University of Alberta
AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment

The survey was developed using the Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge (ASK) as a basis, a tool developed at Ohio State University and the University of Maryland. The University of Alberta Sustainability Council (SC) (formerly the Office of Sustainability(OS)) contacted the Ohio State University ASK team in 2017 and received permission to adapt the 28 questions in ASK to a Canadian context. To adapt the survey, the UAlberta OS removed U.S.-based questions and added questions of local and Canadian context to arrive at a total of 18 questions. These 18 questions assess environmental, social and economic sustainability areas of knowledge. The final version of the assessment was vetted within the University of Alberta Office of Sustainability in 2017. For the 2020 version (post-assessment), the SC contacted the Ohio State University ASK team again to inform them of the intention to use the survey once more. ASK was developed by: Environmental & Social Sustainability Lab at the School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University; and the Office of Sustainability, Ohio State University (Adam Zwickle, Tomas Koontz, Andy Bodine (Department of Psychology), Kristina Slagle); in conjunction with the Office of Sustainability, University of Maryland (Mark Stewart & Nicole Horvath). https://ess.osu.edu/research/assessment-sustainability-knowledge-ask

PRE-ASSESSMENT The data was collected online through the Sustainability Literacy Assessment Survey. The survey was sent to all undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Alberta in the winter 2017 term. The participants were given from April 18 to April 30, 2017 to complete the survey, at which point the survey was deactivated. Each eligible student was sent a link to the survey and only one entry per IP address was allowed. Proper steps were taken to ensure confidentiality and anonymity. 397 students completed the assessment, providing a 4.9% margin of error with 95% confidence level. POST-ASSESSMENT The data was collected online through the Sustainability Literacy Assessment Survey. The survey was sent to all undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Alberta in the winter 2020 term. The participants were given from March 31 to April 14, 2020 to complete the survey, at which point the survey was deactivated. Each eligible student was sent a link to the survey and only one entry per IP address was allowed. Proper steps were taken to ensure confidentiality and anonymity. 251 students completed the assessment, providing a 6% margin of error with 95% confidence level.

PRE-ASSESSEMENT RESULTS ANALYSIS The five questions that provided the most difficulty for students (65% or less correct responses) were: 65% correct: Q1 "What is the most common cause of pollution of streams and rivers?" Q8 "Which of the following is the most commonly used definition of economic sustainability?" 64% correct: Q9 "Economists may argue that electricity prices in Alberta are too low because..." 55% correct: Q11 “Which Indigenous groups are part of the Treaty Six group that encompasses Edmonton and the University of Alberta lands?” 45% correct (lowest performance): Q10 "Which of the following is a leading cause of the depletion of fish stocks in the Atlantic Ocean?" The questions that proved easiest to answer (90% or more correct responses) were: 97% correct: Q2 "Ozone forms a protective layer in the earth's upper atmosphere. What does ozone protect us from?” 95% correct: Q17 “The best way to support a local economy, such as the economy of Edmonton, is to buy goods (groceries, clothing, toiletries, etc)…” 93% correct: Q5 "Which of the following is the most commonly used definition of sustainable development?" 90% correct: Q15 “Imagine that we had to pay for all the costs associated with the goods we use every day. What would go into calculating the true costs of a product?” POST-ASSESSEMENT RESULTS ANALYSIS The questions that provided the most difficulty for students (65% or less correct responses) were: 60% correct: Q18 "Living in Edmonton, along the North Saskatchewan River, we need to be aware of how our activities affect our water source. What is the area of land where all of the water that falls in it (rain, snow) and drains off of it goes to a common outlet (lake, river, ocean bay etc)?" 56% correct: Q-10 “Which of the following is a leading cause of the depletion of fish stocks in the Atlantic Ocean?" This was an 11% increase in correct answers compared to the 2017 pre-assessment. 55% correct: Q-9 “Economists may argue that electricity prices in Alberta are too low because…” This is a 9% decrease in correct answers compared to the 2017 pre-assessment. 54% correct: Q16 “Approximately how many Edmontonians are currently living in poverty?" 51% correct (lowest performance): Q1 "What is the most common cause of pollution of streams and rivers?” The questions that proved easiest to answer (90% or more correct responses) were: 95% correct: Q2 "Ozone forms a protective layer in the earth's upper atmosphere. What does ozone protect us from?”. Q17 “The best way to support a local economy, such as the economy of Edmonton, is to buy goods (groceries, clothing, toiletries, etc)…”. Q2 and Q17 showed almost no change from 2017 to 2020 (within 2%) 90% correct: Q5 "Which of the following is the most commonly used definition of sustainable development?" This is a small (3%) decrease from the 2017 pre-assessment.