A pan-university group was created in 2021 to discuss different themes and associated papers/publications and look at opportunities for co-creation and collaboration. One of the outcomes of this group was the development of a free course titled Sustainable pedagogies which was first published in 2024. The course is aimed at all educators who want to develop their professional practice to prepare their students to become agents for sustainability in a world that urgently needs to become sustainable. 

The course focuses on the central role that education can and should play. It helps to enact what being sustainable means, no matter the subject, and is focused on how to do this through pedagogies – ways of facilitating learning – to help position students to grow the skills, attitudes and ways of being in the world to contribute to a globally sustainable future. Sustainable pedagogies is an educational response to international recognition that finite resources, economic development and population growth will challenge current and future generations.  Participants are encouraged to participate and bring the learnings to their own context through reflection, forums and 'explore' activities.

Author: The Open University's Responsible Futures Audit 2024

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) addressed

• SDG 4 Quality Education by embedding education for sustainability at cross-curricular level and encouraging students to critically reflect and explore actions for sustainability
• SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production - encouraging people to consider sustainable ways of living by recognising issues such as finite resources
• SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals using a pan-university group for collaboration and co-creation

Inner Development Goals (IDGs) addressed

• Thinking - Encompasses critical thinking and complexity awareness 
• Collaborating - Focuses on communication, co-creation and building trust