Curriculum and pedagogy
Two key pedagogical approaches lend themselves to an exploration of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as students actively and deeply engage with the issues and problems around the goals - these being Inquiry Learning and Problem-based Learning.
Inquiry Learning
According to the Australian Curriculum "Inquiry based learning is a constructivist approach where the overall goal is for students to make meaning. Inquiry based learning is an umbrella term that incorporates many current learning approaches (including project based learning, design thinking) and may take various forms, depending on the topic, resources, ages and abilities of students and other variables"
Problem-based Learning
Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which complex real-world problems are used as the vehicle to promote student learning of concepts and principles as opposed to direct presentation of facts and concepts. In addition to course content, PBL can promote the development of critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills. It can also provide opportunities for working in groups, finding and evaluating research materials, and life-long learning (Duch et al, 2001).
For students to truly engage with the goals they need to come aware of the problems that surround each of them and use an inquiry research methodology to find solutions to the identified problems.
Inquiry Learning
According to the Australian Curriculum "Inquiry based learning is a constructivist approach where the overall goal is for students to make meaning. Inquiry based learning is an umbrella term that incorporates many current learning approaches (including project based learning, design thinking) and may take various forms, depending on the topic, resources, ages and abilities of students and other variables"
Problem-based Learning
Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which complex real-world problems are used as the vehicle to promote student learning of concepts and principles as opposed to direct presentation of facts and concepts. In addition to course content, PBL can promote the development of critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills. It can also provide opportunities for working in groups, finding and evaluating research materials, and life-long learning (Duch et al, 2001).
For students to truly engage with the goals they need to come aware of the problems that surround each of them and use an inquiry research methodology to find solutions to the identified problems.