Creating sustainable futures/CSF101/Syllabus

Participants in CSF101 reside in different time zones. We recommend that you follow the course in your own time zone. For example, Monday means your Monday and not the time zone where the lead facilitator is located.

Schedule summary

Session	Dates
Session 0	Independent study before the course starts
Session 1	Saturday 6 to Tuesday 9 August 2016
Session 2	Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 August 2016
Session 3	Friday 12 to Tuesday 16 August 2016
Session 4	Wednesday 17 to Thursday 18 August 2016

Session 0: Orientation

Familiarise yourself with the course site and establish your personal learning journal.

• Dates: Independent study before the course starts
• Learning materials:
  1. Start here.
  2. Orientation.
• Key activities:
  1. Complete the OERu new participant survey (optional).
  2. Create your learning journal.

Session 1: Sustainability is entirely possible

Demonstrate your understanding of sustainability.

• Dates: Saturday 6 to Tuesday 9 August 2016
• Learning materials:
  1. Learning pathway material
• Key activities:
  1. Introduction to WEnotes (WEnotes).
  2. Unintended consequences (Learning journal).
  3. How effective are we at communicating the concept of sustainable development? (Learning Journal).
  4. Kalundborg Symbiosis (Discussion Forum).
  5. Living Buildings (Discussion Forum). TO BE SET UP
  6. Learning challenge (Learning Journal).

Session 2: Understanding systems

Demonstrate your understanding of the concept of systems thinking, in particular Natural Step’s Five Level Framework.

• Dates: Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 August 2016
• Learning materials:
  1. Learning pathway material
• Key activities
  1. Introduction to systems (WEnote)
  2. Systems and systems thinking (WEnote)
  3. Systems and systems thinking (Learning Journal)
  4. Systems and unintended consequences (Learning Journal)
  5. Unifying framework for strategic sustainability (WEnote)
  6. Learning Challenge (Learning Journal)

Session 3: From the Holocene to the Anthropocene

Demonstrate your understanding of ecological and social systems and how they are affected by humans.

• Dates: Friday 12 to Tuesday 16 August 2016
• Learning materials:
  1. Learning pathway material
• Key activities
  1. The case for the human focused era (WEnote)
  2. How the earth works (Discussion Forum)
  3. The Earth is an open and closed system (Learning Journal)
  4. All materials disperse and spread out if not contained (Learning Journal)
  5. Geological and geochemical cycles (WEnote)
  6. Learning challenge (learning Journal)

Session 4: Defining sustainability and sustainable development

Demonstrate your understanding of how the social system works,human needs in relation to sustainability.

• Dates: Wednesday 17 to Thursday 18 August 2016
• Learning materials:
  1. Learning pathway material

• Key activities
  1. Defining sustainability (WEnote)
  2. Models to define sustainability and sustainable development (Discussion Forum)
  3. A model aligned with our reality (Learning journal)
  4. Basic human needs (Learning journal)
  5. Maslow's hierachy of needs (learning journal)
  6. Needs drive human behaviour (Discussion Forum)
  7. Trust – the thread for weaving a good world (Learning journal)
  8. The Natural Step’s system conditions for sustainable human activity (Discussion Forum)
  9. Learning challenge (Learning Journal)

Session 5: Assignment

If you are a student seeking formal credit consult the course assignment page.

• Due Date: Commence work on the Assignment which can be submitted from Friday 19 August 2016. Otago Polytechnic students should consult with their facilitators for the final due date for submission. OERu learners should submit assignments for CSF101 before 30 September 2016
• Full instructions on the course assignment page.