Online Course : Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development: Environmental perspective 

University of Ruhuna Sri Lanka

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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