5) 1-2, introduction International Review for Environmental Strategies

Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 95 – 105, 2003

© 2003 Institute for Global Environmental Strategies All rights reserved.

Invited Essay

eLearning and Education for Sustainability (EFS)

Keith Wheeler, a Jack Byrne, b and Andrea Deric

Center for a Sustainable Future and Institute for Global Environmental Strategies

Education and training are crucial elements in the implementation of international sustainability
frameworks and specific sustainable development (SD) policies. In this article we look at several
eLearning models and examine two case studies where eLearning for education for sustainability (EFS)
has been applied to a variety of audiences. With the advent of the United Nations Decade of Education for
Sustainable Development (2005–2014), a global focus will be placed on enhancing and increasing both
the demand and opportunities for EFS. The task of moving the focus of sustainability for learning to a
global scale is daunting, but by leveraging current knowledge networks around the globe, eLearning will
play a significant role in creating this transformation. If we can achieve the institutional cooperation
necessary to widely deliver eLearning for sustainable development, then we have a chance to create the
societal change necessary for sustainability to flourish.

Keywords: eLearning, Education for sustainable development (ESD), Sustainability, Education for
sustainability (EFS), Learning networks, Knowledge networks.

1. Introduction

Education and training are crucial elements in the implementation of nationally- a n d locally-
developed sustainability frameworks and specific sustainable development (SD) policies.1 Conceptually,
education for sustainability (EFS), sometimes referred to as education for sustainable development
(ESD), provides the backdrop for the integration of a complex tapestry of essential learning experiences
that span three broad areas: the environment, the economy, and society. Educators, who are accustomed
to more linear approaches in their pedagogy, often find it quite difficult to create truly integrated
approaches to learning due to the multi-dimensional complexity of sustainability. With the advent of
eLearning,2 especially on-line learning, new paradigms for teaching and learning about complex issues

a Director, the Concord Consortium ’s Center for a Sustainable Future, Project Co-Director, Education for a Sustainable Future.
b Project Director, Center for a Sustainable Future.
c Project Manager, Capacity Building Project of Institute for Global Environmental Strategies.
1 UNESCO. 2002. Education for sustainability. From Rio to Johannesburg: Lessons learnt from a decade of commitment. A
report on the lessons learnt about the contribution of education to sustainable development over the decade between the United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 and the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD).
<http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001271/127100e.pdf>.
2 eLearning definitions:
“The delivery of learning or training using electronically-based approaches—mainly through the Internet, intranet, extranet or
Web.” Sloman, M. 2001. The e-Learning revolution. London: CIPD.
“A structured, purposeful use of electronic systems or computers in support of the learning process.” Allen, M. W. 2003. Guide
to e-Learning. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Canada.

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are emerging. A wide range of opportunities are being developed and implemented in the vocational,
academic, and continuing education and training arenas to support life-long learning. These courses
range from specialized courses (for example, <http://www.pilotiso.com/training.htm#online>, a one-day
life cycle assessment training course) to more holistic and strategic sustainability offerings (e.g.,
<http://csf.concord.org/esf>, on education for a sustainable future, or <http://iges.net>, on urban
environmental management systems). And they allow learners to acquire knowledge on-demand and on-
time.
The advantages of eLearning become very apparent in a human world that is increasingly time
constrained. The notion of on-demand, on-time learning is paramount for training in today’s workplaces.
As more businesses integrate sustainability into their patterns of practice, courses are being developed to
help managers and employees quickly gain the knowledge and skills needed to integrate sustainable
practices into their day-to-day work. 3
Formal education has been slower to embrace the concept of on-demand, on-time learning for students.
But as more new teachers enter the profession, eLearning is becoming an accepted and effective form of
professional development. Increasingly, teachers are using eLearning to acquire new knowledge and
skills that they can integrate into their classroom practices.
This paper will examine two case studies where eLearning for EFS has been applied to formal K– 12
settings, higher education, learning in the workplace or business sector, as well as community-based
continuing education.
For this discussion we define eLearning as the delivery of instruction and content to individuals and
groups via the Internet. Universities and colleges, corporations, non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), government agencies, and individuals are using eLearning courses. They are offered to
students for college credit, to employees for job training and skill development, to educators for
professional development, and to individuals interested in particular topics and skills. And eLearning
courses span a wide range of methods and styles (see Appendix I). The following are some of the
current models in use (Collison et al. 2002):
• On-line supplement to a face-to-face course – These may contain a syllabus, homework
assignments, recommended Web sites, and perhaps a discussion board and dedicated Web site.
Such supplemental courses do not take full advantage of the on-line technologies available.
• On-line self-paced courses – These are similar to correspondence courses that provide a series
of structured experiences for the student to complete at his or her own pace. There is little or no
personal instruction, and the technology is used only to a limited extent.
• On-line lectures – These are courses that are based on the traditional lecture hall through the
use of video and audio delivery over the Internet and some type of real-time feedback. These

“Instruction delivered on a computer by way of CD-ROM, Internet or intranet with the following features: includes content
relevant to the learning objective; uses instructional methods such as examples and practice to help learning; uses media
elements such as words and pictures to deliver the content and methods; builds new knowledge and skills linked to individual
learning goals or to improved organizational performance.” Clark, R. C. and R. E. Mayer. 2003. e-Learning and the science of
instruction. Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, USA.
3 Resources for using eLearning in professional development at work from ASTD Buzz (worldwide training news),
<http://www.infoinc.com/astd/buzznews.html>.

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types of courses are challenging and expensive. They require significant scheduling resources
and do not provide students much interaction with the lecturer, nor much time to reflect on and
question what they are being taught. This model actually falls outside of the above definition of
eLearning, since such courses often require dedicated high-speed lines for the high-bandwidth
delivery of video and audio signals, and are often not delivered via the Internet.
• Guided collaboration – This type is similar to a well-run seminar where students learn through
conversation and collaboration with each other and the aid of a teacher skilled in on-line
facilitation. These are asynchronous, meaning that students do not have to be on-line all at the
same time but rather can add their thoughts and reflections to a discussion thread when they
have had enough time to formulate their contribution to the conversation.
• Digital game-based learning and simulations – This is a relatively new genre based on the
hypothesis that as the use of interactive media becomes second nature, learners expect a much
faster, more interactive form of learning. The above models of eLearning do not often meet this
type of expectation. These are courses that make extensive use of adventure, puzzle, role -
playing simulations, and sports and strategy games to deliver their content. Individually-
tailored board games teach complex concepts like marketing strategies, supply chain
management, or acquisition of environmentally-friendly products. For example, Games2Train’s
“The Monkey Wrench Conspiracy,” at <http://www.games2train.com/site/html/index2.html>,
puts learners in the role of an intergalactic secret agent who has to rescue a space station using
software to design everything needed for the mission; or SimuLearn’s “Virtual Leader,” at
<http://www.simulearn.net/SimuLearn/standalone.htm>, where the user plays a role in a series
of key meetings with colleagues and explores the dynamics of three key aspects of leadership:
power, tension, and ideas (for more on this model, see Prensky [2003]; Aldrich [2003]).
The number and sophistication of eLearning courses has grown significantly in recent years—both in
the content they deliver and the way they are delivered. The most common types of courses, however,
fall into one of the first three model categories described above. There is no single place to go for a
comprehensive summary or an assessment of courses, although the following are good places to start
looking:
• The Sloan Consortium for quality online education <http://www.sloan-c.org/>
• Google’s directory of distance learning sites
<http://directory.google.com/Top/Reference/Education/Distance_Learning/Directories/>
• Globewide Network Academy <http://www.gnacademy.org/mason/catalog/browse.html>

2. State of the art for eLearning about sustainable development

A large number of institutions around the world are offering Internet-based courses that focus on
sustainable development and associated issues. (A selected list of organizations that are currently
involved is given in Appendix II.) A comparison of eLearning opportunities about sustainable
development shows a variety of development and implementation pedagogies.

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2.1. Case study: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies

eLearning supports policymakers in implementing sustainable development

“Driven by economic globalization and technological transformation, the network age is rapidly
replacing the industrial age. This historical shift is altering the rewards and penalties for acquiring and
using knowledge and information in global markets and in national development efforts.”4
The expectations set by the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
(UNCED) and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) to re-orient national
development efforts toward sustainability raised decision-makers’ awareness of their pressing need for
training courses on sustainable development that are easily available (anywhere, any time), credible, and
up-to-date.
Among the firsts, the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)5 in Japan responded to this
demand by setting up an innovative eLearning system6 to support policymakers and decision-makers in
the developing nations of the Asia-Pacific region.
The targeted middle- and upper-level decision-makers have vast experience in their professional field,
but would not necessarily be familiar with the theory and practice of sustainable development. Very
often they are looking for introductory courses that offer a carefully selected, comprehensive list of
resources, complete with case studies and relevant, respectful interactive exercises that simulate the
application of sustainable development principles in their own typical decision-making situations.
To meet this need, IGES and its strategic partners 7 have developed over 40 eCourses to raise
awareness of various topics and skills essential to sustainable development. Titles include Urban
Environmental Management Systems, Participatory Forest Management, ICT and the Environment,
Community-based Learning for Sustainable Development, Introduction to Climate Change, and
Environmental Leadership.8
Decision-makers in the government, non-profit sector, and private and academic institutions face a
series of challenges when it comes to capacity enhancement for sustainable development, including the
following:
• overload of recycled, general, academic information (too much);
• difficulty of accessing specific, practical, locally relevant, easily transferable information (too
scarce);
• fast-changing information with a short shelf-life (too fast);
• lack of willingness to act, due to frequent staff and organizational changes (too often); and
• limited time and financial resources for professional development and capacity enhancement
(too limited).

4 Fukuda and Hill (2002).

5 <http://www.iges.or.jp>
6 <http://iges.net>
7 E.g., United Nations Environment Programme International Environmental Technology Center (UNEP-IETC), United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD), Acid
Deposition and Oxidant Research Center (ADORC), and Kanagawa Prefecture Government, Japan.
8 Full list available at <http://www.iges.net/ecourses.htm>.

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Conventional capacity enhancement methods (face-to-face workshops, printed materials, etc.)

typically focus on addressing the first two challenges but often fall short of offering affordable solutions
for the others. eLearning, especially if it is appropriately blended with face-to-face learning
opportunities, however, has proved to add value to capacity development with its flexibility,
accessibility, and mobilizing power. 9 Table 1 (below) describes the characteristics of the IGES
eLearning system that help to overcome the typical human resource development challenges.

Table 1. Characteristics of IGES’s eLearning system designed to overcome the typical

challenges of enhancing capacity for sustainable development.

Challenges that decision-makers face
with enhancing capacity for sustainable
development
Overload of recycled, too general, too
academic information
Difficult access to specific, practical,
locally relevant, easily transferable
contextual information
Information about sustainable
development that is fast-changing,
perishable, and has a short shelf-life
Lack of willingness-to-act due to frequent
staff and organizational changes
Limited time and financial resources for
professional development, capacity
enhancement
Characteristics of IGES eCourses designed to meet the challenges
The courses use policy research from IGES and its partners. The
theoretical, academic information is transformed and consolidated into
problem-solving exercises to simulate typical decision-making
situations.
The content is application-oriented, supported by resources including
good practice databases and innovative information and knowledge
management systems. IGES encourages decision-makers to share their
experience through authoring easy-to-update eCourses using IGES’s
eCourse authoring software and learning management system free-of-
charge.
Experts regularly update content and resources (every 3, 6, or 12
months), depending on the topic’s life cycle.
Most of IGES’s eCourses are at the introductory level, which gives an
early sense of achievement and motivates learners to apply their
newly-gained knowledge.
The short (0.5–8 hours), asynchronous, self-paced, free-of-charge
courses can be accessed any time, anywhere, even from CD-ROM if
needed, without major investment in travel expenses and staff time.

The real challenge, however, lies not in the dissemination of information or know-how to solve
specific problems but in enhancing the innovative capacities of decision-makers in eLearning
experiences that motivates them to formulate new paradigms, mental models, and solutions to current
development problems (double-loop learning). 10 IGES’s Capacity Building Programme is currently
researching and experimenting with new approaches to eLearning and effective blends with
conventional learning to better support decision-makers in not only acquiring but also creating new
knowledge for sustainable development and, eventually, bridging the gap between knowledge and action.

9 Impact of eLearning: Case study in Kanagawa Prefecture (IGES), <http://www.iges.net/res-kanagawa.htm>.

10 Referring to Nonaka, I. and H. Takeuchi. 1995. The knowledge-creating company: How Japanese companies create the
dynamics of innovation. U.S.: Oxford University Press.

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2.2. Case study: Center for a Sustainable Future

Strengthening the capacity of K–12 educators to use technology to teach about a
sustainable future

In the United States, the Center for a Sustainable Future (CSF) and the Cobb County School District,
near Atlanta, Georgia, recently completed a six-year project to develop, revise, and widely disseminate a
collection of technology-based educational resources infused with sustainable development content,
including the following:
• seventy curriculum units designed around five themes of sustainability (stewardship of
resources, sustainable economics, global issues, designing sustainable communities, and
thinking about and affecting the future);
• four pieces of sustainability software (Ecological Footprint Calculator; Community Planner;
What-If Builder; and Common Waters, Common Ground); and
• five on-line courses (introducing the topic of sustainable development and the five themes of
sustainability covered by the project).
This project, called Education for a Sustainable Future (ESF),11 has been highly successful in training
teachers how to move quickly to the invention stage of using computers and the Internet in their
teaching, learning about topics of sustainability, and integrating that learning into their teaching
practices and lessons. The Cobb County School District, which serves 110,000 students, has adopted
this model for training all its teachers and education specialists in the effective use of technology in their
teaching practices. There are currently over 1,000 teachers in the district involved in the ESF project,
and they have taught sustainability to well over 40,000 students to date. The project has also trained
another 1,200 teachers in school districts in ten other states.
The project staff faced two big challenges early on in this project: (1) how to introduce the complex
subject of sustainable development to successive cohorts of 70 to 100 teachers with limited interest and
time for the topic; and (2) how to provide teachers an easy-to-use method for gaining more specific
knowledge and depth in the topics of sustainability once the first challenge was cleared. Over a period of
two years several approaches were tried and evaluated for their effectiveness. What emerged as a
successful approach was a series of three face-to-face professional development workshops (one or two
days each), followed up by a 30-hour eCourse that employs the guided collaboration model described
earlier.
The workshops were led by experts in sustainable development and teachers who had previously
completed on-line courses and had also developed and taught sustainability curriculum units in their
classrooms. At these orientation and introductory workshops, new teachers were also introduced to the
on-line courses available to them and given an overview of the course software and tips on how to use it.
The eCourses were broken into modules, each of which takes five to six hours of work. Each module
focused on one or two of the key concepts and skills to which teachers were introduced during their
face-to-face workshops. Assignments were inquiry-based, and teachers shared their findings and
discussed them asynchronously in a discussion forum. Teachers who were “veterans” of the project and

11 <http://csf.concord.org/esf>

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one project staff with expertise in sustainable development moderated the discussions. Several of the
assignments also had teachers develop an application of their learning in the form of a classroom
activity, offer it for constructive critique by their peers, apply it in their classrooms, and share the results
with their peers. Teachers were given professional development credit for successful completion of the
course.
In summary, the success of the ESF eCourses on sustainable development is derived from the
following key factors:
• by having teacher peers introduce the topic of sustainability and related concepts to new
teachers, the credibility of sustainability topics was established as a legitimate and valuable
addition to a teacher’s curricular choices and teaching practice;
• by using a collaborative, inquiry-based design for the eCourses and maintaining a good balance
between theory, practice, and reflection, teachers were challenged but not overwhelmed by this
new form of learning that they were being required to engage in; and
• by providing staff development credits for successful completion of the course, additional
incentives were provided for teachers to overcome barriers along the way.
The success of this approach has been further validated by the fact that several of the teacher-
participants subsequently put forth proposals to develop and deliver their own versions of eCourses for
other teachers on sustainability-related topics, and went on to do so.

3. Conclusion

It is well documented that effective education, when engaged in over the long term, can produce a
change in societal attitudes, values, and actions. The focus on education for sustainability is key if we
are going to create the sustainability-focused attitudes, values, and actions necessary to achieve the
vision laid out at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and reaffirmed at the WSSD in
Johannesburg in 2002.
The use of eLearning for education for sustainability is about to increase exponentially. With the
advent of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005–2014), 12 a global
focus will be p laced on enhancing and increasing both the demand and opportunities for ESD. With this
increase in eLearning, the evolution of a virtual “University for Sustainable Development” is likely to
emerge in the next few years. Ideally, this would be hosted by an international institution like the IUCN,
UNEP, or UNESCO, 13 and could serve as an umbrella for the many institutions now engaged in
eLearning for sustainability, conservation, and the environment. The task of moving the focus of
learning for sustainability to a global scale is daunting, but by leveraging current knowledge networks
around the globe, developing a variety of effective eLearning pedagogical models for key audiences
(students K–16; professionals in the conservation, environmental, and sustainability fields; teachers,
policymakers; and private-sector individuals), building evaluation strategies that form a basis for

12 UNESCO DESD, <http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001311/131163e.pdf> (23 August 2003).

13 IUCN-The World Conservation Union, UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), UNESCO (United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

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continuous improvement, and creating a cost-effective delivery model are key to the long-term success
of such a venture.
In the end, we must make it easy for the end-user—the learner—to have access to effective, high-
impact, targeted knowledge that can be acquired on-demand and on-time across all cultures.14 If we can
achieve the institutional cooperation necessary to deliver this form of education, then we have a chance
to create the societal change necessary for sustainability to flourish.

Appendix I

One taxonomy of eLearning, shown below, offers a two-by-two matrix and describes the four
modalities of on-line learning by synchronicity and facilitation:
Asynchronous Synchronous

Self-paced I III

Facilitated II IV
Type I – The learner can take the course at any time at her/his pace. All instructions are included in
the course. Offers learners with the most flexibility but lacks the added value of interaction with the
instructor and peers.
Type II – Same as Type I, with the addition of tutors/instructors who provide additional instructions
and facilitate learning—not necessarily at the same time when the learner is on-line. The most flexible
format with personalized instruction and feedback.
Type III – All the learners are learning on-line at the same time using only instructions built into the
course. Offers opportunities of instantaneous peer-learning.
Type IV – All students and the facilitator(s) are on-line at the same time, i.e., “virtual classroom.”
Offers opportunities for both instructor-led and peer-learning interactions.
Source: Bob Spencer, Program Director, Master of Distance Education, Athabasca University <http://www.athabascau.ca/>;
Judith van Duren, Executive Director, Alberta-North <http://www.abnorth.ab.ca/>. Presented at the 17th Annual Conference on
Distance Teaching and Learning, 8–10 August 2001, at Madison, Wisconsin.

14 Hellman, J. A. 2003. The riddle of distance education: Promise, problems and applications for development. United Nations
Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD),
<http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BCCF9/(httpPublications)/9A52AEC7B807ED63C1256D560033B404?OpenDocument
> (June 2003).

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Appendix II
Sample of institutions offering on-line eLearning opportunities for adults about sustainable development,
including examples of general and some more technical (sectoral) eCourses (in alphabetical order).

Program name Sponsoring institution Target audience Contacts/URL

agLe@rn Asia Pacific Regional Agricultural <http://www.aprtc.org>
Technology Center professionals
(APRTC) - Professional
Development for
Agriculture
Chronos World Business Council Business sector <http://www.sdchronos.org/>
for Sustainable
Development
Education for a Center for a Sustainable Teachers, teacher <http://csf.concord.org/esf/index.php>
Sustainable Future trainers (K–12)
Future
Educationet World Bank Educators <http://www-itsweb4.worldbank.org/disted/>

Global Virtual United Nations Post-graduate <http://www.gvu.unu.edu>

University University, UNEP GRID university
Arendal students

IGES eLearning Institute for Global Policymakers, <http://iges.net>

System Environmental Strategies decision-makers
(IGES)

International UNESCO, Ville de Lyon, Sustainable <http://www.uidd.org/>

University on Université Claude development
Sustainable Bernard Institut Génie actors
Development Environnement
Ecodéveloppement,
French Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and
Powow Consulting
Learndirect United Kingdom Professionals <http://www.learndirect-
Governments from various corporate.co.uk/news/sustainable/>
backgrounds
Learning and World Bank Institute Government <http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTE
Knowledge officials, RNAL/WBI/0,,pagePK:208996 theSitePK:2
professionals 13799,00.html>
from various
background
LearnSD Learning Center for Professionals <http://www.learnsd.org/>
Sustainable Development from various
backgrounds
Sustainable Swiss Agency for Industrialists <http://www.planet.ch/sba/index.htm>
Business Development &
Associates (SBA) Cooperation (SDC)
Sustainable Sustainable Development Professionals <http://sd-online.ewindows.eu.org/>
Development Online from various
Online background
Teaching and UNESCO Teachers, teacher <http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/>
Learning for a trainers (K–12)
Sustainable

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Program name Sponsoring institution Target audience Contacts/URL

Future
The World Bank World Bank Professionals <http://wbln0018.worldbank.org/eurvp/
Institute in from various web.nsf/pages/WBI>
Europe background
UNEP-IETC United Nations Urban managers, <http://www.unep.or.jp>
eCourses Environment Programme, decision-makers
International
Environmental
Technology Center
UNESCO-IHE UNESCO-IHE (Institute Masters and Ph.D. <http://www.ihe.nl/education/intro.htm>
Educational for Water Education) students
Programmes
University Variety of Universities University E.g.,
courses students Michigan State University
<http://www.msu.edu/index.html>
Nova Southeastern University
Oceanographic Center
<http://www.nova.edu/ocean/>
The Polytechnic University of Catalonia,
<www.up c.es/english/>
University of Calgary,
<http://www.ucalgary.ca/>
University of California,
<http://www.ucla.edu/>
University of Guelph
<http://www.uoguelph.ca/>
University of Montana
<http://www.umt.edu/>
University of Massachusetts
<http://www.umass.edu/>
York University
<http://www.yorku.ca/yorkweb/index.htm>
UNU Online United Nations Post-graduate <http://www.onlinelearning.unu.edu/>
Learning University university <http://vulab.ias.unu.edu/lectures/>
students, teachers,
professionals
from various
backgrounds
Water Virtual UNU/INWEH, Post-graduate <http://wvlc.uwaterloo.ca>
Learning Centre University of Waterloo university
students, water
management
professionals
Wildlife and Education Direct University <http://www.educationdirect.com/>
Forestry students and
Conservation professionals in
Program the field of
conservation and
forestry
World Wide World Wide Learn Professionals <http://www.worldwidelearn.com/
Learn Online from various environment.htm>
Environmental background
Science
Education

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Collison, G., B. Elbaum, S. Haavind and R. Tinker. 2000. Facilitating online learning: Effective strategies for moderators.
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Nonaka, I. and H. Takeuchi. 1995. The knowledge-creating company: How Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation.
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Prensky, M. 2001. Digital game-based learning. New York: McGraw Hill.

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