Digital tools are synonymous with contemporary education such that we are living in a post-digital world (Fawns, 2019). These tools can support education for sustainable development (ESD), but require acquisition of key skills, thoughtful design and consideration of how to traverse the digital divide to ensure an accessible, engaging, quality learning experience for all students. ESD requires an interdisciplinary perspective encompassing the global and multicultural context of sustainability challenges, and it emphasizes action-oriented pedagogies aligned with authentic assessment approaches. Blended learning provides opportunities for learning across disciplines, institutions and international boundaries, but necessitate careful navigation of structural issues such as the allocation of FTEs and administration of novel teaching approaches. Assessment design can be reconfigured towards creative, action-oriented outputs such as advocacy podcasts/vodcasts, analysis of open data sets etc. While barriers to assessment reform exist, accrediting bodies and employers increasingly emphasise the critical role of graduates in sustainability and climate change mitigation and adaptation. This paper shares details of a digital toolkit and open course for Higher Education staff on Learning and Teaching with the SDGs. It considers the inhibitions identified by staff in relation to their own sustainability expertise (Guiry et al, 2022), showcases practice-based examples and considers the potential for ESD to be a path of mutual exploration and learning for staff and students in support of a sustainable future.

1. Attuning Curricula
Towards Education For
Sustainable Development

3. © Shutterstock / Romolo Tavani / WWF

4. SOURCE: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2021
IRELAND’S PROGRESS ON SDGS

5. © Institute for European Environmental Policy

6. SUSTAINABILITY AT UCC
“Student-led, research-informed,
practice-focused”
Institutional transformation
inspired by students, enabled by
leadership
Guiding frameworks:
• Green Flag (2010)
• ISO50001 (2011)
Recognition International Metrics:
• UI Green Metric (2011)
• STARS (2018)
• THE Impact Ranking (2019

7. • All 17 SDGs covered
across UCC curricula
• 60% of academic
departments with
sustainability course
offerings
• 6% of modules
addressed sustainability
SUSTAINABILITY IN THE CURRICULUM

8. EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Equipping learners with the relevant
knowledge (the what), the key dispositions
and skills (the how) and the values (the
why) that will motivate and empower them
Curriculum
Practice
Policies
Estates
Research
Student Life

10. To create and curate resources for
teaching staff to integrate
sustainability concepts into student
learning to support the UCC
Academic Strategy
• Consultations with 40+ Staff & 25
students
• Piloted with 18 lectures across the 4
colleges & CIRTL
• Conducted 8 SDG workshops for 87
participants
www.ucc.ie/en/sdg-toolkit/
SDG TOOLKIT PROJECT

11. www.ucc.ie/en/sdg-toolkit/

12. • Action-oriented pedagogies
• Inter and transdisciplinary
learning
• Authentic assessment
• Students-as-partners
approach in curriculum dev.
• Community engaged learning
and research as exemplar

15. MAPPING A
MODULE TO
THE SDGS
How does your module or
programme map to the
SDGs?
How can you further
integrate sustainability into
your curriculum?
Use the SDG mapping tool
(Excel format) to reflect on
a module and visualize your
results

16. Adaptable Excel
spreadsheet to:
• evaluate SDG
coverage in your
modules
• visualize your
SDG coverage
• reflect upon
enhancing SDG
integration

17. Click on Hypertext

18. EMAIL: CATHERINE.OMAHONY@UCC.IE