Unit of competency

Modification History

Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to research, identify, evaluate and apply current sustainability education principles, and practice, to learning and teaching programs.

It applies to experienced practitioners responsible for the development and/or delivery of learning and assessment services.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

Unit Sector

Sustainability practice

Elements and Performance Criteria

Foundation Skills

This section describes language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills incorporated in the performance criteria that are required for competent performance.

Unit Mapping Information

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=35337905-785d-4f93-8777-e9991ad4c6c3

Assessment requirements

Modification History

Performance Evidence

The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in the elements and performance criteria of this unit, including:

• to identify, analyse and document, effective learning and teaching principles and practices from a wide range of sources
• to identify and evaluate best practice sustainability education principles, practices strategies from a wide range of sources (nationally and internationally), and document link with effective learning and teaching
• to document the relationship between effective learning and teaching, and sustainability education
• applying best practice sustainability education principles to at least one learning program documenting:

• how the learning and assessment materials utilise current best practice
• the synergies and challenges involved
• the customised program.

Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge to effectively complete the task outlined in the elements and performance criteria of this unit. This includes knowledge of:

• the characteristics of Education for Sustainability (EfS) including:

• systems thinking
• critical and reflective thinking
• inter-disciplinarily and trans-disciplinarily approaches
• experiential learning and real-life issues
• reconnecting to a sense of place
• developing dialogue
• space for emergence
• learning for action
• reflection on learning (reflexivity)
• the campus as curriculum

• the definitions of sustainability education, including:

• environmental education
• education about sustainability
• EfS
• Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

• the definitions of sustainability, and the different contexts in which a variety of definitions can be used
• international codes of practice for Education for Sustainability including:

• the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014)
• the Talloires Declaration

• the principles, and practices, for effective learning and teaching, including:

• adult learning theory
• constructivism
• systems thinking
• critical thinking and practice
• participatory learning
• experiential learning
• student/learner-centred learning
• multiple learning and teaching styles
• empowerment of the learner
• the teacher as mentor and facilitator
• action research
• transformative and translational learning
• appreciative inquiry
• collaborative learning and co-inquiry
• problem-based learning
• values education

• legislation, codes of practice and associated requirements including:

• environmental legislation
• Equal Employment Opportunity legislation
• privacy legislation
• organisational requirements

• the national policy on sustainability, including specific policy in relation to the development of sustainability skills in the vocational education and training sector, including:

• the National Green Skills Agreement 2009
• the National Action Plan for Education for Sustainability 2009 (Living Sustainably: the Australian Government's National Action Plan for Education for Sustainability)
• the Victorian Tertiary Education for Sustainability Strategy 2011

• training package contents, including industry-specific approaches to identifying sustainability skills within them
• ways of viewing EfS including:

• the education we need to make the transition to a sustainable society
• building people’s capacity to innovate and implement solutions
• what skills, knowledge, values and ethics we need for the transition ahead
• what we need to know in order to live responsibly, and within the means of nature
• the learning processes and institutional processes we need to support transformative living
• transformative learning that integrates learning for being, knowing and doing
• transforming teaching practice to support change for sustainability and challenging, and changing curriculum, pedagogy and assessment
• empowering people of all ages to assume responsibility for creating a sustainable future.

Assessment Conditions

Gather evidence to demonstrate consistent performance in conditions that are safe and replicate the workplace. Conditions must be typical of those experienced in the training and assessment environment.

Assessors must satisfy the requirements for assessors in applicable vocational education and training legislation, frameworks and/or standards.

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=35337905-785d-4f93-8777-e9991ad4c6c3