Syllabus

EDSU 900 Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Educational

Sustainability (3 credit hours)
Fall, 2017
August 15 December 15 (?)
Instructor: Joy Kcenia O'Neil, Ph.D.
Email: TBA
Telephone: TBA
Office Hours: M-F 9am 5pm
Prerequisite: N/A
Corequisite: N/A
Catalog Description:
This course will introduce sustainability and key concepts and pedagogy of
education for sustainability. Educational sustainability is an inclusive way of
systems thinking that encompasses human and ecological health, social
justice, secure livelihoods and educational opportunities for a better world for
all generations. Students will become familiar with overall Ed.D. program
design and develop personal learning goals for their doctoral studies.
Course Objectives:
This is a foundational course to guide you about how to be a successful
doctoral student while giving you a taste of the polyarchy of learning
edges in educational sustainability. The key ingredient to sustainability is to
understand the complexity and interconnectedness of environmental, social
and economic issues we face in the world or systems thinking about these
issues.
The view of a polyarchy is that there is NO ONE ANSWER, rather; the power
lies in the diversity in the many ways to foster change. You will be introduced
to and get the opportunity to take the lead in mapping out the dynamism in
the field that will pave the way for you to build your learning goals to set
your path for the remainder of your studies. Keep in mind, goals change,
widen and then start to become more refined. It some ways it is an
emergent process. This comes with time and lots of study. You will be able to
find what interests you, what the literature has to say and what is may
potentially by lacking. This is the doctoral process. There will be a 4- unit
structure to this course about one month for each major learning objective
with embedded doctoral preparation skills in each unit. This format will allow
you do dig deep into the content and set up a clear process as a doctoral
learner.
This course is demanding and expect to not only comprehend concepts but
to demonstrate how you will put them into action via learning strand and in
local or global community.

Objectives:
This course, will be divided into four units with the following objectives:
1. UNIT 1: Situating Educational Sustainability
Read, discuss and map out contested paradigms of sustainably and
education:
a. Communicate the concepts and connections of sustainability
b. Explain wicked problems
c. Differentiate weak sustainability versus strong sustainability
d. Map out basic concepts of systems thinking as one solution to
sustainability
2. UNIT 2: Paradigms for reimagining education and learning
Fill in a literature table and learn how to use a literature matrix to fully
understand and draw from:
a. Reimagining education and learning
b. Paradigms of educational sustainability: education about, for
and as sustainability
c. Current trends in epistemological and ontological perspectives in
sustainability
3. Unit 3: Pedagogies for Sustainability
Collaboratively explore and create scenarios using pedagogies:
a. Transformative pedagogies
b. Experiential pedagogies
c. Intra-active pedagogies
d. Place-based pedagogies
e. Critical pedagogies
f. Systems thinking pedagogies
g. Interdisciplinary pedagogy
h. Community-based pedagogy
i. And more
4. Unit 4: Personal Learning Goals
Build an emergent learning proposal (emergence allows student space
to change and grow with studies and the plan will grow with the
student)
a. Revisit Learning blog to see what emerges
b. Identify strengths and gaps in knowledge, skills and dispositions
c. Decide various projects and pedagogies that may suit your
interests (this may change but good to have a starting point)
Outcomes: Upon completion of this course, students should be
able to:
Map sustainability concepts in a systems or interconnected
framework

Communicate the differences between education about, for and

as sustainability
Understand the broad spectrum of pedagogies for sustainability
related to the three strands of Educational Sustainability
Learn how to build literature tables and matrices
Be able to navigate through resources and process for doctoral
studies success
List and interpret various epistemologies and ontologies suitable
for sustainability related to ones program goals
Apply intro to how qualitative research
Build learning goals
Utilize organizational and scholarly tools available for doctoral
study

Textbooks/Reading List:
Required:
Stibbe, A. (2009). The handbook of sustainability literacy: Skills
for a changing world. Totnes, UK: Green Books.
Sterling, S. R., & E.F. Schumacher Society. (2001). Sustainable
education: Re-visioning learning and change. Totnes: Green
Books for the Schumacher Society.
Wals, A. E. J., & Corcoran, P. B. (2012). Learning for Sustainability
in Times of Accelerating Change. The Netherlands: Wageningen
Academic Pub.Kahn, R. V. (2010). Critical pedagogy, ecoliteracy,
& planetary crisis: The ecopedagogy movement. New York: Peter
Lang.
World Watch Institute (Ed.) (2013) Is Sustainability Still Possible?
(Washington DC: Island Press).
Sustainbility Education:
Stone, M. K., & Barlow, Z. (2005). Ecological literacy: Educating
our children for a sustainable world. San Francisco: Sierra Club
Books.
Capra, F., & Luisi, P. L. (2014). The systems view of life: A
unifying vision.
Tilbuy, Engaging People in Sustainability,
https://portals.iucn.org/library/efiles/documents/2004-055.pdf
Tilbury, D. (2011). Education for sustainable development:
expert review of processes and
learning. UNESCO.
Burns, H. (2015). Transformative Sustainability Pedagogy
Learning From Ecological Systems and Indigenous Wisdom
D. Orr (1992) Ecological Literacy (Albany, NY: SUNY).

UNESCO (2014) Shaping the Future we Want: UN Decade of

Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) final report
(Paris, FR: UNESCO).
UN-IPCC (2013) Summary for Policymakers, in Climate Change
2013: The Physical Science Basis, Fifth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Cambridge, UK:
Cambridge University Press).
Additional materials will be made available on-line

Assignments and Grading:

1 - Reading reflections 50 points each unit x 4 units = 200

points
4 - Reading responses per unit 50 points each x 4 units = 200
points
1 Assignment per unit (Unit 1,2,3,4) x 50 points each = 200
points
4 - Assignment responses per unit (Unit 1,2,3,4) 50 points each
= 200 points
4 - Preparation, attendance and participation in Unit synchronous
seminars (4) x 50 = 200 points
Learning Journey Blog 10 points per entry , weekly entries 15
weeks = 150 points
Final Project = 150 points
TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE: 1300 points
100-90 A Excellent quality
89-80 B Above average quality
79 - 70 Average Quality
69 60 D Below average quality
Below 60 F Fail, no effort

LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED PAST THE UNIT ASSIGNED FOR

CREDIT UNLESS YOU SPEAK WITH ME FOR PRIOR
ARRANGEMENT OR DOCUMENTED EMERGENCY. THE REASON IS
BECAUSE WE NEED TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT UNIT AS A CLASS
IN ORDER TOCOMPLETE ALL OBJECTIVES IN THE SEMESTER.
CLASS ATTENDANCE:
Students are expected to be present in this online class;
weeks of the semester especially, in order for me
registration. I will use the commitment to learning
indicator that you are participating in this course so be

during the first two

to confirm official
assignment as an
sure to fill that out

and submit it first. Students who fail to follow this procedure may be
withdrawn from the course per registrar policies. In this case, attendance is
in the form of discussion participation, assignments, and tests. If you have
issues, always email me for assistance. I accept excused absences and work
to arrange a plan for you so as long as it is pre-arranged a limited amount of
work to me made up or an emergency with a doctors note. Missing a lot of
work and then trying to arrange to complete it, beyond our Units is not
accepted. The best you can do is communicate with me; I am here to help
you succeed and limit your worries of getting bogged down! I check email
M-F.
GUIDELINES:
This course is intended for you, the student, to be full participants in your
learning online. All of your work will be submitted in D2L and shared with the
class. This allows for learning growth and create a community learning
environment. This also means that you are active participants in your
learning and the learning of others; if you lack in participation, the learning
system suffers. I like to think if it as a living ecosystem mimicking nature. It
is an interconnected environment and when one participant in the system is
missing, it affects the others. Think of us as a garden or a forest. I will also
actively participate, provide feedback, supplement resources with further
reading or activities when appropriate and engage in discussions. I will not
respond to every single discussion post (nor do I expect you to). I will have
work graded/feedback within two weeks of unit completion. The grades will
be in the online grade book.
ACADEMIC HONESTY:
Scholastic integrity lies at the heart of the program and education
department and greater College of Professional Studies. Plagiarism, collusion
and other forms of cheating or scholastic dishonesty are incompatible with
the tenets of sustainability. Students engaging in such activities are subject
to loss of credit and expulsion from the University (See policy in the
handbook).
CLASSROOM DECORUM:
In order to maintain an environment conducive to learning and student
development, it is expected that classroom discourse is respectful and nondisruptive. The primary responsibility for managing the classroom
environment rests with me, the instructor. Students who engage in any
prohibited or unlawful acts that result in disruption of a class may be directed
by the faculty member to leave class for the remainder of the week.
Students considered to be a disruption or who present a threat of potential
harm to self or others may be referred for action to the Dean of Student
Services. (See handbook).
In this online environmental science class, at times, subjects may be

controversial. Sharing your critical thoughts is welcome and encouraged,

however; if it differs from someone elses thoughts, take care how your
respond to your classmates. Feel free to express yourself but, also be
respectful please. This lead us into the policy on our course as a sanctified
zone.
SANCTIFIED ZONE:
This learning space is a place where people are committed to working to end
racism, bias and prejudice by valuing diversity in a safe and nurturing
environment. This active promotion of diversity and the opposition to all
forms of prejudice is what we uphold.
STUDENTS REQUIRING SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS:
If you have a disability that may require consideration by your instructor and
you have not previously submitted documentation, please make an
appointment with Academic Support Services. It is recommended that you
address this prior to the start of class or within the first week of class. If you
need accommodations for successful participation in class activities prior to
your appointment, you should provide information in writing to me that
includes suggestions for assistance in participating in and completing class
assignments. It is not required to disclose the nature of your disability to
your instructor.
While it is unlikely, I reserve the right to modify this syllabus at
any time.