Staff development, training and resources - Words of Wisdom

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Educators can perceive a lack of knowledge or expertise as a barrier to embedding environmental sustainability in their teaching, especially in discipline areas not traditionally linked to the environment (Ralph and Stubbs, 2014). Professional development programmes are, therefore, essential in supporting educators to achieve ‘a common language and understanding’ of the role they can play in environmental education (Reid and Petocz, 2006). For example, educators might be supported to explore the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a framework developed by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) to support academics in the goal of preparing students for the professional and societal challenges they will face in the future. ESD focuses on competencies, such as critical thinking and participatory learning, which encourage educators to take a holistic, interdisciplinary, and innovative approach to sustainability in their teaching and curriculum design.

It is acknowledged that ‘ESD professional development is a long-term practice’, which requires adequate support - both promotion and resourcing - from senior leadership figures if it is to bring about long-lasting institutional change (Mulà, 2017).

Examples of staff development resources:

·       Sustainable pedagogies (The Open University)

·       Learning Design Sustainability Crib Sheets (The Open University)

·       QAA Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) guidance (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education)

·       Leading Practice Publication: Professional development of university educators (University Educators for Sustainable Development)

References

Mulà, I. et al. (2017) ‘Catalysing Change in Higher Education for Sustainable Development: A review of professional development initiatives for university educators’, International journal of sustainability in higher education, 18(5), pp. 798–820. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-03-2017-0043.

QAA. (2021) ‘Education for sustainable development guidance’, pp.1-51. Available at: file:///C:/Users/njd288/Work%20Folders/Downloads/education-for-sustainable-development-guidance%20(1).pdf.

Ralph, M. and Stubbs, W. (2014) ‘Integrating environmental sustainability into universities’, Higher education, 67(1), pp. 71–90. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-013-9641-9.

Reid, A. and Petocz, P. (2006) ‘University lecturers’ understanding of sustainability’, Higher education, 51(1), pp. 105–123. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-004-6379-4.

UE4SD. (2015). Leading Practice Publication: Professional development of university educators on Education for Sustainable Development in European countries. Editors: Kapitulčinová, D., Dlouhá, J., Ryan, A., Dlouhý, J., Barton, A., Mader, M., Tilbury, D., Mulà, I., Benayas, J., Alba, D., Mader, C., Michelsen, G., Vintar Mally, K. Charles University in Prague, Prague, 136 pp. Available at: https://ue4sd.glos.ac.uk/downloads/UE4SD_Leading_Practice_Publication.pdf.

United Nations. (2025). ‘The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025’. Available at: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2025/.

Embedding sustainability within the Open University’s Inclusive Curriculum Tool

The Inclusive Curriculum tool (ICT) is, at its simplest, a reflective tool to support colleagues to consider if the course material that they are creating embodies EDIA principles and Sustainability in the context of assessment and the broader learner journey. The ICT's three aims:

1. To make material accessible to diverse groups of students (not just in terms of accessibility for disabled students but also in terms of the language and images used)
2. To represent diverse groups of students in the material
3. To equip students to participate in a global and diverse world

The ICT is designed to support deeper consideration and discussion of inclusion when designing and creating learning materials or reviewing existing module material. The ICT is not a checklist. It provides prompts to help colleagues reflect but does not give answers. Guidance Notes with examples are included for the prompts and there is space for colleagues to record issues that they notice about the course material they are reflecting on, suggest actions, and note good practice as they work through their learning materials. Examples of two of the prompts can be found within the linked example.

Author: The Open University's Responsible Futures Audit 2024

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) addressed

• SDG 4 Quality Education by focussing on inclusion and equity
• SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities - making material accessible to diverse groups
• SDG 16 Peace, justice and strong institutions- encouraging fairness and inclusion through institutional practices

Inner Development Goals (IDGs) addressed

• Relating - Focuses on empathy, compassion and connectedness 

Supporting sustainability competencies through learning design

The Open University Learning Design Sustainability Group developed Sustainability Skills Cards (SSCs - available freely here) to help curriculum teams embed sustainability competencies into module design in meaningful and measurable ways. The cards were created to address growing student demand for sustainability to be integrated into learning experiences and to help colleagues navigate the wide range of existing sustainability frameworks. The resource supports the development of sustainability competencies linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals while connecting them to existing institutional frameworks for employability and digital information literacy.

The SSCs were designed as a practical learning design resource based on UNESCO sustainability competencies and structured using Mann's Learning Outcomes model. This approach encourages colleagues to focus on what students will be able to achieve rather than simply identifying where sustainability might already exist within a curriculum. Student feedback from the Curriculum Design Student Panel informed the development of the cards, including guidance on how sustainability should be communicated and contextualised within specific subject areas. The cards provide actionable prompts, examples and connections to learning outcomes, making it easier for module teams to embed sustainability in authentic and non-tokenistic ways.

The SSCs have supported the embedding of sustainability competencies across two qualification routes and eleven individual modules, benefiting more than 3,800 students. They have also been used in professional development activities involving approximately 250 colleagues. Beyond the Open University, the resources have been shared openly, generating significant engagement through downloads, social media activity, conference presentations, publications and podcasts. The initiative received external recognition through a Highly Commended award in the Green Gown Awards and demonstrated how learning design, informed by student voice, can drive sustainable curriculum change at scale.

Authors: Paul Astles and Catriona Matthews

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• SDG 4 Quality Education - embedding sustainability competencies into curriculum. The Cards support learners to to gain knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development
• SDG 8 Decent work and Economic Growth - cards connect sustainability with institutional employment frameworks
• SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals -cards developed in collaboration with students and academics and resources shared widely for more engagement beyond the Open University

Inner Development Goals (IDGs) addressed

• Collaborating - Focuses on communication, co-creation and building trust 
• Acting - Focuses on enabling change through creativity and showing how skills can lead to practical application in future employment 

References: Astles, P and Matthews, C. (2025). Communicating Sustainability Competencies: A Case Study of Sustainability and Learning Design. In: Leal Filho, W., Trevisan, L.V., Pace, P.J., Mifsud, M. (eds) Education for Sustainable Development: The Contribution of Universities. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-86985-3_6 or https://oro.open.ac.uk/105104/

Calder, K., Astles P., Matthews, C and Crook, T (2026) Supporting sustainability competencies through learning design, ICDE GAC Europe Toolkit for Inclusivity, Sustainability and Scalability. Available online at https://gaceurope.weebly.com/sustainability.html

Sustainability case studies: Bristol Institute for Learning and Teaching

The case studies are practical examples of sustainability-focused teaching drawn from a variety of disciplines, hosted on the Bristol Institute of Learning and Teaching (BILT) website as an open-access resource. Educators could use these case studies as reference points to inform and enhance their own teaching practice. They can explore how sustainability and the UN SDGs have been embedded into different subject areas and adapt these approaches to suit their own modules or programmes. The collection also supports curriculum design, staff development, and collaborative discussions by providing concrete, discipline-specific examples that can be reused or modified. The case studies enable wider adoption of sustainability in education by making good practice visible and transferable. They support innovation in teaching, encourage interdisciplinary thinking, and help educators confidently integrate sustainability into their curricula, ultimately enriching student learning and engagement with global challenges.

Case studies available at - Sustainability case studies

Article from Times Higher Education - How to embed sustainability into different curricula

Author: Bristol Institute for Learning and Teaching