Types of learning for sustainability indicators

Rode and Michelsen (2008) state that learning for sustainability indicators should not only show the status quo, but also create opportunities for innovations to be constantly monitored and created. Vare (2006) points out that the challenge is to develop learning indicators which encourage critical reflection on educational practice, rather than focusing on single targets. Key authors have also identified the need for the exploration of indicators which can provide information on the complex process of education and learning and offer possibilities for research and learning in practice (van Raaij, 2007). The development of these types of indicators, however, requires a paradigm shift in the ways assessment tools in the area of learning for sustainability have been developed (see figure 4.1).

First, it involves moving from the technical approaches used to define sustainability indicators to a more critical, participative, subjective and qualitative approach which allows the assessment of quality processes in education and learning to be ascertained (Estrella, 2000; Shumba, 2008). Second, it involves challenging frameworks which assess sustainability education, rather than learning for sustainability activities. Sustainability education is associated with education about and in sustainability. It refers to educational processes which are content or knowledge-based (Sterling, 2001) and approaches which consist of providing opportunities to learners to have direct

94 _{Please refer to section 4.3.2 of this chapter for more information about the UK sustainability education}

105 experience in relation to sustainability issues (Tilbury & Cooke, 2005). Instead, education or learning for sustainability is a transformative educational process which focuses on the quality of learning and on equipping learners with the necessary skills to take action for sustainability (Fien, 1993; Fien & Maclean, 2000; Sterling, 2001, 2010; Tilbury, 2011b; Tilbury & Wortman, 2004; Wals, 2010a, 2010b). Finally, it requires the development of indicators which provide baseline information, but also which enhance reflection, innovative practices and stimulate research in learning for sustainability.

This paradigm shift, illustrated in figure 4.1, is important to understand in order to construct indicators which can assess the quality and transformative processes associated with social learning for sustainability.

Figure 4.1 Learning for sustainability indicators: shifting the paradigm

Moving from… to…

Technical approaches to define indicators Critical, participative, subjective and qualitative approaches which allow the assessment of quality processes in education and learning to be ascertained.

Indicators which assess sustainability

education Indicators which assess processes associated with education or learning for sustainability.

Indicators which measure the status quo Indicators which stimulate reflection,

research and innovation of educational processes in the area of sustainability.

The paradigm shift reinforces the need for exploring alternatives to the types of indicators which stakeholders have been usually exposed to (Tilbury & Janousek, 2006). This is an important issue that my research takes into consideration in order to construct social learning indicators. The majority of indicator frameworks described in the previous section have primarily developed baseline and context indicators to identify the overall status and assess the structures in place which support learning for sustainability (see table 4.1). My research acknowledges that these indicators can be useful as they provide key opportunities to identify future targets and define indicators

106 to measure the impact of social learning for sustainability initiatives. Data collection and reporting mechanisms tend to be simple as most of the information required by these indicators is usually available (UNECE, 2005b). However, restricting the assessment exercise to the definition of these types of indicators can result on a superficial understanding of social learning for sustainability. The development of social learning indicators should emphasise the need to assess the quality of learning or outcomes of change processes resulting from social learning efforts.

Table 4.1 identifies various types of indicators which can assist in providing a holistic assessment of social learning for sustainability processes. I have grouped various types of indicators indentified in the literature and highlight key observations on how they can inform the development of social learning for sustainability indicators in higher education.

Table 4.1 Types of (social) learning for sustainability indicators in higher education

Indicator Type Function Key observations

Status Baseline

To identify the status of the overall picture of social learning for sustainability in higher education institutions.

- The advantage of this type of indicator is that it enables the identification of the overall status of social learning for sustainability in higher education.

- It provides interesting information to start defining institutional goals in the area of social learning for

sustainability or develop impact indicators.

Facilitative Context or _checklist

To identify the existence of support systems to promote social learning in the area of sustainability in higher education.

- This type of indicator is useful to identify how social learning for sustainability is supported in a higher education institution. It enables the identification of whether institutional efforts are helping to enhance the social learning experience on campus. - The advantage of using this type of

indicator is that the information is usually easier to collect and enables policy-makers to assess progress in simple figures.

107 Process or input To identify the existence of social learning processes and activities taking place in universities.

- This type of indicator is useful to capture the opportunities which institutions are creating to engage staff in social learning for

sustainability. It gives interesting information on what types of activities are encouraged.

Learning

To promote learning and reflection on social learning for sustainability.

- Although this type of indicator is not the most commonly used in indicator frameworks, it is the one which is more aligned to the learning for sustainability paradigm.

- It captures the quality of sustainability learning and skills built during social learning processes. It stimulates learning through the reporting process and data collection. It encourages research and best practice. Effect Output To identify resources and materials in the area of social learning which are available in higher education.

- This type of indicator is valuable as it captures the existence of supporting material and products which help staff or the institution to facilitate social learning processes for

sustainability or build competences in this area.

Outcome

To identify how staff has shifted sustainability thinking and actions through participating in social learning processes.

- This indicator is directly related to the research questions posed by my research as it tries to identify if social learning for sustainability has assisted staff in acquiring new knowledge and skills in the area of sustainability.

Impact To assess outcomes related to cultural changes or improvements that result from social learning for sustainability efforts.

- This indicator is also directly related to my research questions as it tries to identify whether social learning processes are influencing institutional cultures for sustainability.

- This indicator enables assessment of whether social learning can facilitate institutional change for sustainability.

Performance

To assess the way institutions have moved on regarding benchmarking or

- This indicator is useful as it can help institutions assess their overall contribution in the area of social learning for sustainability and learn from other experiences in the sector.

108 ranking tables. Communication Headline To communicate change in social learning for sustainability policy related efforts to the institutional community and wider public.

- Headline indicators assist institutions to explore and understand change. - This type of indicator is important as

it offers information which can be used to establishing new directions and targets.

Aggregate

To communicate change

associated with the state of play of social learning for sustainability in higher education.

- The value of this type of indicator is that it summarises a complex array of information in a single indicator. - This indicator is not useful to assess

social learning for sustainability as it tries to reduce the important complexity of this process.

Sourced and adapted from UNECE (2005b), Tilbury and Janousek (2006), Tilbury et al. (2007)