Sustainability Pedagogies - Words of Wisdom

Creating a free sustainable pedagogies course

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

A badge to indicate the winner of the student vote in November 2025.

Student quotes
"Targeted teaching is a good way forward, and an OpenLearn course on this would be interesting to many students. It could be part of the welcome week, highlighting how the OU remains a sustainable institution with forward-thinking for the planet."

"This is a course I would want to do."

"It offers a compelling example of strategic educational innovation with global relevance. This initiative positions education not just as a tool for knowledge transfer, but as a driver of cultural and systemic change. By equipping educators with sustainable pedagogical practices, it builds capacity for long-term transformation across sectors and generations."