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K. Emblen-Perry
basis rather than leaving it to the last minute. This scaffolding aims to promote students’ self-perceived competence in the audit process as it can significantly motivate
engagement (Fazey and Fazey 2001).
Post-activity debriefings are provided to connect the students’ experience of sustainability in practice to sustainability theory, good practice and wider corporate
and societal values. This aims to embed knowledge, encourage students to develop
an individual and collective sense of responsibility that Burgess (2006) and Ellison
and Wu (2008) consider able to motivate learning for good practice; a fundamental
requirement of EfS. These opportunities for reflection on what has been learned and
on the learning activities can encourage peer-to-peer learning and develop independence (Savery and Duffy 1995) and transferable employment skills and knowledge
such as enquiry, problem solving and critical analysis.
The module assignment consists of three elements: firstly an audit of the university’s sustainability performance; secondly, an overall analysis of the audit findings
and lastly, evidence-based recommendations to improve the students’ top three issues
of concern. The students have flexibility within this assignment, as, although they are
expected to show a detailed and holistic understanding of sustainability and ability
to apply it at a business level, there are no right or wrong answers. This challenges
thinking and encourages them to take ownership of their processes used to research
and develop improvements; a LTA approach that Savery and Duffy (1995) suggest
encourages learners to recognise what knowledge they need to complete the task. It
also engages students in learning for generative sustainability as the answer to the
assignment cannot be downloaded wholesale from the internet.
The audit is completed on an audit template adapted from documentation the
author utilised as an ISO14001 auditor. Audit evidence is collected from a site
inspection, analysis of sustainability documentation and practices and initiatives
published on the university’s sustainability web pages and audit meetings with campus practitioners. This qualitative and quantitative data is included as evidence of
performance in the audit template and evaluation of overall performance. These audit
and assignment processes engage students in analysis and presentation of evidence
in a professional, factual manner, which offers good preparation for their Level 6
independent study project.
Students rate their perception of the sustainability performance of the university against a number of criteria provided: Sustainability Policy, Human Resources
for Sustainability, Auditing and Management Systems, Ethical Investment, Carbon
Management and Reduction, Workers’ Rights, Sustainable Food, Staff and Student
Engagement, Sustainability Impacts, Energy Use and Sources and Waste and Recycling. Their evaluation and therefore their rating is based on the evidence collected
during their independent research, campus audit and taught sessions.
Once students have completed their audit they are required to analyse their findings
to provide an overall assessment of the university’s performance and select three
key issues (positive or negative) that they believe could be improved or enhanced.
The choice of issues must be fully rationalised with academic literature. Students
then carry these three issues forward and recommend evidence-based actions to
address them. This exposes to an environment of double loop learning that allows
K. Emblen-Perry
basis rather than leaving it to the last minute. This scaffolding aims to promote students’ self-perceived competence in the audit process as it can significantly motivate
engagement (Fazey and Fazey 2001).
Post-activity debriefings are provided to connect the students’ experience of sustainability in practice to sustainability theory, good practice and wider corporate
and societal values. This aims to embed knowledge, encourage students to develop
an individual and collective sense of responsibility that Burgess (2006) and Ellison
and Wu (2008) consider able to motivate learning for good practice; a fundamental
requirement of EfS. These opportunities for reflection on what has been learned and
on the learning activities can encourage peer-to-peer learning and develop independence (Savery and Duffy 1995) and transferable employment skills and knowledge
such as enquiry, problem solving and critical analysis.
The module assignment consists of three elements: firstly an audit of the university’s sustainability performance; secondly, an overall analysis of the audit findings
and lastly, evidence-based recommendations to improve the students’ top three issues
of concern. The students have flexibility within this assignment, as, although they are
expected to show a detailed and holistic understanding of sustainability and ability
to apply it at a business level, there are no right or wrong answers. This challenges
thinking and encourages them to take ownership of their processes used to research
and develop improvements; a LTA approach that Savery and Duffy (1995) suggest
encourages learners to recognise what knowledge they need to complete the task. It
also engages students in learning for generative sustainability as the answer to the
assignment cannot be downloaded wholesale from the internet.
The audit is completed on an audit template adapted from documentation the
author utilised as an ISO14001 auditor. Audit evidence is collected from a site
inspection, analysis of sustainability documentation and practices and initiatives
published on the university’s sustainability web pages and audit meetings with campus practitioners. This qualitative and quantitative data is included as evidence of
performance in the audit template and evaluation of overall performance. These audit
and assignment processes engage students in analysis and presentation of evidence
in a professional, factual manner, which offers good preparation for their Level 6
independent study project.
Students rate their perception of the sustainability performance of the university against a number of criteria provided: Sustainability Policy, Human Resources
for Sustainability, Auditing and Management Systems, Ethical Investment, Carbon
Management and Reduction, Workers’ Rights, Sustainable Food, Staff and Student
Engagement, Sustainability Impacts, Energy Use and Sources and Waste and Recycling. Their evaluation and therefore their rating is based on the evidence collected
during their independent research, campus audit and taught sessions.
Once students have completed their audit they are required to analyse their findings
to provide an overall assessment of the university’s performance and select three
key issues (positive or negative) that they believe could be improved or enhanced.
The choice of issues must be fully rationalised with academic literature. Students
then carry these three issues forward and recommend evidence-based actions to
address them. This exposes to an environment of double loop learning that allows