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Sustainability Learning Outcomes and Learning Objectives

Erin Stapleton-Corcoran, IDMPS Instructional Designer
Dec 22, 2023

Sustainability learning outcomes/objectives are statements that outline the specific sustainability knowledge and skills that a student is expected to have gained and demonstrated by the successful completion of a unit, course, or program.

Each set of learning outcomes/objectives is described in depth below and example learning objectives across the disciplines are provided for each set of outcomes/objectives.

Three sets of learning outcomes/learning objectives are shared in this teaching toolkit:

  1. 2018 UIC Climate Action Implementation Plan (CAIP) Learning Objectives and Outcomes for Sustainability
  2. Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Ed (AASHE) STARS Framework Sustainability-focused and Sustainability-supportive Learning Outcomes
  3. UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development Goals: Learning Objectives

UIC CLIMATE ACTION IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (CAIP) Heading link

The 2018 Climate Action Implementation Plan (CAIP) embodies UIC’s commitment to addressing climate change. Developed with the Chancellor’s Committee on Sustainability and Energy (CCSE), it is a cost-effective portfolio of solutions aiming to make UIC carbon-neutral by 2028 while advancing other sustainability goals. UIC’s Climate Commitments, extending to education and research, prioritize infusing sustainability into curricular and co-curricular programs.

A component of this initiative involves exploring specific learning objectives and outcomes that empower UIC’s community for a sustainable future. These objectives and outcomes offer guidelines for instructors as they craft their own sustainability-aligned courses.

CAIP Learning Objectives and Outcomes for Sustainability Heading link

Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Ed (AASHE) STARS Framework Heading link

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) aims to improve teaching and learning practices in higher education by advocating for sustainable innovation. AASHE has created the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS), which is a self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance.

The STARS framework is designed to:

  • Provide a framework for understanding sustainability in all sectors of higher education.
  • Enable meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.
  • Create incentives for continual improvement toward sustainability.
  • Facilitate information sharing about higher education sustainability practices and performance. Build a stronger, more diverse campus sustainability community.

AASHE Student Learning Outcomes

AASHE defines student learning outcomes as statements of what a student is expected to know, understand, or be able to demonstrate after completion of a process of learning as well as the specific intellectual and practical skills gained and demonstrated by the successful completion of a unit, course, or program.

Learning outcomes are distinct from the aims of learning in that they are concerned with the achievements of the student rather than with the overall intentions of the teacher. AASHE has crafted sustainability-focused and sustainability-supportive learning objectives, both of which are detailed below:

UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development Goals Heading link

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a global initiative aimed at fostering a sustainable future for humanity. There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which tackle significant challenges such as poverty, environmental conservation, and social well-being. The SDGs emphasize the importance of collaboration among governments, the private sector, civil society, and individuals worldwide.

The SDGs are universal, urging all countries to align their efforts to promote prosperity while safeguarding the planet, making sustainability a shared responsibility across the globe. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals offer a very broad lens for integrating sustainability in your courses, which will be shared in depth below.

UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development Goals: Learning Objectives

UNESCO has taken the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and crafted cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral learning objectives that align with each goal. Additionally, UNESCO has drafted suggested topics, learning approaches, and methods that align with each of the 17 sustainable development goals.

CATE has added cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral learning objectives across 20 disciplines to help instructors get started crafting learning objectives for their own courses.

SDG 1. No Poverty – End Poverty in All its Forms Everywhere Heading link

SDG 2. Zero Hunger – End Hunger, Achieve Food Security and Improved Nutrition, and Promote Sustainable Agriculture Heading link

SDG 3. Good Health and Well-being: Ensure Healthy Lives and Promote Well-being for All at All Ages Heading link

SDG 4: Quality Education: Ensure Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Promote Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All Heading link

SDG 5: Gender Equality: Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls Heading link

Clean Water and Sanitation: Ensure Availability and Sustainable Management of Water and Sanitation for All Heading link

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: Ensure Access to Affordable, Reliable, Sustainable, and Clean Energy for All Heading link

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: Promote Sustained, Inclusive, and Sustainable Economic Growth, Full and Productive Employment, and Decent Work for All Heading link

SDG9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: Build Infrastructure, Promote Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialization and Foster Innovation Heading link

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: Reduce Inequality Within and Among Countries Heading link

SGD 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: Make Cities and Human Settlements Inclusive, Safe, Resilient, and Sustainable Heading link

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: Ensure Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns Heading link

SDG 13: Climate Action: Take Urgent Action to Combat Climate Change and Its Impacts Heading link

SDG 14: Life Below Water: Conserve and Sustainably Use the Oceans, Seas and Marine Resources for Sustainable Development Heading link

SDG 15: Life on Land: Protect, Restore and Promote Sustainable Use of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Sustainably Manage Forests, Combat Desertification, and Halt and Reverse Land Degradation and Halt Biodiversity Loss Heading link

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: Promote Peaceful and Inclusive Societies for Sustainable Development, Provide Access to Justice for All, and Build Effective, Accountable and Inclusive Institutions at All Levels Heading link

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: Strengthen the Implementation and Revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Heading link

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