Whakawhitinga Kōrero: Dialogues on Sustainability

• Published in: Teaching and Learning Strategies for Sustainable Development Vol. 19; pp. 197 - 211
• Main Authors: Sweet, Tonya, Milligan, Andrea, Hall, Meegan
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Emerald Publishing Limited 27.05.2020
• Subjects: Education; Inter/multicultural Education; Multicultural Education/Social Justice; pedagogy; video dialogues; Design thinking; interdisciplinarity; sustainability; sustainable development goals
• ISBN: 9781789736403; 1789736404
• ISSN: 2055-3641
• DOI: 10.1108/S2055-364120200000019016

Abstract Interdisciplinary approaches to sustainability curriculum and pedagogy remain a particular challenge internationally. This chapter shares insights from a 2016 attempt to establish a first-year undergraduate Design course with an interdisciplinary approach to sustainability education. A series of video dialogues between university and community-based sustainability experts was created to enable students to access understandings and research evidence about sustainability issues and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, through different disciplinary lenses. The video dialogues provided students with opportunities to learn reflexively through exposure to differing visions for sustainable development, including Indigenous perspectives. In doing so, the video dialogues provide material for critical, creative, and iterative design thinking. Drawing on feedback from students enrolled in the course, this chapter offers reflections about enhancing course design through using video dialogues to support students’ critical openness to addressing sustainability concerns.