Curriculum

Introduction

One of the primary functions of colleges and universities is to educate students. By training and educating future leaders, scholars, workers, and professionals; higher education institutions are uniquely positioned to understand and address sustainability challenges. Institutions that offer courses covering sustainability issues help equip their students to lead society to a sustainable future.

118 resources

How to Cultivate an Environmentally Responsible Maker? A CPS Approach to a Comprehensive Maker Education Model

  • National Taiwan University
  • National Taichung University of Science and Technology

Environmental education is intended to increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues and enhance individuals’ problem-solving and decision-making skills by tackling problems in the real world. “Maker education,” on ...


Towards a Rubric for Stimulating and Evaluating Sustainable Learning

  • Wageningen University

Preparing students for dealing with sustainability issues is a challenge in the field of education. This is a challenge because we don’t know exactly what we are educating for ...


Identifying the factors for sustainability learning performance

  • Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (Hordaland)
  • Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
  • Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences

The recent launch of several important international education initiatives designates a future for education that moves away from educational achievements largely based on access and attainment and advances a more ...

  • Posted April 30, 2019
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Education for sustainable development through business simulation games: An exploratory study of sustainability gamification and its effects on students' learning outcomes

  • Università della Svizzera Italiana
  • UCS Ulrich Creative Simulations

Education for sustainable development (ESD) is gaining increased attention in tertiary education. According to the literature, ESD affects not only the content of education, but also its process and outcomes ...

  • Posted April 4, 2019
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STARS Data Quality Boot Camp Webinar Series: Academics

  • AASHE (PA)

Expanded from last year, the STARS Data Quality Boot Camp Series will help you gain the insights you need to submit a high-quality STARS report in time for the 2019 ...

  • Posted Jan. 25, 2019
  • Videos & Webinars
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Assessing Graduate Sustainability Attributes Using a Vignette/Scenario Approach

  • RMIT University

Equipping professionals with skills to make decisions in line with sustainability principles is essential for transitioning our societies towards sustainable development. Higher education is at the forefront of generating professionals ...

  • Posted Jan. 11, 2019
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Teaching students the complexity of green chemistry and assessing growth in attitudes and understanding

  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)

Green chemistry emerged over the past several decades as an important component of chemical education. Many different types of educational materials have been created to teach students the 12 Principles ...

  • Posted Dec. 11, 2018
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Integrating sustainability learning outcomes into a university curriculum: A case study of institutional dynamics

  • University of Vermont (VT)

Higher education institutions increasingly have gained momentum in integrating sustainability into university curricula. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the approval, implementation and management process of the new ...

  • Posted Dec. 11, 2018
  • Publications
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Student Voices as the Key to Sustainability Assessment

  • Central College (IA)
  • University of Georgia (GA)

Sustainability encourages a rich and broad awareness of our selves in the world. Assessment of sustainability learning should reflect the powerful insights and values that we hope sustainability education encourages ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
  • Conference Presentations
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The green economy learning assessment South Africa: Lessons for higher education, skills and work-based learning

  • Rhodes University

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to share and analyse the methodology and findings of the 2016 Green Economy Learning Assessment South Africa, including learning needs identified with reference ...

  • Posted Oct. 23, 2018
  • Publications
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Education for Sustainable Development Goals: Learning Objectives

  • UNESCO

This publication is designed as a guide for education professionals on the use of ESD in learning for the SDGs, and consequently to contribute to achieving the SDGs. The guide ...

  • Posted July 13, 2018
  • Publications
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The Need for the Graduate Attribute Assessment Tool (GAAT)

  • RMIT University

Universities have developed sets of Graduate Attributes (GAs) to be achieved by their graduates across all programs. GAs are often associated with development of ‘sustainability’ capabilities. However, there is little ...

  • Posted June 25, 2018
  • Publications
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Undergraduate Learning through Engaged Scholarship and University-Community Partnerships

  • College of William & Mary (VA)
  • University of Georgia (GA)

The impact of university–community partnerships and involvement in engaged scholarship on student learning was examined through in-depth interviews with undergraduate members of a student-led, community-based research organization at a ...


The place of content and pedagogy in shaping sustainability learning outcomes in higher education

  • University of Haifa

This research investigates the ways in which undergraduate courses dealing with the environment address sustainable development (SD), and contribute to the development of sustainability learning outcomes (SLO). The participants in ...

  • Posted April 18, 2018
  • Publications
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The personal context of student learning for sustainability: Results of a multi-university research study

  • Victoria University (Victoria)

The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD, 2005–2014) was an important framework and catalyst for increasing Sustainable Development (SD) efforts within academic institutions, worldwide. Tertiary institutions began ...

  • Posted April 18, 2018
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Student's learning processes for sustainable knowledge

  • Uppsala University

The concept of sustainability has become one of today's most widely used and controversial concepts. It is therefore important to develop activities within all educational contexts in order to ...

  • Posted March 29, 2018
  • Publications
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Recapturing the learning opportunities of university sustainability indicators

  • Tulane University (LA)

Reconfiguring student involvement in university sustainability assessments and reporting can create important learning opportunities. In the 1990s, students conducted campus environmental audits and assessments, which were often the first step ...

  • Posted March 29, 2018
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Identification of core objectives for teaching sustainable healthcare education

  • University of California, San Francisco (CA)

Physicians will be called upon to care for patients who bear the burden of disease from the impact of climate change and ecologically irresponsible practices which harm ecosystems and contribute ...

  • Posted March 12, 2018
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Vignette question design for the assessment of graduate sustainability learning outcomes

  • RMIT University

The development of university wide graduate attributes has become an important mechanism for setting generic learning outcomes across higher education institutions. Many universities around the world have developed sets of ...

  • Posted Jan. 25, 2018
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Promoting and Assessing Sustainability Literacy as a Learning Outcome in Education Abroad

  • The Education Abroad Network (IL)

If education abroad is to fulfill its promise of fostering intercultural awareness and global citizenship, then sustainability learning must be at its core, with outcomes assessed in terms of altered ...

  • Posted Dec. 1, 2017
  • Conference Presentations
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Integrating Sustainability Learning Outcomes Into a University Curriculum - A Case Study of Institutional Dynamics

  • University of Vermont (VT)

The University of Vermont (UVM) adopted a learning-outcomes-based general education sustainability requirement in Fall 2015. The requirement is unique because sustainability is a non-traditional general education theme, and general education ...

  • Posted Dec. 1, 2017
  • Conference Presentations
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Student Learning Outcomes in Sustainability Education: Faculty Participation and Measured Student Learning

  • University of South Dakota (SD)

Sustainability degrees are becoming increasingly common in higher education. There are over 420 institutions now offering programs related to sustainability that range from certificates to doctoral degrees. There are at ...

  • Posted Dec. 1, 2017
  • Conference Presentations
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Leadership in Environmental Stewardship E-badge at Central Community College, NE

  • Central Community College (NE)

Leadership in Environmental Stewardship E-badge at Central Community College on campus Central Community College in Grand Island, NE


Assessment of undergraduate students’ environmental stewardship reasoning and knowledge

  • James Madison University (VA)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a public university’s design and implementation of an assessment approach that measures the change in undergraduate students’ environmental stewardship reasoning ...


Sustainability and Undergraduate Management Curricula: Changes Over a 5-Year Period

  • Bond University (Queensland)

Global initiatives and a rapidly expanding academic literature identify the responsibility that universities have to incorporate sustainability education into their curricula. This study had two aims: first, to investigate the ...

  • Posted April 24, 2017
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Is it even espoused? An exploratory study of commitment to sustainability as evidenced in vision, mission, and graduate attribute statements in Australian universities

  • Griffith University (Queensland)

Since Agenda 21 and the United Nations' Decade for Education for Sustainable Development published, higher education institutions have been recognized as playing a critical role in shifting our society's ...

  • Posted Jan. 30, 2017
  • Publications
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Promoting and Assessing Sustainability As A Learning Outcome in Education Abroad

  • The Education Abroad Network (IL)

Drawing upon the definition and content of global learning within the AAC&U Global Learning Rubric, this poster reveals why the issues of sustainability & climate change must result in student ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
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Learning and Skills for Sustainable Development: Developing a sustainability literate society

The purpose of this publication is to help higher education institutions to integrate sustainability literacy into the curriculum of their learning programmes.The approach and tools suggested in this guide ...


The place of content and pedagogy in shaping sustainability learning outcomes in higher education

  • University of Haifa

This research investigates the ways in which undergraduate courses dealing with the environment address sustainable development (SD), and contribute to the development of sustainability learning outcomes (SLO). The participants in ...


Learning outcomes for sustainable development in higher education

This paper sets out to discuss the commonalities that can be found in learning outcomes (LOs) for education for sustainable development in the context of the Tbilisi and Barcelona declarations ...


Developing Learning Outcomes for Sustainability

  • Macquarie University (NSW)

This resource provides information on how to develop learning outcomes for sustainability, including examples sourced from unit outlines across the university.


Toward the Development of Robust Learning for Sustainability Core Competencies

  • Western Michigan University (MI)

This paper presents the results of a workshop on "Learning for Sustainability Core Competencies" held at AASHE's annual conference. The authors review research on core competencies in education for ...


Learning Outcomes and Assessment for Undergraduate Students

  • James Madison University (VA)

James Madison University (JMU) developed student learning outcomes and a corresponding assessment instrument to measure the change in undergraduate students’ environmental stewardship reasoning and knowledge over time. In consultation with ...

  • Posted June 10, 2016
  • Case Studies
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Implementing Sustainability in the Classroom at Université Laval

  • Université Laval (QC)

Université Laval has embraced a global approach to sustainability education. Although sustainability has been addressed in the classroom by individuals in the past, it is now being articulated with a ...


Assessing Student Sustainability Knowledge

  • California State University, Northridge (CA)

To improve sustainability knowledge of undergraduates, CSUN has added course offerings in sustainability in recent years. In order to assess the baseline knowledge of the general student population and the ...


Seeking learning outcomes appropriate for ‘education for sustainable development’ and for higher education

  • University of Otago (Otago)

This article shares and extends research-based developments at the University of Otago, New Zealand, that seek to explore how students’ worldviews change as they experience higher education with us. We ...


The Essex Report: Workshop on the Principles of Sustainability in Higher Education

  • Second Nature (MA)
  • Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (DC)

In February of 1995, a workshop at the Essex Conference Center of Essex, Massachusetts brought together thirty-two educators and other professionals with environmental expertise to discuss the principles of sustainability ...


Integration of sustainability in planning and design programs in higher education: evaluating learning outcomes

  • Arizona State University (AZ)
  • University of Louisville (KY)

Although sustainability has a growing presence in the planning and design professions, little guidance is available on how to incorporate sustainability into planning and design education programs. Sustainability can be ...

  • Posted April 26, 2016
  • Publications
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Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Statement for Environment and Sustainability

The Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Statement for Environment and Sustainability has been developed by the environment and sustainability higher education community. This statement describes the minimum or threshold learning ...

  • Posted April 7, 2016
  • Publications
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Designing and Assessing Sustainability Learning Outcomes

  • Portland State University (OR)

How can we ensure that our educational offerings lead to sustainability competencies? This workshop will support participants in designing learning outcomes (LOs) and assessment plans. The presenters' diverse perspectives make ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
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Assessing the Kinnickinnick Project at River Falls: Sustainability Curriculum Transformation at Five Years

  • University of Wisconsin-River Falls (WI)

After five years of Sustainability Fellows Workshops, the sustainability curriculum at UWRF has grown to prominence with its own identity as The Kinnickinnick Project (named after the River Falls' local ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
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Assessing student learning outcomes for sustainability

  • University of South Dakota (SD)

Colleges and universities are increasingly developing sustainability majors, minors, certificates, and specializations. Because sustainability is an interdisciplinary area of study and coursework for sustainability programs often draws from multiple disciplines ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
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Plenary: Are we succeeding? 3 Approaches to Assessing Sustainability Education

  • Green Mountain College (VT)
  • Oakland Community College (MI)
  • University of Michigan (MI)
  • University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)

Sustainability educators need to measure the impact of their programs but find few widely accepted methodologies for doing so. Panelists will describe three very different approaches for evaluating sustainability education ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
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The Illusive Thread: Developing HE Transdisciplinary Sustainability Learning Outcomes

  • Colorado College (CO)
  • University of Wisconsin-River Falls (WI)

A sustainable campus and community approach to learning outcomes provides the single richest multi-disciplinary and discipline specific platform for immersing our students and stakeholders in a place-based, living-learning laboratory environment ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
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Progressing Toward Sustainability Literacy: Assessing Curricular and Co-Curricular Learning Outcomes for First-Year Students

  • Hobart and William Smith Colleges (NY)

The Sustainable Living and Learning Community (SLLC) Program is a newly launched pilot program for first-year students, bringing together a group of faculty, staff, and students into a unique partnership ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
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The Secret Garden: Cultivating Sustainability Curriculum in Confined Spaces

  • University of Wisconsin-River Falls (WI)

In teacher education, curriculum has become prescriptive and confining due to a political shift, which has affected how schools of education prepare teacher candidates. There is now a focus on ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
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Assessing the effectiveness of an undergraduate ESD course taught in Japan and Vietnam in fostering pro-sustainable outcomes

  • Kyoto University

The 'Building a Sustainable Future: Principles and Challenges' course was developed by researchers at Kyoto University as part of a Japanese government-funded initiative to develop a widely replicable model approach ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
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Creative Assessment Strategies for Learning Outcomes

  • The Ohio State University (OH)

Setting learning outcomes for student programs is easy, but figuring out how to measure what they learn has been a challenge for us at Ohio State. Come hear how we ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
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Designing and Assessing Learning Outcomes in Co-curricular Sustainability Programs

  • Portland State University (OR)

In recent years, co-curricular sustainability programs have been established at many higher education institutions. However, few such programs have developed learning outcomes (LOs) or assessment processes to measure the types ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
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Connect curriculum & co-curriculum to assess engagement campus-wide

  • Portland State University (OR)

Student learning occurs in a variety of ways and in a variety of places on campus. However, most measurements of student learning and engagement around sustainability are assessed separately for ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
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This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.

All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.

AC 1: Academic Courses

AC 2: Learning Outcomes

AC 3: Undergraduate Program

AC 4: Graduate Program

AC 5: Immersive Experience

AC 6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment

AC 7: Incentives for Developing Courses

AC 8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.

Curriculum Partners