Sustainability in action: United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education (UN PRME)

Principle 3 | Method

We will create educational frameworks, materials, processes and environments that enable effective learning experiences for responsible leadership.

We have developed new approaches to teaching which are making lifelong learning more inclusive, accessible, and with a lower carbon footprint. This has been facilitated by enhancing our digital and online capabilities through our Digital Management Education group and Grenville Turner Broadcast and Record studios, as well as by designing courses which are accessible remotely (e.g. Sustainability MSc) and/or in bite-sized chunks which can be accessed at learners’ own pace (e.g. Global Online Stackable Programme). Underpinning this innovation in teaching practice is faculty training and development which supports academics in employing creative and innovative tools. This includes an in-house programme for all faculty to complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice and opportunities for staff to enrol on Cranfield Master’s Level Apprenticeship programmes (see page 54-55). We recognise that education for sustainability requires a transformation not only of thinking, but also of feeling and action. The Advance HE/QAA Guidance on Education for Sustainable Development offers clear guidance on the type of teaching practices that facilitate this type of transformative learning including play-based learning, collaborative learning, enquiry-based learning, learning through storytelling and problem-based learning. In this chapter, we share examples of learning experiences which adopt these approaches to inform and inspire responsible management practice, both in the classroom and beyond. We are also finding better ways to evaluate the impact of our sustainable education, for example by using participative methods to evaluate the impact of playing the Exploring Sustainable Futures game on individual participants and the organisations they work for. The Doughty Centre Legacy PhD Scholarship is funding doctoral research which evaluates the impact that education for sustainability has on individuals and their organisations, with a focus on our part-time Sustainability MSc which attracts executives who aim to embed sustainability into their business practice. The research will involve tracking and evaluating the changes that executive students bring about in their organisations and wider systems through applying their learning and developing their personal knowledge and competencies. 3a: Increase the visibility of History of Corporate Social Responsibility tool by making it open access through our webpage. 3b: Increase the reach and impact of the Exploring Sustainable Futures game including through partnerships with other Higher Education Institutes. Work with academics from other disciplines to create game versions for more industry sectors (e.g. aviation, food). 3c: Use innovative research methods to evaluate the impact of our sustainability education on students and their organisations. Goals:

12 Sustainability in action