Towards effective e-learning on sustainability: a case study-course on participatory processes in environmental politics

• Published in: International journal of sustainability in higher education Vol. 22; no. 4; pp. 801 - 832
• Main Authors: Perbandt, Daniela, Heinelt, Marie-Sophie, Bacelar-Nicolau, Paula, Mapar, Mahsa, Caeiro, Sandra Sofia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Publishing Limited 02.07.2021; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Asynchronous Communication; CAI; Case studies; Citizen Participation; Cognitive style; Collaboration; Colleges & universities; Communication; Communication Skills; Computer assisted instruction; Computer literacy; COVID-19; Distance Education; Distance learning; Education; Electronic Learning; Empirical analysis; Environmental Education; Environmental governance; Environmental policy; Flipped Classroom; Foreign Countries; Foreign Students; Governance; Graduate Students; Higher education; Information technology; Instructional Effectiveness; Interactive learning; Intercultural Communication; Interdisciplinary Approach; Interdisciplinary aspects; Job Skills; Knowledge; Knowledge Level; Learning; Online Courses; Online instruction; Political Science; Politics; Public participation; Research Skills; Science education; Skill Development; Skills; Social networks; Statistical analysis; Student Satisfaction; Students; Sustainable Development; Synchronous Communication; Teaching; Teaching Methods; Technological Literacy; Portugal; Germany; E-learning; Asynchronous learning; International student cooperation; Sustainability; Environmental politics; Synchronous learning
• ISSN: 1467-6370; 1758-6739
• DOI: 10.1108/IJSHE-07-2020-0262

Purpose Distance universities are of great importance for establishing sustainability literacy, as they operate as multipliers for thousands of students. However, despite several advantages of e-learning environments compared to traditional class-teaching, there are still challenges regarding suitable e-learning tools and didactical models. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of several e-learning tools on students’ knowledge and skills growth and to compare two learning paths, synchronous vs asynchronous, exploring how each affects the level of students’ knowledge achievement and skills acquisition. Design/methodology/approach The empirical analysis is based on an online course “Participatory processes in environmental politics”. International MSc and PhD students who enrolled in the course were from FernUniversität in Hagen (Germany) and Aberta University (Portugal). The course was designed as the flipped classroom, applying different e-learning tools and activities, some synchronous and others asynchronous. A pre- and post-evaluation questionnaire was applied to evaluate students’ knowledge and skills. Descriptive statistical analyses were carried out on this data. Findings Results showed that in the synchronous group, knowledge about theoretical approaches to citizen participation and sustainable environmental governance improved to a greater extent, whereas the asynchronous group showed greater improvement in nearly all skills related to intercultural communication and e-learning. Also, in the synchronous path, students enhanced their knowledge on “research application” to a greater extent. Originality/value Evaluating the effectiveness of different e-learning tools on students’ sustainability knowledge and information and communication technologies skills is a fundamental issue. The study discusses these issues, contributing to enhancing the use of adequate and grounded e-learning models on sustainable development in higher education.