Dalhousie University
AC-2: Learning Outcomes

1: College of Sustainability general sustainability learning outcomes Multiple Literacies: • Ability to work in and with varied formats of written expression, including academic articles, policy documents, and journalistic sources. • Ability to assess, create and utilize visual material in support of an argument. • Ability to manipulate diverse ideas, evaluate evidence, arguments, and conclusions. Complexity: • Understanding of complexity, appreciation of the “wicked problem” nature of sustainability challenges. • Willingness to engage with immediate and timely issues of environment, sustainability, and society. • Ability to work in ways that are both inquisitive and propositional. Interdisciplinarity: • Ability to synthesize and translate knowledge to varied audiences. • Understanding of one’s own disciplinary methods, capacities and limitations, and awareness of those of other disciplines. • Awareness of the range of evidence, analysis and synthesis used in different disciplines and fields, and an appreciation of their various strengths and limitations. Self-awareness and engagement: • Understanding of one’s own subjective position in the world. • Ability to work effectively in collaborations and group situations. • Understanding of the difference between advocacy and research, and the ability to draw relationships between advocacy and research. • Understanding of ethical integrity in relation to academic work, research, personal conduct. 2: Sample sustainability learning outcomes of academic courses SUST 2000.06 - Local Governance, Citizen Engagement and Sustainability • To learn one approach to problem-based learning (PBL) as a means for exploring a complex sustainability issue and developing a unique solution or a way to address the issue based on collaboration and ideas generated by interdisciplinary teams of students. • To develop an understanding of sustainability issues experienced at a municipal level, using Halifax as our Case Study • To gain an understanding of the roles people play in causing/perpetuating sustainability issues and/or creating solutions for those issues as: students, voters, employers and employees in the private and/or corporate sectors, volunteers, home owners, business owners, activists, and engaged citizens. • To learn a variety of tools that facilitate our ability to work in teams to resolve sustainability challenges at work, in our communities, and in other aspects of our lives. SUST/ENVS 3502 - Campus as a Living Laboratory • Define and identify key elements of environment and sustainability issues on campus • To appropriately scope an environment and sustainability problem evaluation on campus, and understand how to work in teams to undertake it. • Research and identify environment and sustainability issues relevant to an identified environmental problem on campus • Develop effective research questions and strategies • Demonstrate ability to gather data and generate evidence • Communicate project knowledge with accuracy and credibility to a target audience. • Develop project planning, implementation and evaluation skill