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Measuring Sustainability Literacy 2.0: Progress and Challenges

Measuring Sustainability Literacy 2.0: Progress and Challenges. Carl Obermiller and April Atwood Seattle University, Albers School of Business & Economics Mark Stewart Office of Sustainability, University of Maryland. Our interest at SU.

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Measuring Sustainability Literacy 2.0: Progress and Challenges

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  1. Measuring Sustainability Literacy 2.0: Progress and Challenges Carl Obermillerand April Atwood Seattle University, Albers School of Business & Economics Mark Stewart Office of Sustainability, University of Maryland

  2. Our interest at SU American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment agreement: • reduce greenhouse gas emissions • teach sustainability • STARS “You can’t manage what you can’t measure….”  how to measure learning of sustainability?

  3. SU Goals • develop a measure of sustainability ‘literacy’ • test and refine the measurement instrument • administer the survey • establish baseline (summer ‘13) • future plan: follow-up measures of students to assess literacy development, sustainability learning

  4. How DO you conceptualize ‘sustainability’ ? http://computingforsustainability.wordpress.com/2009/03/15/visualising-sustainability/ http://ikan.biz/blog/sustainability-framework/the-value-web/

  5. Conceptualizing Sustainability multidimensional construct • climate change • energy • planetary assets • systems concepts • effects on people / social justice • organizations & business

  6. Sample knowledge questions The lives of many people living near the Pacific Ocean are threatened by the melting of glaciers in Greenland. Strongly disagree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly agree On meats, the label "free range" means the animal had access to the outdoors. Most electricity in the US is produced by burning coal. Soil erosion peaked during the Dust Bowl (1930s); in today's world, it is no longer a problem. The best measure of the quality of life for a society is gross national product. Businesses have an obligation to make positive contributions to society.

  7. Sample attitude questions People should choose a method of transportation other than driving a car alone, even if it is less convenient. Strongly disagree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly agree In general, I think social justice issues are among the most important challenges in the world today. Strongly disagree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly agree

  8. Sample behavior questions When you buy meat, you buy organic meat. • Never • Rarely • Sometimes • Often • At every single opportunity • Not applicable to me Boycotted a company because of its social practices.

  9. SU final survey 78 5-point Likert items (Strongly Agree-Strongly Disagree) • sustainability knowledge dimensions (6-8 questions each) • definition questions (11: knowledge) • attitude items (11) • behavior measures (16) • demographics Contact me for copy or SU results: carlo@seattleu.edu

  10. Success of the scale • good internal consistency • evidence of knowledge->attitude->behavior • excellent predictive validity

  11. SUmmer '13 freshmen

  12. SU Challenges Going Forward • Modifications • Updating • Assessment • Higher level thinking

  13. Mark Stewart Senior Project Manager Office of Sustainability

  14. UNIVERSITY STRATEGIC PLAN & CLIMATE ACTION PLAN GOALS • Become a carbon neutral university by 2050 • Educate all students about sustainability • Become a national model for a Green University

  15. COMPREHENSIVE SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY Greening the… • CAMPUS(Infrastructure and Operations) • CULTURE(Sustainable Behaviors) • CURRICULUM(Sustainability Education and Research) • COMMUNITY(Enhancing Sustainability in the Greater Community)

  16. Sustainability Advisors • Peer educators teach a 60-minute lesson to first-year seminar classes. • Nearly 7,000 students have participated since 2008!

  17. Chesapeake Project • Two-day workshop teaches faculty how to integrate sustainability into existing, non-environmental courses • 115 faculty participated over the past five years. • Faculty agree to include a sustainability assignmentor theme in their courses • More than 120 courses revised to include sustainability!

  18. Sustainability-Related Academic Programs • New Sustainability Studies Minor • More than 40 related majors, minors, and graduate programs.

  19. Challenges to Meeting our Goals • UMD students earned an average score of 66% on a recent assessment of sustainability knowledge. • UMD earns only 20.6 out of 40 pointsavailable in the Academics category of the Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) • Approximately 38% of students enroll in a sustainability-focused course while at UMD. Studies show that a student may need to take at least one sustainability-focused course to improve his/her ability to comprehend sustainability issues.

  20. Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge (ASK) Co-Developed with Ohio State University 16. What are the potential effects of global climate change? • Loss of habitats • Less severe weather • Loss of ozone layer • Decrease in sea level • Don’t know • 58% of respondents gave the correct answer choice

  21. Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge (ASK) Co-Developed with Ohio State University • 17. Living in Maryland, we see signs about entering the Chesapeake Bay Watershed or about “Saving the Bay.” Which of the following is the greatest pressure leading to the degradation of the Bay’s ecosystem? • Dredging for sand • Litter that flows from streams and rivers into the Bay • Application of fertilizer on lawns and farms • Gas-powered boats • Don’t know • 46% of respondents gave the correct answer choice

  22. Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge (ASK) Co-Developed with Ohio State University • 21. Of the following, which would be considered living in the most environmentally sustainable way? • Recycling all recyclable packaging • Reducing consumption of all products • Buying products labeled "eco" or "green“ • Buying the newest products available • Don't know • 49% of respondents gave the correct answer choice

  23. Sustainability Learning Outcomes Developed by the Education for Sustainability Work Group of the University Sustainability Council • … integrating sustainability into existing academic programs and campus life so that all students earning an undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland will be able to: • Describe how sustainability relates to environmental issues, social justice, and economic development. • Explain how natural, economic, and social systems interact to foster or prevent sustainability. • Evaluate how an individual’s choices and activities impact the environment and, as a result, affect the health and well-being of everyone. • State a long-term vision for individual happiness and societal well-being and explain how existing norms contribute to or diminish this vision. • Demonstrate an ability to collaborate and communicate effectively across academic disciplines and with diverse stakeholders. • Apply their knowledge of sustainability to their behaviors as consumers, citizens, and/or leaders.

  24. Implications • Need new assessment for Sustainability Learning Outcomes • Assessment should measure true Literacy, not just Knowledge. • Is an online or paper-and-pencil survey adequate? Qualitative assessment may be more suitable for this sort of literacy.

  25. Mark Stewart stewartm@umd.edu

  26. Discussion

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