Question: What formal and informal online learning opportunities are available to individuals seeking employment in sustainable construction and technology fields?

Methodology for inclusion: Due to a relative dearth of research in online sustainability education paired with a lack of standardized curricula for “green” education, I initially focused on case studies of nascent sustainable business and construction education programs. This lead to an evaluation of developments in personal learning environments (PLE) and social software as applied to sustainable education programs. In order to account for a rapidly evolving set of technological tools for distance educators, I limited my results to publications released from January 2005 to February 2009.

Search terms: green construction, green collar, personal learning environments, sustainability, sustainable education, social networking

Literature Review:

Anderson, T. (2006). Higher education evolution: Individual freedom afforded by educational social software. In M. Beaudoin (Ed.), Perspectives on the Future of Higher Education in the Digital Age (pp 77-90). New York: Nova Science Publishers. http://hdl.handle.net/2149/1071

In this chapter, Anderson examines the technical tools available for informal learning opportunities afforded by new developments in educational social software (ESS). Drawing from research in the social capacities of traditional brick and mortar educational settings, Anderson cites a need for further development of social networking tools for distance learners.  While development of these tools is ongoing, many educators continue to argue the tangible benefits of fostering student collaboration and community in an online setting.

Ballantyne, Roy and Packer, J. (2005) Promoting environmentally sustainable attitudes and behaviour through free-choice learning experiences: what is the state of the game? Environmental Education Research,11:3, Pages 281-295.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13504620500081145

While not specifically tied to technological tools, this article seeks to encourage informal, “free-choice” learning opportunities for students in environmental education programs. Ballantyne and Packer present extensive resources to analyze the current state of research in relation to the many, and varied pedagogical methods utilized to introduce concepts of sustainability in environmental studies curricula.

Breslin, C., Nicol, D., Grierson, H., Wodehouse, A., Juster, A., Ion, W. (2007). Embedding an integrated learning environment and digital repository in design engineering education: lessons learned for sustainability. British Journal of Educational Technology, 38 no5 805-816, London, UK.

This paper outlines the effort to embed a learning environment and digital repository into the teaching and learning of Design Engineering at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. The authors include a thorough analysis of the technological, pedagogical and cultural Issues related to use of a shared workspace and a digital repository within the Distributed, Innovative Design, Education and Teamwork (DIDET) project. Conclusions focus on the need for attention to sustainability when developing a program reliant on students sharing digital media.

Domask, J. (2007). An experiential approach to sustainability studies. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. Vol. 8 No. 1. Pages 53-68.

This case study seeks to provide a concrete example of how experiential learning approaches, in the form of internships and community outreach, can effectively meet empirical educational goals in international sustainability studies. In order to assess the effectiveness of these nontraditional methods, Domask suggests a qualitative focus on 4 educational goals:

  1. Connecting the student with practice
  2. Fostering effective interdisciplinary curriculum
  3. Linking students to work experiences
  4. Engaging and empowering students.

Domask cites the lower financial costs of lecture-centric instruction as a significant inhibitor to implementing experiential educational methods.

Holden, M., Elverum, D., Nesbit, S., Robinson, J., Yen, D., Moore, J. Learning teaching in the sustainability classroom. (2008). Ecological Economics. Volume 64, Issue 3, Pages 521-533. Vancouver, BC, Canada. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6VDY-4PYRKF1-2/2/bcb114f1b8cc2301cc6defd6dced74d8

This case study chronicles the implementation of a course on the green building industry in Vancouver, BC. The authors pay specific attention to the instructional methods and technological tools utilized to deliver the course. Participants in the course came from a broad range of backgrounds, and the authors cite this fact as a strong contributor to the perceived success of the course.

Mankoff, J., Matthews, D., Fussell, S., Johnson, M. Leveraging Social Networks To Motivate Individuals to Reduce their Ecological Footprints. To be published at Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 2007.

In this article, Mankoff et al. analyze the utilization of social networking communities (SNC) in American households in order to propose a method to leverage SNC to teach users about their carbon footprint. The authors point toward a lack of knowledge on the part of the average American as a significant road block standing in the way of the proliferation of environmentally conscious activities. To develop greater awareness among individuals, the authors intend to create a web application capable of estimating one’s carbon footprint and publicizing that footprint as part of one’s personal profile across various SNC. Additionally, the application will offer tangible suggestions to reduce one’s footprint, and allow individuals to share additional suggestions and personal testimonials.

Payne, P.G. (2006). Environmental Education and Curriculum Theory. Journal of Environmental Education; Winter 2006, Vol. 37 Issue 2, 25-35. Washington, D.C. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pbh&AN=20355451&site=ehost-live

Due to a lack of curriculum standards for environmental education, Payne draws from social constructivist and phenomenological learning theory to propose an infusion of 9 recurrent questions into school curricula. These questions span various content areas and encourage students and instructors to actively engage in dialogue about the interplay of environmental problems and solutions in small and large arenas. Payne sees the advent of purely empirical curriculum standards as a guard against non-traditional subject matter, and views a sustained dialogue regarding environmental concerns as a means to circumvent the lack of subject-specific curriculum standards.

Shrestha, M., Wilson, S., Singh, M. (2007). Knowledge Networking: A Dilemma of Building Social Capital in Nonformal Education. Adult Education Quarterly. Vol. 58 No. 2. Pages 129-150.

This study begins with an explicit delineation between formal, informal, and nonformal education. While informal and nonformal are often used interchangeably, the authors suggest informal learning essentially takes place without intent, while nonformal education (NFE) has a specific, often community-centered, intent. The study employs a participatory action research methodology to investigate the interpretations of educators in a range of NFE venues, such as local libraries, neighborhood centers, and sporting clubs. Many of these venues offered learning opportunities in environmental sustainability.  The results showed a perceived lack of financial support for these opportunities and a need for further investment. Analysis of the results focused on 5 key elements of a successful NFE venue:

1.Client focus

2.Sustainability

3.Learning paths

4.Use of volunteers

5.Links with other providers