| Unit name | Education, Climate Change and Social Justice |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EDUC10008 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Mr. Neville |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Education |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
Is education succeeding in preparing students to deal with the pressing challenges facing our planet and societies?
Many young people are voting with their feet in answer to this question, striking to highlight the ways that schools and governments are failing to address the climate crisis and leading on movements like Rhodes Must Fall and Why is My Curriculum White? that seek to challenge the way in which colonialism and racism endure in education. This unit explores key global challenges – the climate emergency, decolonialization, racism in education and the inequalities that have become apparent over 18 months of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This unit offers students tools to analyse these challenges and imagine alternative possibilities for education. The unit will take an exploratory and multidisciplinary look at what is known about climate change and will also examine the inter-relationship between climate change and other key issues.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This is a compulsory unit on BSc Education Studies.
The unit will also give students the opportunity to creatively explore the role of education in developing hopeful proposals for responding to these challenges and for imagining social, political and economic alternatives that promote environmental, social and epistemic justice.
An overview of content
The unit aims to provide opportunities to explore and understand a range of ways of knowing, and learning about, climate change and other pressing global challenges. Student will consider the role of education in (a) responding to the complexities of social, political, emotional and environmental issues related to climate change and other global challenges, and (b) addressing those issues in conjunction with other associated educational initiatives. Students will develop an understanding of working across disciplines and with policy and activist generated knowledge in order to approach important contemporary issues. They will then develop proposals for hopeful alternatives and sustainable futures based on engagement with social justice theory and activist practices.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of this unit?
As a result of this unit, students will be able to demonstrate that they can appreciate that education is affected by and can respond to climate change. They will correctly define and apply selected key concepts from social justice and climate justice theory in order to critically discuss the relationship between climate change, social structures and education. Student will be able to discriminate between different types of academic, activist and media publications on education and climate change and select appropriate sources.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit students will be able to demonstrate that they can:
Lectures and seminars.
Lectures will include short online and verbal quizzes and small group discussion, including through use of online platforms as well as a lecture presentation that introduces key ideas and provides guidance on how to engage with the essential readings and prepare for the seminars.
Mentimeter, kahoot and other online interactive assessment for learning tools will be used.
Lectures also contain video and audio recorded content.
The seminar format is fundamental to accessing and understanding the subject content of this unit. There are challenging and potentially contentious ideas discussed, so a safe discussion space is essential to discuss and develop learning.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
A short group presentation (4-6 students). Student will share ideas about educational injustice and personal climate change education.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
A 1500 word written essay, chosen from a list of three title options. Students use this opportunity to reflect on what they have learnt in lectures and discussed in seminars. Then write a summary of their reading, ideas and understanding. (100%, ILOs1-3)
When assessment does not go to plan
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit, failed components will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EDUC10008).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
