Higher education institutions rely on intended learning outcomes – intended as the core knowledge, skills and values you want students to develop - to structure curricula, making them a natural entry point for introducing EfS into your teaching and assessment. Despite differences across disciplines, Vogel et al. (2023) identified three main categories for EfS intended learning outcomes: knowledge (which depends on your subject area), competencies, and values. When combined, these support a fourth, less explicit outcome - readiness to act.
Knowledge and competencies are easier to assess through traditional methods. Values and readiness to act are more implicit - they're personal, emergent, and harder to measure.
A consideration of all four learning outcomes opens up opportunities for more transformative learning - a core aim of EfS practice (Vogel et al., 2023). Rather than simply adding to what students know, transformative learning intends to give students space to critically question how they think, what they value, and how they see their capacity to act on sustainability challenges (O’Grady 2022). This means moving beyond establishing subject-specific learning outcomes to intentionally nurture values, dispositions, and action-oriented competencies that reflect the holistic ethos of EfS practice.
While disciplinary knowledge remains important, knowledge in isolation rarely drives transformation. Considering this broader range of EfS learning outcomes helps you design learning experiences where students don't just understand sustainability challenges - they're equipped and motivated to respond to them.
The University of Glasgow offers an online self-paced course ‘Introduction to Teaching Sustainability and Climate Action’, available for free on Future Learn. The course introduces HE educators to key themes and approaches for developing a curriculum that encourages socially responsible learners to actively engage with climate action.
The CoDesignS ESD AI Coach is a free AI tool developed to support educators in embedding education for sustainability into teaching, learning and assessment design across all subject areas. Developed by the Association for Learning Design & Education for Sustainable Development (ALDESD) in collaboration with partners including King’s College London, University of Cambridge, and Manchester Metropolitan University, this tool helps educators design sustainability-focused activities aligned with the UNESCO’s key competencies for sustainability.
How does it work?
First, you will need a fee ChatGPT account to access. Then, use the link below to register and access the tool and simply describe your subject and teaching aim, and the AI Coach will guide you in creating sustainability-aligned learning experiences - from lesson plans to assessment tasks. It also promotes responsible use of AI through the ROCKS method (a framework that helps users shape clear, purposeful prompts by defining Role, Objective, Community, Key approach, and desired Shape of the output), helping reduce digital waste and improve the quality of responses.