Loading...
10 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 10 of 10
- The challenge of widening citizen participation in climate change education: developing open educational resources on the lived experiences of climate changePublication . Teixeira, António; Nicolau, Paula Bacelar; Caeiro, Sandra; Dams, Lieve; van Dorp, Kees-JanIf climate change education is to become more than self-serving and contribute to meeting the global challenge of sustainable development, it must broaden its scope to include a wider range of students in terms of age, social group and ethnicity than is usually the case. In this paper the authors discuss how open and flexible learning can apply its strengths in the area of widening participation, as it can lever years of experience with non-traditional target groups. They show how flexible learning universities, such as Open Universities, may offer their curriculum as open educational resource (OER) for these types of learning and can indeed contribute for achieving such a needed critical mass. Mass education of this type may have a key role to play in meeting any global challenge, and climate change is no exception. In this paper, the authors exemplify it through an exploration of a partnership project between eight European universities in developing the LECH-e materials for a Master’s curriculum on the lived experiences of climate change.
- Perceções sobre as vulnerabilidades socioambientais atuais e futuras face às alterações climáticas no setor agrícola: estudo exploratório no município do Cadaval, PortugalPublication . Alves, João Teixeira; Alves, Fátima; Nicolau, Paula BacelarAs alterações climáticas, enquanto fenómeno multidimensional e complexo, desafiam as sociedades a conhecer e antecipar os seus impactes atuais e futuros, de modo a identificar as medidas e estratégias capazes de as enfrentar, seja pela mitigação, seja pela adaptação. O presente artigo, centrando-se no domínio das perceções dos agentes locais ligados ao sector agrícola, pretendeu identificar e compreender, a partir da sua posição e perspetivas, quais os impactes das alterações climáticas no sector agrícola e, consequentemente, quais as estratégias de adaptação a essas alterações na região delimitada pelo município do Cadaval, território rural marcadamente agrícola, vulnerável aos efeitos das alterações climáticas. Recorrendo a um inquérito por questionário aplicado a agricultores locais e à realização de um grupo focal com stakeholders, procurámos caracterizar as suas perceções relativamente às alterações climáticas, seus impactes e vulnerabilidades atuais e futuras na atividade agrícola, bem como as suas posições face à adaptação e mitigação. Em termos gerais, as informações recolhidas permitem-nos constatar que as alterações climáticas são percebidas essencialmente como resultado da ação humana e os nossos respondentes estão cientes dos efeitos dessas alterações na agricultura, que referem já se fazem sentir. Desconhecem, no entanto, o processo de emissão de gases de efeito estufa da atividade agrícola, o que os impede de identificar os processos de mitigação dessas emissões. Os agricultores inquiridos reconhecem a vulnerabilidade do pomar intensivo com necessidades de rega e de frio, a dificuldade em mudar e adaptar estas culturas permanentes que encaram como um desafio a ultrapassar, e reconhecem a oportunidade que o aumento da temperatura representa para a cultura da vinha.
- Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and their role in climate change educationPublication . Nicolau, Paula Bacelar; Caeiro, Sandra
- The lived experience of sustainable learning: the Lech-e OER project bridging formal and non formal lifelong learnersPublication . Teixeira, António; Nicolau, Paula Bacelar; Caeiro, Sandra; Dams, Lieve; Dorp, Kees-Jan van; Wilson, GordonThe Erasmus-funded Lived experience of climate change: e-learning and virtual mobility (LECH-e) project is developing learning resources on the topic of climate change that will be openly accessible on the web for higher education institutions and the wider world public to use and adapt. Institutions are free to integrate the resources into their formal programs and non-formal courses. A description of the project is provided in a short prologue. In this paper we depict the open learning strategy implemented by the LECH-e partnership and how it can contribute to widening participation in environmental, and specifically climate change, education.
- Assessing high school students perceptions and comprehension of climate changePublication . Azeiteiro, Ulisses; Nicolau, Paula Bacelar; Santos, Paulo T.; Nicolau, Leonor Bacelar; Morgado, FernandoThe purpose of this study was to investigate High School (HS) students’ perceptions of Climate Change (CC) and Global warming (GW). This work was conducted within Portuguese High School students and the results in this context should have meaningful implications for national CC policies in the future as well as HS curricula adaptation to the students’ perceptions. Research was conducted at a high school in Central Portugal. The survey was applied to all the high school students from the 10th to the 12th grade, enrolled in the areas of Sciences and Technology, Languages and Humanities, Socio-economical Sciences and Professionalization. The data were collected through a self-completion questionnaire consisting of 29 closed-ended questions and two open questions aiming at characterizing students from the socio-demographic, and from their perceptions, beliefs, motivations, attitudes, knowledge relating to the topic of CC. Google Drive was used to host the questionnaire and allow for the online survey. Statistical exploratory univariate and bivariate analyses were performed on the data collected (frequencies, total and column percentages, adjusted residuals). All statistical tests were two-tailed, with significance levels of 5%. Only statistically significant results were commented on the results section. Majority of students believed that CC was happening and also perceived that human activities were an important cause of CC. Still, the surveyed students hold some misconceptions about basic causes and consequences of climate change. Students’ gender influenced their perceptions of time scale of CC impact on both human and biotic communities. Most students state that their training had focused enough on the topic of CC and felt they had a moderate technical knowledge about the topic of CC (students’ knowledge of how their behaviour influenced CC followed a similar pattern). There was a large conviction that the main actions in mitigating CC effects should be taken by governments and regarding the perception of the importance of CC for their future professional carrier, 48% considered that this topic was “moderately important” and 29% considered it as “very important”. However as individuals, and globally, 74% had not taken actions to mitigate CC (only 26% of the respondents had taken some actions to mitigate the causes of CC). Further research is necessary so that curricula programs can be adequate to promote better knowledge and attitudes about climate change and an active engagement of future participative citizens, as part of the solution for climate change problems.
- University student’s perceptions about climate change: the case of interior design and architecture students of a brazilian universityPublication . Alves, Fátima; Nicolau, Leonor Bacelar; Lima, Dula; Azeiteiro, Ulisses; Nicolau, Paula BacelarHigher Education Institutions have a very important educational role to play in the formation of active citizens involved in climate change mitigation and/or adaptation. Few studies assess higher education students’ knowledge and attitudes about this issue, and the contribution of their graduate course to the deepening of this knowledge and to the change of attitudes and behaviours. This study aims to contribute to this gap and to provide reflection and data on the views, attitudes and behaviours about climate change issues, of graduate students of Interior Design and Architecture of University of Amazonia, Brazil. We surveyed university students from two graduation programs targeting their knowledge, attitudes and behaviour on climate change, and their views of the role that their graduate degree had on it. Further research is necessary so that curricula programs can be adequate to promote better knowledge and attitudes about climate change and an active engagement of future participative professionals and citizens, in order to cope with the environmental crises and climate change challenges and to be part of the solution for climate change problems.
- Assessing university student perceptions and comprehension of climate change (Portugal, Mexico and Mozambique)Publication . Morgado, Fernando; Nicolau, Paula Bacelar; Rendon von Osten, Jaime; Santos, Paulo; Nicolau, Leonor Bacelar; Farooq, Harith; Alves, Fátima; Soares, Amadeu M. V. M.; Azeiteiro, UlissesHigher education system has a critical role to play in educating environmentally aware and participant citizens about global climate change (CC). And, as shown by the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UN Convention on Climate Change – COP 21, held in Paris in December 2015, there is still a path to be followed regarding the role played by universities in the negotiations and in influencing decision-making on a matter of such global importance. The purpose of this first study conducted within Portuguese (Europe), Mexican (Spanish-speaking North America University) and Mozambican (Africa) universities is to investigate higher education system students’ perceptions on CC. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected through a questionnaire aiming at characterising students from the socio-demography, and from their perceptions, motivations, attitudes and knowledge relating to the topic of CC. Statistical analysis was used to compare and characterise the three national groups under study. Findings This study did not show significant perception differences among the analysed subsamples, although there was a tendency for Mexican students to express lesser belief that CC was happening, and for Mozambicans to show a greater belief in CC issues and motivation to mitigate its effects which may be related to the specifics contexts. The results show that relevant differences among nationalities mostly concerned the magnitude of choices (e.g. most respondents of each nationality expressed interest in CC issues, but the magnitude of this expression differed according to nationality). The principal component analysis (second and third components) clearly embodied nationality profiles (discussed in the context of different cultures, educational structures and CC impacts). Research limitations/implications Further research is warranted to understand the integration of CC into higher education curriculum to improve and target educational efforts to suit students’ needs. Practical implications How CC perceptions vary cross-nationally and how research studies that examine the integration of CC into higher education curriculum are areas for which more research is needed. Originality/value The results highlight the importance of socio-cultural dimensions of each country in relation to the understanding or perception of CC issues, namely, in what concerns aspects related with gender roles, age, active learning and citizenship. This study’s data evidenced that despite the surveyed students being familiarized with CC phenomena, this knowledge does not translate necessarily into concrete mitigation practices and behaviours.
- The lived experience of sustainable learning: the Leche-e OER project bridging formal and non formal lifelong learnersPublication . Teixeira, António; Nicolau, Paula Bacelar; Caeiro, Sandra; Dams, Lieve; van Dorp, Kess-Jan; Wilson, Gordon
- Changes in flora and fauna on terrestrial and aquatic environments as the climate warmsPublication . Nicolau, Paula Bacelar; Azeiteiro, UlissesThe aim of this paper is to describe the main impact of climate change on terrestrial and on coastal and estuarine systems. There is now ample evidence of the effect of climate change on terrestrial and marine environments. Hence, understanding and predicting the effect of climate change on plants is of major importance, because their responses can affect entire food webs, disturbance regimes and crucial ecosystem, services, including pollination, carbon and nutrient cycling, and water supply. We will herein review responses of flora to climate change in what concerns phenology and physiology of organisms, the range and distribution of species, the composition and interaction within communities, and the structure and dynamics of ecosystems. Estuarine and coastal ecosystems are strongly affected by variations in climate through alterations in freshwater input, which result in changes in water temperature and salinity. Predicting the response of estuarine systems to future scenarios of climate change requires knowledge of the present relationships between estuarine and coastal communities and variations in local weather patterns. The impact of biological, hydrodynamic and large scale climatic variables on the zooplankton, ichthyoplankton, fish and jellyfish communities of Mondego estuary (evaluated from 2003 to present) are presented and discussed. Ongoing Research programmes in zooplankton, ichthyoplankton, fish and jellyfish communities on the Mondego estuarine system (Portugal) are also described.
- Integrating sustainability into art and design education: curriculum developmentPublication . Mapar, Mahsa; Bidarra, José; Caeiro, Sandra; Veiga, Pedro Alves da; Nicolau, Paula BacelarSustainability is an important factor in art educa>on. Several ar>sts, in line with the UN Agenda 2030, have embraced the idea of art for sustainability in different ways to reflect the protec>on of natural landscapes, the consequences of industrializa>on and the growth of ci>es, and the use of resources. However, these topics are rarely taught to art students in higher educa>on, considering belonging to science subjects. On the other hand, to change art students' aLtudes toward sustainability, it is essen>al that social conscience and responsibility emerge from both knowledge and values. In this context, the ERASMUS+ ARDES project - Short Learning Programme (SLP) for ARt and DEsign and Sustainability with special focus on environment and climate change (CC) (2022-2024)- has been set up through a strategic partnership among 5 European partners: MyDocumenta (Spain), European University Cyprus (Cyprus), Universidade Aberta (Portugal), EINA (Spain) and the associated partner LABA Valencia (Spain). The project intends to provide open educa>onal resources for art students by integra>ng knowledge and values associated with sustainability and CC through art ac>vi>es, design techniques, and digital solu>ons. This paper aims to present the ini>al results of the curriculum development of this SLP through formal learning modules and extracurricular community work concerning sustainability and CC. The SLP, made of 156 academic hours plus an extracurricular community ac>vity, consists of 3 main modules: i) Module 1- Art, Design, Sustainability, and CC within historical and contemporary contexts; aiming to introduce the concepts of sustainability, the link with art and design, and sustainability assessment methods in art and design context; ii) Module 2- Art and Design for Communica>ng Sustainability and CC; aiming to use art and design as strategic tools for u>liza>on of visual communica>on, thus helping students to compile design projects concerning sustainability and CC; and iii) Module 3- Digital tools for the interac>ve engagement of audiences with Art and Design; aiming to introduce the concepts and applica>on of big data and the principles of audience engagement. Two learning plans were developed: 1) a "Module Plan" containing the modules objec>ves, competencies, essen>al ques>ons, resources, and assessment methods, and 2) a “Lesson Plan” covering the details of the educa>onal materials and ac>vi>es in each lesson. Various learning materials were developed, including text, slides, videos, and engaging tools. Also, diverse individual/collabora>ve ac>vi>es were designed, classified from project-based ac>vi>es, reflec>on on exis>ng art produc>ons, designing artwork, working with European and local databases, and live performance, all in the concept of sustainability and CC. In the next step (Oct 2023), the SLP will be piloted in partner Universi>es, targe>ng postgraduate students in art studies. The effec>veness of the training will be later assessed through a ques>onnaire. It is expected that by the end of the training, the students will be able to recognize how sustainability and CC integrate into the concepts of art and design, to later enhance their mo>va>on, opportunity, and ability for sustainable ac>ons in society, thus contribute to SDG 13, target 13.3 and SDG4, target 4.7.