Sustainable Development: Environmental perspective
University of Ruhuna Sri Lanka
Course description
1.Course name :Sustainable Development
Course code : ECN -5101
2. Target group: Master students currently involved with any recognized university
3. Workload: 10 credits with estimated average workload 240 hours
4. Prerequisites Formal criteria: Currently following master degree
Practical conditions: Good command of written and spoken English, basic computer literacy, access to internet
5. Duration: Six months
6. Type: Online collaborative and participatory (tutor support)
Note: Student will be grouped 5-8 members in a group. Collaboration with peer students and the tutor is necessary to complete modules in the course. Frequent participation is requirered to meet deadlines
7 Language: English
8 Developing instituitions: University of Ruhuna, Economics Department
9 Offering institutions: University of Ruhuna
10 Course leader: Asiri D Vitharana
11. Authors/Teaching group:
Asiri D Vitharana, Bryan Atinga, Samita Regmi, Lakshitha Nuwan
12. Academic responsibility: University Of Ruhuna
13. Copyright: Authors
14. Aims:
The course is intended to provide students with a broad based understanding of sustainable development and environmental sustainability, which will constitute both a foundation for further study and a point of connection to the knowledge and approaches of the different disciplines of social sciences. The course further aim to develop an understanding of the emerging concept of sustainable development; provide collaborative environment to analyse differences of sustainable development approaches in North and the South countries.
15. Learning resources:
Learning Management System (LMS), Provided references (articles), URL-links, online libraries, e-books
16. Objectives:
On completion of the courses the participants should have the ability to:
Participant will be able to
- Examine competing theories and approaches to development.
- Develop the analytical and theoretical aspects of Sustainable Development in Different context
- Build competencies in key areas such as Environmental Sustainability, monitoring and evaluation, policy analysis, advocacy and training, economic development, environmental governance.
- Learn through collaboration—through the six-month collaborative learning process and through the experience of Economic department peers and academics.
The participant will gain / improve skills in:
- collaborative work online with peers group members by sharing ideas ,
- analyzing problems,
- negotiate meanings and finding solutions
- Improve constructive learning process
- Teamwork, Time management, and cooperation
- The participants should have developed or strengthened attitudes on: The need of sustainable development with sound environment
17. Content description (Learning units)
Module 1: Getting on board
Module 2: What is sustainable Development?
Module 3: Three pillars of Sustainable Development
Module 4: Sustainable development goals and challenges in contemporary society
Module 5: Environmental Sustainability
Module 6: Environmental Governance and natural resource
Module 7: Environmental conservation and policies
18. Mode of delivery and Infrastructure needed
- Material distribution through LMS.
- Learning Schedule (Task calendar)
- Introduction session through synchronous media (Skype)
- Main communication tools are: asynchronous discussion, e-mail, Social media, e-books, blogs, documents and contributions archived in the LMS.
- Necessary working folders will be provided for discussions, handing and other group/individual tasks.
- An on-line virtual “café” for informal discussions.
Infrastructure: Computer and access to Internet (from student side). - All participants will be given access to an LMS, to virtual classrooms and group-rooms
19. Learning outcomes Upon course completion, the student ’walks out the door’ with the ability or skill to:
- Demonstrate theoretical understanding of sustainable development
- Demonstrate understanding of abstract to semi-technical issues relating to sustainable development in the context of both south and North context
- Demonstrate sound knowledge on the importance of Environmental sustainability for sustainable development.
- Demonstrate awareness of the impact of human activity on the natural environment and built environment and argue the role of government, government policy makers and other professionals.
- Describe environmental conservation and Policies.
- Formulate strategies to ensure sustainable development
20. Teaching methods
- Detailed study guides with learning tasks and activities
- Social constructive pedagogy with collaborative and participatory learning process
- tutor support,
- Synchronous and asynchronous discussion
- Group project,
- Group and individual hand-ins.
- Peer tutoring. Online quizzes
21. Assessment of participants :
Written Exam 60 % (24 hours) of the total grade , group project 20%, two Individual assignment 10%
22. Bibliography
- Study guide
- Articles (e-books)
- Internet resources,
- Additional reference literature
23. LMS administration: University Of Ruhuna
24. Course evaluation :
Formative (peer evaluation, participatory evaluation)and summative evaluation (Quiz)
25. Other remarks: sheets for the course are limited .
26. Fees: Free