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The Science and Practice of Sustainability:

A Transdisciplinary Field Course

August 5-29, 2003

Rationale and Context

Achieving sustainability is a complex interdisciplinary challenge that must reconcile growing consumptive demands and swelling human population with biophysical and societal limits. These complex, omnipresent problems demand transdisciplinary exploration, understanding and action. We aim to explore and integrate diverse aspects of natural sciences, social sciences and humanities in addressing the sustainability challenge. In this new course, the instructors and students will participate in rigorous intellectual preparation, innovative methods for personal and community engagement, field exploration, community-interactive service learning, student-directed research, respectful group process and experiential transformative education, to discover and advance the leading edge of the sustainability solution.

Our collective experience with these themes complements the diversity and passionate involvement of the course development and faculty team. We aim to facilitate a very rich and meaningful educational experience for all participants.

Course Framework:

  • Academic Research - learning about research and proposing research that is meaningful to the students and facilitators
  • Dissemination- focus on action, outputs (brochures, reports, media) and focus on giving back to the community involved in the field course
  • Experiential Learning- field work, journals, critical reflection, service learning.

Course Objectives:

We hope that students and educators in this course will develop the following:

Common Understandings:

  • Sustainability as a concept
  • A discussion of the constructions of science and social science
  • A discussion of stories, truths and interpretation.
  • A discussion of sustainability and our everyday lives
  • A discussion of limits and possibilities

Learning Outcomes:

  • Field Experience
  • Enhance knowledge of research methods - experimental design, interviews, surveys, qualitative and quantitative methods
  • Develop research questions including problem framing
  • Design research strategies
  • Improve communication and conflict resolution skills
  • Become Reflexive Researchers - use critical reflection during all stages of research
  • Develop Critical Thinking Skills
  • Developing a Sense of Place

Tools/Concepts that we will use and learn to use together:

  • Ecofootprinting
  • QUEST
  • Indicators
  • life cycle analysis
  • community mapping
  • concept mapping

COURSE EVALUATION:

We recognize that evaluation in a course decides for learners what knowledge is important and how skills should be developed. As educators, we choose what is important enough to evaluate and we usually decide on the standards. The choices we make fundamentally shape what a learner comes to believe, know and do.

  • FinalResearch Proposal -group mark 30 %
  • Research PresentationandDissemination - group mark 30%
  • Field Journal - individual 20 %
  • Self Assessment, Contribution to the group, Preparation and Homework - individual 20 %

Four Week Outline:

WEEK 1/FOUNDATIONS: Building a cognitive foundation and research toolkit at UBC; Focus on biophysical and social sustainability; classroom work will include conventional and non-conventional processes of learning, group process, and personal/group engagement.

WEEKS 2 and 3/FIELD EXPLORATIONS: The class of 45 students will break into three groups to carry out diverse explorations, student-directed research and community-based service learning in one of three locales. 15 students for each group (students choice).

Urban Ecosystem - Vancouver: focus on urban sustainability issues and a range of themes including Waste, Forests, and Tourism. We want students to consider their personal interests in sustainability and we will adapt themes to fit student needs.

Instructors: Janet Moore (Curriculum Studies, SDRI) and Rob VanWynsberghe (Institute of Health Promotion and Research, SDRI)

North Inner Coast (Telegraph Cove, Alert Bay, Port McNeill): focus on rural coastal issues with themes of Forests, Fisheries, Tourism

Instructors: Kurt Grimm (Earth and Ocean Sciences) and TA (TBA)

Slocan Valley (Kootenays, rural areas near Nelson and Castelegar): focus on rural interior issues with themes of Forests, Water and Permaculture

Instructors: Jim Merkel (Global Living Project) and TA (TBA)

WEEK 4/SYNTHESIS: Class reassembles at UBC for integration of rural and urban dimensions of the sustainability challenge; peer review, oral and written public presentation, dissemination of research results and evaluation of the course.

The course development team included:

Ms. Christina Chociolko - UBC Environmental Sciences Program, Integrated Sciences Program (

Dr. Kurt Grimm - UBC Earth & Ocean Sciences - (

Mr. Jim Merkel - Global Living Project – (

Ms. Janet Moore - UBC Faculty of Education - Sustainable Development Research Institute (SDRI) - (

Dr. George Spiegelman -UBC Microbiology; Environmental Sciences Program - (

Ms. Shauna Sprules - 2001 Graduate, UBC Environmental Sciences Program; former president of the Student Environment Centre

Dr. Rob VanWynsberghe - UBC Sociology; Sustainable Development Research Institute (SDRI) -