scholarly journals Sustainable Assessment Tools for Higher Education Institutions: Guidelines for Developing a Tool for China

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yawei Du ◽  
Monique H. Arkesteijn ◽  
Alexandra C. den Heijer ◽  
Kun Song
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Local Sustainability ◽  
Desk Research

Higher education institutions (HEIs) in both early and mature stages of sustainable development (SD) have been moving toward sustainability. Methods for assessing SD have been developed from global and regional contexts to support sustainability efforts. The purpose of this paper is to formulate guidelines as input to develop a sustainable assessment tool (SAT) for China based on the current SD stage of Chinese HEIs. Through desk research, SATs were selected and analyzed. Fifteen SATs consisting of more than 1000 indicators included in the analysis and based on components for developing SATs were identified, and then the components were selected and discussed through an online workshop engaging a 34-people Chinese research team, in order to formulate the guidelines for Chinese HEIs. The findings reveal that the emphasis of SATs mainly results from their contexts, purposes and stages, backgrounds or focus. Chinese HEIs are in the early SD stage, and the multiple purposes and components of SATs are identified to support local sustainability efforts. Having a clear understanding of the current SD stages of SATs and selecting the components accordingly would enable them to fully reach their potential in practice, especially in the case of early SD HEIs.

scholarly journals Assessing the Impacts of Higher Education Institutions on Sustainable Development—An Analysis of Tools and Indicators

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Findler ◽  
Norma Schönherr ◽  
Rodrigo Lozano ◽  
Barbara Stacherl
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Natural Environment ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Organizational Boundaries ◽  
System A ◽  
Sustainability Assessment Tools

Many higher education institutions (HEIs) have started to incorporate sustainable development (SD) into their system. A variety of sustainability assessment tools (SATs) have been developed to support HEIs to systematically measure, audit, benchmark, and communicate SD efforts. In recent years, stakeholders have increasingly asked HEIs to demonstrate their impacts on SD. These impacts are the direct and indirect effects an HEI has outside of its organizational boundaries on society, the natural environment, and the economy. This study analyzes to what extent SATs are capable of measuring the impacts that HEIs have on SD. A mixed-method approach, using descriptive statistics and an inductive content analysis, was used to examine 1134 indicators for sustainability assessment derived from 19 SATs explicitly designed for application by HEIs. The findings reveal that SATs largely neglect the impacts HEIs have outside their organizational boundaries. SATs primarily use proxy indicators based on internally available data to assess impacts and thus tend to focus on themes concerning the natural environment and the contribution to the local economy. Updating existing SATs and developing new ones may enable HEIs to fully realize their potential to contribute to SD.

scholarly journals Assessment of Sustainability Governance in Higher Education Institutions—A Systemic Tool Using a Governance Equalizer

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Niedlich ◽  
Mara Bauer ◽  
Margarita Doneliene ◽  
Larissa Jaeger ◽  
Marco Rieckmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Stakeholder Participation ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Sustainability Governance ◽  
Governance In Higher Education

The paper aims to add to the discussion on sustainability governance in higher education institutions by examining the role of sustainability assessment and introducing an assessment tool inspired by systemic thinking and centered on a ‘governance equalizer’. It discusses recent research and argues that the complexity inherent in sustainability governance remains to be addressed adequately. While a number of models and frameworks have been proposed, most of them remain caught between narrow, management-oriented approaches on the one hand, and rather abstract approaches that provide little guidance for improving the field on the other. Sustainability assessment tools represent a potential way to bridge this gap. While there are existing tools which include issues of sustainability governance, these are often limited to aspects that are easily quantifiable and neglect more complex aspects. Against this background, the article proposes an alternative tool to assess sustainability governance in higher education institutions. The tool is based on a multi-case study in Germany and has been tested in a series of workshops. Drawing on the concept of a ‘governance equalizer’, it focuses on the functional requirements of sustainability governance in five dimensions—politics, profession, organization, knowledge, and the public—and how they are addressed by the HEI. The tool raises the level of abstraction in order to capture complexity, but at the same time keeps sight of governance structures, processes, instruments, and practices. It combines clearly defined criteria that are assessed using carefully developed maturity scales with a focus on stakeholder participation and knowledge.

scholarly journals Semi-Systematic Literature Review on Sustainability and Sustainable Development in Higher Education Institutions

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7683
Author(s):  
Amila Omazic ◽  
Bernd Markus Zunk
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Agenda 2030 ◽  
Research Themes ◽  
Development Goals

Public sector organizations, primarily higher education institutions (HEIs), are facing greater levels of responsibility since adopting and committing to the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development (SD) and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). HEIs are expected to provide guidance for various stakeholders on this matter, but also to implement this agenda and the SDGs in their institutions. Although the role of these organizations has been recognized, the fields and issues that HEIs should address on their path towards sustainability and SD are still unclear. To provide further clarity, a semi-systematic literature review on sustainability and SD in HEIs was conducted to identify both the key concepts and main research themes that represent sustainability and SD in HEIs and to identify research gaps. This review increases our knowledge of this topic and enhances our understanding of sustainability and SD in the context of HEIs.

scholarly journals Conceptual Framework for Teaching Sustainable Development Course in Blended Learning Environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-23
Author(s):  
Tilagavati Subramaniam ◽  
Muthu Alagan Thangavelu
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
Young Generation ◽  
Framework For Teaching

Purposes: This paper presents a conceptual framework for teaching sustainable development courses in an online learning environment in institutions of higher education.  Sustainability development courses are becoming essential in higher education institutions mainly to educate the younger generations who will be part of the community to make it happen. Higher education institutions are experiencing dramatic shift to cater a young generation of prospective students, to integrate technical innovations in teaching practices and to concentrate on increasing concerns about global sustainability issues. There has been little research to promote an innovative learning in the teaching of sustainable development. The goal of this paper was to create a framework for teaching sustainable development in a virtual learning environment (blended learning) due to the lack of a conceptual framework that could direct this implementation. Findings: Hence, the blended learning method is eco-friendly, whereby protects global environmental resources. For hands-on experiences, students will develop projects to make their campus and community more sustainable. In the process, students learn how to analyse sustainability and able to apply online learning knowledge into practice. Implication: The conceptual framework proposed will support all educators in higher education institutions engaged in the promotion of quality online education in this pandemic circumstance to develop an effective online practise that are aligned with the corresponding learning needs, skills and facilities.

scholarly journals DIGI-HE – A Strategic Reflection Tool on Digitalisation at European Higher Education Institutions

2020 ◽  
pp. 289-298
Author(s):  
Ulf-Daniel Ehlers ◽  
Patricia Bonaudo
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Conceptual Approach ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Internationalisation Strategies

Digitalisation is an issue of growing importance at all higher education institutions (HEIs). It is often developed and driven bottom-up. In this regard, the intended self-assessment tool that the present paper aims to present “DIGI-HE” will support higher education institutions in developing their individual approaches to foster digitisation, methodological and conceptual approach. The present paper will outline the methodological procedure of design and subsequent validation of the tool. In a time when experimentation with, and mainstreaming of digital technology use is progressing to develop holistic strategies that encompass learning and teaching, research and innovation, as well as cooperation and outreach DIGI-HE will represent a self-reflection tool adapted to higher education to support the institutional efforts, to develop and implement strategies, which purposeful and holistic in comprising both missions, education and research. It will also furthermore attach particular importance to the need for dialogue among all actors and stakeholders in digitalisation, and address areas of activities relation to cooperation and outreach, including internationalisation strategies and practices.

scholarly journals Education and Sustainable development: interplay and implications

2020 ◽  
Vol 208 ◽  
pp. 09010
Author(s):  
Ansgar Belke ◽  
Andrei Zenkov ◽  
Larisa Sazanova
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Development Goals

Universities and other Higher education institutions are more than ever on the cusp of disruptive and radical changes while struggling to keep their traditional remit from falling entirely into the hands of managers and accountants. This paper examines the role of (higher) education in achieving sustainable development goals and addresses the important changes facing higher education from multiple perspectives and divergent cultural viewpoints.

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