ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Environmental Education is an elective course for the third year of the bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences.
Environmental Education (EE) explores the ways in which people are taught about their environment and their relation to it, and how this can be done in effective ways to promote sustainable living. In order to understand the broad nature and options available within EE, students will learn about fundamental elements such as biodiversity, linguistic diversity, and interculturality, as well as the history of the field of study. They will then learn about theories, settings, audiences, techniques, and assessment.
This course is founded in social sciences and humanities, and will not be about studying notional elements of the environment. Instead, we will be learning about critical thinking, interdisciplinary methodology, and application of theoretical knowledge. Students will also develop group work skills and presentation skills.

1. Knowledge and understanding
a) Knows the basic terminology used in environmental education.
b) Knows the historical factors that shaped environmental education.
c) Knows the diverse factors influencing current practices related to environmental education (ecological, social, political, economic, educational etc.).
2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
a) Have learned how to properly use the terminology in all the processes of application and communication of the acquired knowledge.
b) Can recognize different factors in the analysis of environmental education.
c) Can see the applications of learned strategies in everyday life and to suggest the best possible strategies for different stakeholders.
3. Judgment skills
a) Will learn to choose a subject for independent study.
b) Will learn to determine appropriate methods and tools for a variety of educational settings.
4. Communication skills
a) Know how to communicate the specificities of environmental education using appropriate terminology.
b) Knowing how to interact with peers and with the tutor, in a critical and respectful way.
5. Learning skills
a) Have improved presentation skills.
b) Have improved reviewer skills by reviewing fellow students works.
c) Have developed skills for critical reading of scientific publications.

There are no specific knowledge requirements for this course, yet the students are expected to have an open mind and readiness for class discussion.

The course will focus on 5 selected aspects of Environmental Education (EE):
Framing EE
This section will include considerations vital to understanding the broad area of EE, such as biodiversity, interculturality, and linguistic diversity. These themes are explored in the required reading text, and students will be encouraged to consider how and why these themes are so fundamental throughout the course, as we build both knowledge and critical thinking skills.
History of EE
We will consider the origins and emergence of EE as a discipline in its own right, stemming from the positivistic approaches of environmental sciences and exploring how time has transformed this approach and moved towards a more social science and humanistic area of study. We will also apply the framing themes from the previous section to see how these have independently or jointly developed in people’s understanding.
Theories and concepts in EE (knowledge, attitudes, behaviours)
To be successful in the field of EE, students will need to understand some core concepts and approaches to theory, including how we consider “knowledge”, “attitudes”, and “behaviours”, amongst others. Students will consider why these are important for EE. This part therefore also explores how EE aims to go beyond the classroom to have a lasting and wide-reaching impact on people and the environment.
Settings and audiences
Students will then look at how the previous foundational knowledge can be applied and relevant for a variety of settings and audiences for EE. We will consider some ethical issues regarding different settings and audiences. They will be encouraged to seek out and discuss case studies, using the elements previously discussed in class.
Techniques and assessment
Finally, students will be encouraged to consider technical approaches to EE, and understand the basics of planning and preparation. We will discuss assessment techniques to understand if the techniques used are suitable and effective, in which settings and with which audiences. Finally, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of assessing students in the field of EE.

Required reading:
De Vitis, V. (2012). L'educazione ambientale tra biodiversità e intercultura. Anicia.

Additional Reading:
Granata, M. (2022). Bestiario invisibile. Il Saggiatore.
Selected articles shared on Moodle.

The grading:
Active participation in the seminars – 25 %
Independent study and presentation – 20%
Reviewing two independent studies and debates – 5%
Written exam – 50%

Students will have access to the pdf of the lecture slides.

The written exam will consist of ten open questions requiring a concise and well-supported answer on the different subjects covered within the course. The value of every question is 10% of the final grade. Those students who attended all lectures and submitted their independent study, will be allowed to chose five questions to answer. Students are allowed to use their handwritten notes during the exam.

The frontal meetings will be designed in the way that three hours will be split between lecture and discussion approximately in proportion 2/3 and 1/3 respectively. The discussion section will be grounded on the required text for every lecture.
Students will also be required to present in small groups during the course, on case studies and examples of EE.

Italian

written