| CODE | EER5206 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills in Education for Sustainable Development | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Centre for Environmental Education and Research | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The unit will identify the links and relevance between ESD and thinking skills. A brief analysis of how the mind perceives and processes information will pave the way to exploring the importance of perception, common errors in perception and their implication on critical thinking and problem solving skills. ESD requires challenging approaches to learning since it aims to bring about personal and social transformation. The application of thinking skills will assist in the learning process within the ESD context. This unit will also put the learning process as related to ESD into an analytical framework. It will discuss ESD through an understanding of the learning process and it will explore how the way in which learning occurs is as important as the knowledge content. Students will have the possibility to reflect on who they are as learners and will be engaged in constructing meaning to ESD. Through the use of thinking tools, the students will have the opportunity to discuss the learning process and how this relates to ESD. Thus students will actively participate in meaningful learning through a reflective and critical thinking perspective. Study-unit Aims: Through the study-unit, students will: • be sensitized to the importance for the learner to be equipped with effective thinking skills; • be introduced to concepts of intelligence, perception and thinking in order to demonstrate that thinking is a skill that can be learnt; • be familiarised with the application of effective thinking skills to ESD programmes; • become more aware of the learning process; and • actively participate in their own knowledge construction. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: • describe the thinking programmes described in the study unit; • identify the correct thinking tool to be used for a specific environment related task; • discuss the effectiveness of metacognitive skills in ESD programmes; • describe the process related to constructing a thinking skills map as a research, assessment and learning tool; and • discuss mental processes involved in the learning process. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: • examine current global environmental challenges and illustrate how thinking skills can form part of the process in addressing such challenges; • demonstrate an ability to apply the thinking programmes to an ESD action plan for a chosen target audience (e.g. adult learners, employees, etc); • construct a thinking process outline as part of a reflective learning process related to ESD; • identify different learning preferences and how they may contribute to meaningful learning; and • critically engage as active learners through the application of thinking skills. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main texts: - Doppelt, B. (2010) The Power of Sustainable Thinking. UK: Earthscan Ltd. - Novak, J.D. & Gowin, D.B. (1984) Learning How to Learn. UK: Cambridge University Press. - deBono, E. (2000) Six Thinking Hats. New York: Penguin Books. - Sternberg, R. J. (1999). Handbook of Creativity. Cambridge University Press. Supplementary readings: - Canas, A.J. & Novak, J.D. (2008) The Theory Underlying Concept Maps and How to Construct and Use Them. [available online: http://cmap.ihmc.us/publications/ResearchPapers/TheoryCmaps/TheoryUnderlyingConceptMaps.htm] - deBono, E. (1993) Teach your child how to think. New York: Penguin Books. - deBono, E. (2007) Intelligence is not Enough. Dublin: Blackhall Publishing Ltd. - Novak, J.D. (2010) Learning, Creating and Using Knowledge: Concept Maps as Facilitative Tools in Schools and Corporations. New York: Routledge. - Vanhear, J. & Pace, P. (2008) Integrating knowledge, feelings and action: using Vee heuristics and concept mapping in education for sustainable development. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability. 10 (2008): 42-55. [available online: http://www.ise-lv.eu/ufiles/1231839176JTEFS%20volume%2010,%202008.pdf] Other texts on Education for Sustainable Development that students are required to be familiar with for other study-units in the course. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Seminar and Tutorial | ||||||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Carlos Grima Jacqueline Vanhear |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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