Student learning through real-world, real-time sustainability

audits Dr Ros Taylor

DirectorKingston University Sustainability Hub

Interdisciplinary Sustainability Education: Insights, Momentum, Futures

14TH December 2011 HEA York

Real World Learning for Sustainable Environmental Management (SEM)

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Kingston University Sustainability Hub (SH)and the

School of Geography, Geology and the Environment (GGE)

Dr Ros Taylor SHand ex GGEFounding Director SH - Project Coordinator Dr Colin Ryall GGE

Module leader and SEM expert

Nicola Corrigan SHPioneer of Positive Environment Kingston (PEK) a SEM volunteering scheme run with the Royal Borough of Kingston

Jana Bentley Maternity cover for Nicola and EMS expert

Hannah Smith SH Instigated use of real-world learning in the modules under review Former participant in MSc module

Maria (Bozser) RichardsonProject Assistant and former participant in undergraduate module

Context• At Kingston, real-world learning for Sustainable Environmental

Management linking with local businesses (MA/MSc) and university campus and facilities staff (BA/BSc) has become a key strategy for learning teaching and assessing of BS8555, ISO14001 and related themes– MA/MSc Design for Development; Sustainability for Built Environment Practice; Environmental

and Earth Resources Management; Sustainability, Environment and Change; Sustainable Environmental Development with Management Studies

– BSc Environmental Science; Environmental Management; Sustainable Development; Joint Hons Environmental Studies

• HEA funding bought us the ‘space‘ to undertake a thorough reflective evaluation of the initiative

• Surveyed all participants; students, employers, staff and evaluated historical data base of student performance

The real world, real-time audit process• ‘Facilitator’ engages ‘client employers’

before the module starts • Facilitator and lecturer establish professional

expectations for all participants• Lecturer explains what an audit involves;

IS014001, BS8555 etc• Student audit teams identified• Client clarifies his / her requirements with facilitator and lecturer • Clients and student teams meet • Students undertake site visit(s)• Teams:-

•Present their findings to their clients, peers and staff assessors •Produce an audit report for their client (which staff assess)

•Facilitator de-briefs students, clients and academic leaders

A brief history 2005/06 UG Halls of residence waste audits 2006/07 UG Campus environmental audits PG Campus environmental audits 2007/08 UG Campus environmental audits PG local 3rd sector environmental audits2008/09 UG Campus environmental audits PG local 3rd & 2nd sector environmental

audits2009/10 UG Campus environmental audits

PG local SME & 1st sector environmental audits2010/11 UG Campus environmental audits

PG 1st sector environmental audits

Sectors / areas covered

• Retail (variety)• Recruitment offices • Entertainment complex • Shopping centre • Late night entertainment • Public House • Faith building • Care home • Outdoor Markets

• Catering • Student Union • Halls of residence• LRC • Major works site • Lighting projects• Labs • Biodiversity

Perceived winners all round• Win for employers

- free audits– exposure to sustainability ideas– opportunity to contribute to curriculum development

• Win for students – professional cv enhancing experience– improved employability– soft skills as well as subject knowledge

• Win for academic staff (and for practical sustainability at KU) – employer links inform curriculum development– employer links open research and consultancy opportunities– experiential learning enthuses students, improves engagement with

curriculum

Other winners

• Community both in-house and town-gown • Local Authority• The University - reputational gains

– locally – nationally– spring-board to wider collaborations – in-house buy-in and top-level support

Diverse needs for scheme evaluation

• Line managers do not always support non-standard pedagogies – too time demanding – disruptive to time table

• Perceived hassle factor may deter new staff / employers from continuing the scheme

• Claimed benefits to students, staff and client employers need verifying systematically

• Opportunities for improvement and streamlining needs exploring - ‘tool-kit’

• Students cohorts increasingly diverse in terms of nationality; cultural experience; ethnicity

• Growing opportunities for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary team work

Methods used

• Statistical analysis of previous cohorts’ achievements

• Student focus groups• Interviews and focus groups with employers • In-depth analysis of current participants students, client employers, staff

Outcomes - the students• Group work did not disadvantage individual achievement• Undergraduates less worried by groups work than post

graduates • No evidence that non-UK / English second language students

were typically underperforming• Real need to professionalise students through start-up guidance• Students valued the soft skills learnt• The real world engagement increased their self esteem• Students perceived the potential employability benefits of the

real-world, real-time learning activity • Students valued the chance to reflect together on the process

and feed in their points of view

What the students thought

PGs

UGs

“You dig deep and find other

things to consider “

“Gave an opportunity to

work with others who

have different expertise “

“The importance of being thorough and

good communication skills,.. eye for detail ,

team cooperation, staff communication”

“You start from zero and then you realise at the end how

much you developed your

knowledge about it”

Feedback from 2011 in-house audits - halls waste

“it revealed true obstacles to improving and monitoring environmental performance”. Student feedback

“It is always useful to have fresh eyes look upon an ongoing issue such as waste management”. Employer feedback

Outcomes- the employers • Found that the students interest triggered them to act on

sustainability • Liked the contact with the university and the chance to feed into

the students’ learning• Loved being part of a national project• Were nervous about showing ignorance of sustainability

requirements in front of students, fellow employers and university staff - so anxious about joint workshops

• Confidentiality concerns• Some concern about unprofessional student behaviour• Did expect feedback reports -yet themselves often failed to

attend student presentation sessions (part of the bargain) • Some felt students did not appreciate that ‘finance is

everything’

Feedback from 2011 audits with Kingston First

“Some of the issues they [the students] brought up were things we had overlooked “ Kingston First Ranger

Kingston First confirmed that they would take part in the project if the opportunity arose again.

“It focused our minds... the first step was to show us

what we SHOULD be auditing and cataloguing”

“When you’re asked a question, often you just muddle along but

when the students were demanding reports etc we

realised we do need to find them, focused us on where gaps were in

our data, how we collated and whether we used it efficiently”

Kingston First Operations Manager

Outcomes - academic staff• Real-world, real-time learning led to better engaged students seen

in their– Research projects– Improved time–management– More tolerant and cooperative approach to study– More likely to volunteer with events

• Real-world, real-time learning cannot be plagiarised and is much more fun to assess.

• Generates short-term employment opportunities (or formal volunteering) and placements for students

• Facilitator role .. or a peer mentor...smoothes and enriches the process

• Activity opens the way for collaborative research and consultancy and more immediately to curriculum enhancement

Go-between – a facilitator is invaluable

• This could be short-term start-up employment for a new graduate... or a (or two or three) peer mentor(s)• Assists in development of projects • Identifies ‘client employers’• Produces a ‘tool kit’ for students, academics and clients• Guides the professional expectations and behaviour of

students • Manages expectations of all parties• Trouble shoots and problem solves • Nags

Community of friends - shared experience

• In-house sustainability group.... for all comers• Communicate in every possible way

– social media, focus groups, fun events, news letter (including external clients), guest lectures

• Town-Gown special events • Up the anti

– representation ‘yourself or friends’ on those key committees– deliver a ‘gong’

Scary jumper day

Sustainable Christmas trees for KU

Developing Frameworks - Big Issues• Tempting the employers into discussion rather than

dialogue• happy to discuss one to one • nervous of focus groups , employer – university think

tanks etc• time is money issue

• Co-learning of in-house and external employers is not happening- yet all are on the same journey

• A facilitator ...or a peer mentor..... is invaluable• Establish a ‘tool kit’ - a guide for now and a

safeguard for the future