{"id":1555,"date":"2023-03-03T11:30:28","date_gmt":"2023-03-03T11:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/?page_id=1555"},"modified":"2026-04-09T14:10:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T13:10:40","slug":"1555-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/?page_id=1555","title":{"rendered":"Resources\u00a0– Sustainability"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/span>Green Gown Awards<\/span> 2023\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/span>We were highly<\/span> commended for our work at the Green Gown Awards 2023. To see what the judges thought about our work you can follow the link to the Green Gown Awards<\/a> page.<\/p>\n

We’ve created a series of top tips about applying for the Green Gown Awards, based on our experience:<\/span><\/p>\n

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Planning\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Teamwork\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Stage 1\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Stage 2<\/p>\n

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Words of Wisdom<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Each Word of Wisdom (WoW) is a bite-sized piece of advice\u2014between 50 and 200 words\u2014sharing practical examples, reflections, and lessons learned. These entries have been assessed using four key criteria: replicability, impact, inclusivity, and alignment with sustainability values and competencies. The aim is to inspire and inform others across the sector by highlighting actionable steps that can be taken.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Case studies<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/span>The case studies<\/span> showcase how some of the resources in this list were used to support the design process at the OU<\/p>\n

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<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Case Study 1<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Case Study 2<\/span> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Case Study 3<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span>Sustainability skills cards<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

<\/span>These<\/span>\u00a0sets of cards support actionable ways to connect with sustainability.\u00a0<\/span>They also take the language used by UNESCO and connect it with existing OU frameworks to support the development of learning outcomes and\/or activity design. You may have come across our skills cards via the OpenLearn Sustainability Hub<\/a> page that they sit on. They are also highlighted by Burvill et al., (2025)<\/a>.You may also access them directly below.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span>Ways of thinking\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 W<\/span>ays of practicing\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Ways of being<\/p>\n

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A twelve minute\u00a0slidecast has been created to help support colleagues to consider how the skills cards may support the creation of learning outcomes.<\/p>\n

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Adapted from the workshop we presented at the ALT conference 2023 (ref: oro.open.ac.uk\/96825<\/a>), this is designed to help you engage with sustainability skills (using the skills cards). It can empower you to systematically reflect upon how to meaningfully embed skills for a sustainable future into the learning journey that students undertake in your context. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Resources to prompt<\/span><\/span>\u00a0thinking about sustainability in module design<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Top tips for building sustainability into course design<\/div>\n
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These are the<\/span><\/span> list of resources we have developed. Resources 4a, 4b and 4c below have been incorporated within a course on OpenLearn called ‘Supporting climate action through digital education<\/a>‘.<\/div>\n
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<\/span>1 ‘<\/span>Sustainability Principles in Module Design’ to raise awareness that support is available for discussions about embedding sustainability.<\/p>\n

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<\/span>2 ‘<\/span>Sustainability Resources in HE’ grouped by theme for ease of navigation.<\/p>\n

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<\/span>3 ‘<\/span>Routes to explore’ to help narrow the focus of where to begin your thinking about how to connect with sustainability in the design process.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\"\"<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/span>4a\u00a0<\/span>Key competencies \u2013 ways of thinking\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>4b\u00a0<\/span>Key competencies \u2013 ways of practicing\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>4c\u00a0<\/span>Key competencies \u2013 ways of being<\/p>\n

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<\/span>5 ‘<\/span>Student Voice’ to encourage the use of student voice in the co-design of learning experiences.<\/p>\n

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<\/span>6 ‘<\/span>Reuse of resources’ spotlights examples we often use.<\/p>\n

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<\/span>7 ‘<\/span>Connecting with the role of HE in sustainability’ signposting to a framework shared by QAA and Advance HE about embedding sustainability within the student journey.<\/p>\n

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<\/span>Crib sheet guidance<\/span> for all seven prompt resources to help colleagues connect with and use them<\/p>\n

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Scholarship Outputs<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Presented at the 2023 EDEN conference, this poster provides an overview of the seven prompt resources that help support thinking about sustainability. It also contains a link to a video about the purpose of the poster (ref: oro.open.ac.uk\/89924<\/a>).<\/p>\n

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Our poster ‘learning design as a catalyst for embedding sustainability’, presented at the 2025 Advance HE symposium ‘From embedding to embodying ESD’. This poster shares top tips from our work so far and insights into the impact of student voice (ref: oro.open.ac.uk\/103390<\/a>).<\/p>\n

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Our chapter ‘Communicating Sustainability <\/span><\/span>Competencies: A Case Study of Sustainability and Learning <\/span><\/span>Design’ (ref: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/978-3-031-86985-3_6<\/a>).\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Podcasts<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In this episode Mike is joined by learning designers Paul Astles, Catriona Matthews, and Hayley Johns to answer the sustainably silly question:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat can Jurassic Park teach us about embedding sustainability in course design?\u201d<\/p>\n

From Dr. Ian Malcolm\u2019s chaos theory quotes to water ripples in the T-Rex scene, the team uses Spielberg\u2019s classic dinosaur doings to illustrate UNESCO\u2019s Education for Sustainable Development competencies. Along the way, they discuss why sustainability in education goes far beyond environmental concerns, how to bring these concepts into any subject area, and why it\u2019s important to \u201cmeet academics where they are\u201d when designing courses sustainably.<\/p>\n

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Treasure Island Pedagogies – Episode 39: The one with the Twix<\/p>\n

In episode 39, the discussion explored sustainability, critical perspectives, and the power of reflection in education. Speakers: Paul Astles, Yigit Oezcelik, Samuel Saunders.<\/p>\n

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Our Sustainability Blog Posts<\/strong><\/p>\n