Investigating the Issues of Climate Change and Children’s Rights with the Support of a Web-based Learning Environment

Dimitrios Gkotzos, PhD Candidate

Department of Primary Education,UNESCO Chair ICT in Education for Sustainable Development

University of Crete, Greece.

http://www.ictinesd.org/unescochair

Introduction

Children particularly vulnerable to the impact

of climate change

The high risk of exposure to environmental

hazards

Vector-borne diseases and

under-nutrition

highly sensitive to

climatic conditions

Least developed countries

mostly affected by

climate change

Intersection with social

economic and political strains

(UNICEF, 2009)

Introduction

Climate Change Education

A very critical concept in contemporary education

Addresses the causes and consequences of climate change

Review and re-orientate the present educational and teaching and learning programs (UNESCO,

2009)

Climate Change Education programs should include child-centered as well as child-led

activities

UNDP Classification of Human Rights (Plantilla,

2006)

1. food and health

2. land, language and culture.

3. environment

4. labor and the workplace

5. education

6. children’s welfare

7. women

Children’s welfare and the CRC:

a) life

b) protection against violence, abuse and

neglect

c) health and social security

d) rest and leisure

e) education, freedom from trafficking,

protection against prostitution

f) freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or

degrading treatment

Introduction

Introduction

(Galatsidas, 2015).

Introduction

SDGs from a child rights perspective

There is much to celebrate for

children in the SDGs and

targets

Explicit targets on reducing inequality,

ending violence against

children and combating

child poverty.

Targets need to be

measurable and translated into indicators

(UNICEF, 2014)

(Makrakis & Kostoulas-Makrakis, 2012)

The Structure of the

Web-based Learning

Environment and its

Underpinning Theory ExConTra

Experiencing

Reflecting

ConceptualisingConstructing

ActingChanging

Back-end system – Drupal CMS

• powerful and extensible framework

• low development time, high reliability

• a variety of useful tools for educators

Learning objects

• text, video, animation, charts and sound narration

Authoring tool – Adobe Flash

Design and Development of the Web-based Learning Environment

a. Software engineering methods

Παρουσιάσεις

Design and Development of the Web-based Learning Environment

b. Web-based hypermedia tools

Calculato

r

Presentatio

n

Spreadshe

et

Venn

diagrams

Τhe Curriculum Areas of the Web-based Learning Environment

and their Integration Across School Subjects

Aesthetic

Education

The Teaching Units of the

Curriculum Areas

- My food

and me

- Food as a

basic need

- Food as a

right

- Right to

food and

climate

change

- Restrictions of

access to

drinkable water

- Cost of access

to drinkable

water

- Climate

change and

drinkable water

in the

Mediterranean

countries

- Over-

consumption of

water

- Pollution of the

hydrographic

- Health as

a basic

need

- Health as

a right

- Right to

health and

climate

change

- Women in

society

- Gender

equality as a

right

- Gender

equality and

climate

change

- Gender

equality and

children’s

rights

- The

environment

and me

- The

environment

and our rights

- Right to

environment

and climate

change

- Right to

environment

and individual

action

- Education

as a basic

need

- Education

as a right

- Right to

education

and climate

change

- Right to

education

and local

action

The User Interface of the Web-based Learning Environment

(http://actforclimate.net)

Hypermedia toolsMain interface

Accessories and

navigation options

Curriculum areas

Teaching units

Accompanying

material

5 primary schools, 9 sections

(5th -6th grade), 165 learners

UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet)

http://www.unesco.org/education/asp

Class teachers: partners,

co-researchers

The Research-based Interventions

The Research-based Interventions

10 weeks, 20 teaching hours

Learners worked in mixedability groups (3-4 persons)

Each section worked in aparticular curriculum area

Qualitative and quantitativedata were collected throughquestionnaires in order toevaluate the influence of anumber of factors inconceptual change regardingthe perceptions, knowledge,and participants' action onchildren’s rights in climatechange

Use of concept mapping as a learning and research tool

Evaluationbefore the

involvement of teachers/learners in the WBLE

Initial

Evaluationduring the

involvement of teachers/learners in the WBLE

Formative

Evaluation after the involvement of

teachers/learners in the WBLE

Final

The Evaluation of the Web-based Learning Environment

Concluding Remarks

Enriches the primary school curriculum byintegrating an education for a sustainabledevelopment perspective

Adopts a child rights based approach to theintegration of climate change into the primaryschool curriculum

ExConTra learning paradigm

Empowers learners for active citizenship

Cross thematic and interdisciplinary

curricular approach

• Scaffolds: Learning objects and ICT tools, largely elicited from the Web

Thank you for your attention!

Dimitrios Gkotzos

dmgtzs@gmail.com

References

• Galatsidas, A. (2015). Sustainable development goals: changing the world in 17 steps – interactive. The Guardian

News and Media Limited. Retrieved 16-7-2016 from: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/ng-

interactive/2015/jan/19/sustainable-development-goals-changing-world-17-steps-interactive

• Makrakis, V., & Kostoulas-Makrakis, N. (2012). The challenges of ICTs to online climate change education for

sustainable development: The ExConTra learning paradigm. In S.A.Anwar (ed.), Proceedings of the 5th Conference on

eLearning Excellence in the Middle East – Sustainable Innovation in Education (pp. 594–605). Dubai: Hamdan Bin

Mohammed e-University

• Plantilla, J. (2006). Human Rights in Education for Sustainable Development. UNESCO Expert Meeting on ESD:

Reorienting Education to Address Sustainability. Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Retrieved 16-7-2016 from:

http://www.unescobkk.org/fileadmin/user_upload/esd/documents/workshops/kanchanburi/plantilla_humanrights.pdf

• UNESCO (2009). Education for sustainable development vital to tackle climate change. Paris: UNESCO. Retrieved 16-

7-2016 from: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/secondary-

education/single-view/news/education_for_sustainable_development_vital_to_tackle_climate_change

• UNICEF (2009). The state of the world’s children. New York: UNICEF Retrieved 16-7-2016 from:

http://www.unicef.org/sowc09/docs/SOWC09-FullReport-EN.pdf

• UNICEF (2014) A Post-2015 World Fit for Children: A review of the Open Working Group Report on Sustainable

Development Goals from a Child Rights Perspective. Retrieved 16-7-2016 from

http://www.unicef.org/post2015/files/Post_2015_OWG_review_CR_FINAL.pdf