Sustainability Education 101: Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating an Online Development Course
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2026-06-10
Author(s)
Abstract
Higher education institutions face mounting pressure to integrate sustainability into teaching, yet instructors and academic developers frequently lack evidence-informed tools to address this transversal agenda. This article presents Sustainability Education 101 (SE101), an eight-hour online academic development course co-developed at the University of St. Gallen to equip university instructors across disciplines with conceptual frameworks, practical design tools, and structured opportunities for reflective practice. Grounded in constructive alignment, generative learning, and critically reflective practice, SE101 guides participants through sustainability concepts and didactic models and scaffolds the redesign of their own courses. Drawing on qualitative content analysis of 21 course submissions from two institutions, the study examines which course elements participants perceived as supportive or impeding, and how they applied SE101's tools and frameworks in course design. Findings indicate that the Educational Design Canvas most consistently supported professional learning, while cognitive load and institutional constraints impeded implementation. Participants broadened their sustainability conceptions, aligned course prototypes with sustainability competencies, and identified discipline-specific entry points. The article contributes a practice-based model for academic development in complex, transversal domains and discusses implications for faculty professionalization and ESD 3 integration.
Language
English (United States)
Keywords
Sustainability Education
Academic Development
Online Course
ESD
Sustainability
Constructive Alignment
Competence Orientation
Teaching
Learning
Instructional Design
Pedagogical Pattern
MYTHSE
Fact
Evidence
Faculty
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Event Title
EARLI SIG 4 & 11 Conference 2026 "Innovation and Reflection in Teacher Education and Higher Education"
Event Location
University of Helsinki, Finland
Division(s)
Contact Email Address
stefan.siegel@unisg.ch
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
open.access
Name
Siegel et al. 2026 SE101 Talk EARLI SIG 4, 11 Talk Helsinki.pdf
Size
5.61 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
99a9118a016aa8f5fa926e27198a977b