Developing an Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge (ASK) for undergraduate students

Adam ZwickleTomas KoontzAndrew BodineKristina Slagle

Environmental and Social Sustainability Lab

2

Overview Need for a systematic way of measuring knowledge of sustainability concepts

Developing an assessment

Results

Where we go from here

3

Need for measuring knowledge Lacking in the scientific community

“Sustainability” has been defined and measured a myriad of ways Often focused merely on the environmental aspect

Commonly tangled with values, attitudes, and beliefs

Needed to operationalize abstract goals…

4

Need for measuring knowledge University goals-

More along the lines of: “Become carbon neutral by 2050”

Less common: “Create sustainably minded citizens of tomorrow”

5

Developing an assessment Built upon the “triple bottom line”, the

“three legged stool”, the “3 p’s” Environmental (planet) Economic (prosperity) Social (people)

Basic knowledge from each knowledge domain?

~OR~ Knowledge bridging the different spheres?

6

Developing an assessment Replicated questions used in the past

Coyle, 2005. “Environmental Literacy in America.”

Solicited topics and questions from experts

Held expert focus groups Pilot tested among professors, graduate,

and undergraduate students Narrowed down to 30 questions

7

Conceptualizing sustainability knowledge

Social

Economic

Environmental

Sustainability

8

Phase 1 Administered 30 question assessment

Through an online survey

Sent to over 10,000 currently enrolled undergraduates 14.3% response rate

9

Phase 1 - Analysis Utilized Item Response Theory (IRT)

To remove 14 questions

IRT- Developed in the educational testing field Used for standardized tests (GRE)

10

An example of IRT…

Information

Correct

Incorrect

50/50threshold

“Over the past 3 decades, what has happened to the difference between the wealth of the richest and poorest Americans?”

11

Questions - Environmental

What is the most common cause of pollution of streams and rivers?

Ozone forms a protective layer in the earth's upper atmosphere. What does ozone protect us from?

What is the name of the primary federal agency that oversees environmental regulation?

What is the primary benefit of wetlands? Which of the following is an example of sustainable

forest management? In the U.S., what do we currently do with the

nuclear waste generated by nuclear power plants?

12

Questions - Social

Which of the following is the most commonly used definition of sustainable development?

The wealthiest 20% of people in the U.S. own approximately what percent of the nation’s privately held wealth?

Over the past 3 decades, what has happened to the difference between the wealth of the richest and poorest Americans?

Higher levels of education generally lead to... Which of the following populations has the

highest rate of growth?

13

Questions - Economic

Many economists argue that electricity prices in the U.S. are too low because…

Which of the following countries has now passed the U.S. as the biggest emitter of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide?

Which of the following is a leading cause of the depletion of fish stocks in the Atlantic Ocean?

Which of the following is the most commonly used definition of economic sustainability?

Which of the following is the primary reason that gasoline prices have risen over the last several decades in the U.S.?

14

Results Environmental

6 questions

Mean: 4.39/6SD: 1.48

73%

Social5 questions

Mean: 3.55/5SD: 1.2371%

Economic5 questions

Mean: 3.03/5SD: 1.2761%

Total16 questions

Mean: 11.08/16SD: 3.21

69%

15

Example Analysis

Mean1

4

7

10

13

16

9.5710.57 10.95 11.34

Freshman

Sophomore

Junior

Senior

ANOVAF(3,1330)=8.09, p<.001

16

Example Analysis Compare sub score by major

Economic score Economics: 3.82

Aerospace engineering: 4.00 Animal science: 3.15 Finance: 3.02 English: 2.80 Accounting: 2.63

17

Phase 2 Combined our shortened set with a

separate assessment developed at the University of Maryland

Administered survey at both campuses

18

Phase 2 - Analysis IRT to compare information richness of

questions across campuses using local descriptives (“Fishermen on Lake Erie”

vs. “Fishermen in the Chesapeake Bay”) different ways of asking about the same topic

Structural equation modeling Compare question types (multiple answer?) Knowledge structures (3 or 1 domain?)

19

Structural equation modeling

Social

Economic

Environmental

Sustainability

20

Survey Implementation Best practices to maximize response

rates: Invitation script (from authority vs.

student) Page length vs. number of pages Use of incentives Time of academic calendar Time of day, day of week Reminders

21

Moving Forward Adjust the instrument:

Some answers change over time Develop test bank of validated questions –

try this on your campus and send us questions

Be clear about limitations: Multiple choice format Measures knowledge only

Publish Phase 1 – International Journal of

Sustainability in Higher Education, 2014

22

Moving Forward Goals:

Evaluate sustainability themed majors, programs, and courses

Serve as an indicator for comparison within institutions

Encourage friendly competition

Hopes: Help solidify the concept of

“sustainability” Provide some credence for more abstract

educational goals

23

AcknowledgementsFunded by:

The Ohio State Office of Sustainability http://sustainability.osu.edu/

OSU’s School of Environment

& Natural Resources http://senr.osu.edu/

24

Thank You!

Environment and Social Sustainability Lab www.ess.osu.edu Contains:

This presentation The 16 phase 1 questions with multiple choice

answers

Email Zwickle.1@osu.edu Koontz.31@osu.edu

Questions?

25

Appendix Phase 1 -16 Question Sustainability

Literacy Assessment

26

Questions - Environmental What is the most common cause of pollution of streams and

rivers? Dumping of garbage by cities Surface water running off yards, city streets, paved lots, 

and farm fields Litter near streams and rivers Waste dumped by factories Don't know

Ozone forms a protective layer in the earth's upper atmosphere. What does ozone protect us from? Acid rain Climate change Sudden changes in temperature Harmful UV rays Don't know

27

Questions - Environmental What is the name of the primary federal agency that

oversees environmental regulation? Environmental Protection Agency (the EPA) Department of Health, Environment, and Safety (the DHES) National Environmental Agency (the NEA) Federal Pollution Control Agency (the FPCA) Don't know

What is the primary benefit of wetlands? Promote flooding Clean the water before it enters lakes, streams, rivers, o

r oceans Keep the number of undesirable plants and animals low Provide good sites for landfills Don't know

28

Which of the following is an example of sustainable forest management? Setting aside forests to be off limits to the public Never harvesting more than what the forest produces in new 

growth Producing lumber for nearby communities to build affordable housing Putting the local communities in charge of forest resources Don’t know

In the U.S., what do we currently do with the nuclear waste generated by nuclear power plants? Use it as nuclear fuel Sell it to other countries Dump it in landfills Store and monitor the waste Don't know

Questions - Environmental

29

Questions - Social Which of the following is the most commonly used definition of

sustainable development? Creating a government welfare system that ensures universal 

access to education, health care, and social services Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the a

bility of future generations to meet their own needs Setting aside resources for preservation, never to be used Building a neighborhood that is both socio-demographically  and economically diverse Don’t know

The wealthiest 20% of people in the U.S. own approximately what percent of the nation’s privately held wealth? 20% 35% 50% 85% Don't know

30

Questions - Social Over the past 3 decades, what has happened to the

difference between the wealth of the richest and poorest Americans? The difference has increased The difference has stayed about the same The difference has decreased Don’t know

Higher levels of education generally lead to... Lower levels of voter turnout Greater annual earnings Larger family size Higher self esteem Don’t know

31

Questions - Social Which of the following populations has the highest rate of

growth? North America Europe China Africa Don’t know

32

Questions - Economic Many economists argue that electricity prices in the U.S. are

too low because… They do not reflect the costs of pollution from generating t

he  electricity Too many suppliers go out of business Electric companies have a monopoly in their service area Consumers spend only a small part of their income on energy Don’t know

Which of the following countries has now passed the U.S. as the biggest emitter of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide? China Sweden Brazil Japan Don’t know

33

Questions - Economic Which of the following is a leading cause of the depletion

of fish stocks in the Atlantic Ocean? Fishermen seeking to maximize their catch Reduced fish fertility due to genetic hybridization Ocean pollution Global climate change Don’t know

Which of the following is the most commonly used definition of economic sustainability? Maximizing the share price of a company's stock Long term profitability When costs equal revenue Continually expanding market share Don’t know

34

Questions - Economic Which of the following is the primary reason that gasoline

prices have risen over the last several decades in the U.S.? Growing percentage of gas stations owned by large  corporations Increasing oil discoveries overseas Higher rates of state and federal gasoline tax Increasing global demand for oil Don’t know