ABSTRACT

The urgency of the current climate crisis emphasizes the need for university graduates equipped with relevant knowledge and skills to tackle environmental and social problems such as material consumption, environmental degradation and inequality at all spatial scales. Geographic and spatially sensitive concepts and approaches to sustainability and greening are particularly relevant as best practices and success models are not easily transferable across different contexts. But how can students learn the necessary skills to connect theory with practice? Based on a third-year geography module at a British university that teaches green economy concepts, this paper presents insights from a problem- and project-based group learning exercise designed to help students translate conceptual approaches into practice highlighting the strength of geographic thinking. As part of the exercise, students work in groups to develop a green project that they present in a green dragons’ den-style ideas pitch to an expert panel for evaluation. Students are tasked to develop innovative, feasible and applicable proposals that address specific sustainability challenges. Findings from five consecutive years of teaching illustrate the value of project- and problem-based learning to students through the diversity of practical applications, the need for critical thinking and context-dependent assessments and enhanced transferable skills.

摘要

当前气候危机的紧迫性凸显了大学毕业生需要具备相关知识和技能来解决环境和社会问题，例如所有空间尺度的材料消耗、环境退化和不平等。可持续性和绿化的地理和空间敏感概念和方法特别相关，因为最佳实践和成功模式不容易在不同环境中转移。但学生如何才能学习必要的技能，将理论与实践联系起来呢？基于一所英国大学教授绿色经济概念的三年级地理模块，本文介绍了基于问题和项目的小组学习练习的见解，该练习旨在帮助学生将概念方法转化为实践，突出地理思维的优势。作为练习的一部分，学生们分组合作开发一个绿色项目，他们以绿龙巢穴式的想法向专家小组进行评估。学生的任务是制定创新、可行和适用的提案，以应对特定的可持续性挑战。连续五年的教学结果通过实际应用的多样性、批判性思维和上下文相关评估的需求以及增强的可转移技能，说明了基于项目和基于问题的学习对学生的价值。学生分组开发一个绿色项目，他们以绿龙巢穴式的想法向专家小组提出评估。学生的任务是制定创新、可行和适用的提案，以应对特定的可持续性挑战。连续五年的教学结果通过实际应用的多样性、批判性思维和上下文相关评估的需求以及增强的可转移技能，说明了基于项目和基于问题的学习对学生的价值。学生分组开发一个绿色项目，他们以绿龙巢穴式的想法向专家小组提出评估。学生的任务是制定创新、可行和适用的提案，以应对特定的可持续性挑战。连续五年的教学结果通过实际应用的多样性、批判性思维和上下文相关评估的需求以及增强的可转移技能，说明了基于项目和基于问题的学习对学生的价值。