanusi, Z. A., & Khelgat-Doost, H. (2008). RCE as transformational platform for sustainability: A case study of University Sains Malaysia Penang. International Journal of Sustainability inHigher Education, 9(4), 487-497. DOI: 10.1108/14676370810905580.[Crossref]
• Stefanovic, I. (2008). Educational alliance for a sustainable Toronto: The University of Toronto and the City’s United Nations University (UNU) Regional Centre of Expertise. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 9(4), 416-427. DOI: 10.1108/14676370810905526.[Crossref]
• Sterling, S., Maxey, L., & Luna, H. (Eds.). (in press). The sustainable university: Progress andprospects. Abingdon: Routledge.
• Stiglitz, J., Sen, A., & Fitoussis, J. P. (2009). Report by the Commission on Measurement ofEconomic Performance and Social Progress. Retrieved October 29, 2012, from http://www.stiglitz-sen-fitoussi.fr/documents/rapport_anglais.pdf
• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation). (2005). UNDecade for sustainable development 2005-2014. Retrieved December 10, 2010, from http://unesdoc.UNESCO.org/images/0014/001403/140372e.pdf
• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation). (2007). Introductory Note on ESD - DESD monitoring and evaluation framework. Paris: UNESCO.
• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation). (2012). Rio+20. Retrieved October 29, 2012, from http://www.UNESCO.org/new/en/rioplus20/
• UNU (United Nations University). (2011). RCE (Regional Centre for Expertise) Bulletin, 15. Retrieved December 9, 2012, from http://www.ias.unu.edu/resource_centre/RCE%20Bulletin%2015%20FINAL.pdf
• UNU IAS (United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies). (2012). RCEsworldwide. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://www.ias.unu.edu/sub_page.aspx?catID=108&ddlID=661
• Wade, R., & Parker, J. (2008). EFA-ESD Dialogue: Educating for a sustainable world. Paris: UNESCO.
• Wellman, B., & Berkowitz, S. D. (1988). Social structure: A network approach. New York: Cambridge University Press.
• Wellman, B., Quan-Haase, A., Witte, J., & Hamtpon, K. (2001). Does the internet increase, decrease, or supplement social capital? Social networks, participation, and community commitment. American Behavioural Scientist, 45(3), 436-455. DOI: 10.1177/00027640121957286.[Crossref]
• Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning and identity. New York: Cambridge University Press.
• Wenger, E. (2006). Communities of practice in and across 21st century organizations. Retrieved February 10, 2012, from http://www.ewenger.com/theory/

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/v10099-012-0014-8