| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 85.88 |
| Liaison | Sam Lubow |
| Submission Date | March 3, 2022 |
Stanford University
IN-27: Online Sustainability Course
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Melissa
Maigler Sustainability Analytics Manager Office of Sustainability |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Has the institution offered a free, sustainability-focused course on the public internet in which students were enrolled within the previous three years?:
Yes
Title and a brief description of the institution’s free, online sustainability course:
Online Education Stanford has been a leader in computer use, instruction, and research, as well as pedagogical innovation and learning research — all of which combined have led to the evolution of MOOCs (massive open online courses); online and hybrid master’s degree programs, graduate study through certificate programs and courses, and professional education; flipped and blended classes; technology-rich learning spaces; and ultimately the synthesis of residential, remote and hybrid learning. Nearly 10 million people have enrolled in Stanford Online’s free courses since they were first offered in 2011. See here for a full list of online offerings: https://online.stanford.edu/
As a specific example, the "Introduction to the Natural Capital Project Approach" course (Course ID SWIE-YNCP101 or SOEEES-XNCP-101) was offered by Stanford School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences to the general public for free in spring and fall 2021.
The course description is:
"People depend on nature to sustain and fulfill human life, yet the values of nature are typically ignored in decisions. Mapping and modeling ecosystem services can help highlight the diverse benefits provided to people by nature (what and where) and explore how those benefits might change under different management options--thus bringing information about nature's values into decisions in practical ways. With these approaches, we can improve the state of biodiversity and human well-being by motivating greater and more cost-effective investments in both.
This course introduces the Natural Capital Project's (NatCap's) approach to using ecosystem service information to inform decisions. It uses specific examples to illustrate how the approach has worked in each case and highlights key methods and tools used in implementation.
Split into four modules, NC101 first introduces the concepts of natural capital and ecosystem services, the stocks and flows of vital benefits flowing from nature to people. The second module describes InVEST, NatCap's software tool for mapping, modeling, and valuing ecosystem services. In addition, it provides guidance on project scoping and on matching approaches and tools to a project's goals, decision context, timeline, capacity, and quality of data available. Modules 3-4 offer an overview of the skills needed to use InVEST models, including recommendations for how to effectively summarize and communicate model outputs to stakeholders and other audiences.
Intended Audience
This course is intended for those interested in how natural capital approaches can inform decisions taken by governments, multi-lateral development institutions, the private and finance sectors, and non-governmental organizations. It can be a resource for individuals interested in simply learning about these concepts or for those interested in using the NatCap's approaches and tools in research or to influence decisions. This course can also serve as a primer for those individuals planning to attend one of our in-person training workshops in the future.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course. However, we recommend that you download InVEST and GIS software (either QGIS or ArcGIS) if you intend to follow the technical examples or complete the optional assessments contained in modules 3 and 4."
As a specific example, the "Introduction to the Natural Capital Project Approach" course (Course ID SWIE-YNCP101 or SOEEES-XNCP-101) was offered by Stanford School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences to the general public for free in spring and fall 2021.
The course description is:
"People depend on nature to sustain and fulfill human life, yet the values of nature are typically ignored in decisions. Mapping and modeling ecosystem services can help highlight the diverse benefits provided to people by nature (what and where) and explore how those benefits might change under different management options--thus bringing information about nature's values into decisions in practical ways. With these approaches, we can improve the state of biodiversity and human well-being by motivating greater and more cost-effective investments in both.
This course introduces the Natural Capital Project's (NatCap's) approach to using ecosystem service information to inform decisions. It uses specific examples to illustrate how the approach has worked in each case and highlights key methods and tools used in implementation.
Split into four modules, NC101 first introduces the concepts of natural capital and ecosystem services, the stocks and flows of vital benefits flowing from nature to people. The second module describes InVEST, NatCap's software tool for mapping, modeling, and valuing ecosystem services. In addition, it provides guidance on project scoping and on matching approaches and tools to a project's goals, decision context, timeline, capacity, and quality of data available. Modules 3-4 offer an overview of the skills needed to use InVEST models, including recommendations for how to effectively summarize and communicate model outputs to stakeholders and other audiences.
Intended Audience
This course is intended for those interested in how natural capital approaches can inform decisions taken by governments, multi-lateral development institutions, the private and finance sectors, and non-governmental organizations. It can be a resource for individuals interested in simply learning about these concepts or for those interested in using the NatCap's approaches and tools in research or to influence decisions. This course can also serve as a primer for those individuals planning to attend one of our in-person training workshops in the future.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course. However, we recommend that you download InVEST and GIS software (either QGIS or ArcGIS) if you intend to follow the technical examples or complete the optional assessments contained in modules 3 and 4."
Website URL where information about the free, online sustainability course is available:
Optional Fields
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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