DRAFT: EfS Framework Appendix – V1 30th November 2009. Comments welcome: aryan@glos.ac.uk
APPENDIX: EFS IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
This Appendix contains guidance on the ways that EfS (Education for Sustainability) can relate to
Biological Sciences subjects, which at UoG includes UG provision in Animal Biology and Biology.
This Appendix includes:
1. orientation statement about the ways that EfS can be conceived in relation to the
priorities and concerns of Biological Science programmes;
2. connections with the subject benchmark for Biosciences and the skills and
competencies advocated for EfS;
3. indicative learning aims and outcomes that can be adapted and applied in designing
existing and future programmes and modules in the field.
You can also refer to Section 5 of this EfS Framework for further discussion about the pedagogic
approaches prioritised in EfS and the generic skills EfS seeks to cultivate. Section 5 also contains
guidance on thematic points of focus (‘content’ or ‘topics’) across subject areas that are well
suited to analysis in terms of sustainability.
For tips about good practice for sustainability in the practical aspects of delivering teaching and
learning activities, e.g. in organising tutorials and field trips, see the following collection of
factsheets on ‘How to Make Your Teaching More Sustainable’:
http://www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/esd/howto.aspx.
1. ORIENTATION STATEMENT:
The field of Biosciences has a range of direct connections with EfS in its appreciation and
analysis of the complexities and dynamics of different forms of life and how they are influenced
by social policy and action. The QAA benchmark makes specific mention of the role of this
subject group in the effort to attain sustainability.
Students in various fields of Bioscience are able to set the scope and impact of humanity in
context and in relation to varied species and organisms. At the same time, their potential for
understanding the technological and policy implications of scientific innovation makes them
extremely useful vehicles for EfS. The impetus of EfS is to explore the interplay of scientific and
social worlds, and the outcomes in terms of ecology and biodiversity, and in the conservation,
management and destruction of different forms of life.
Many issues central to the field of Biosciences connect with EfS concerns, for example:
 systemic analysis of the diverse biological and ecological impacts humans have on their
environments and on other species;
 understanding inequities in resources for, governance of, and access to, different forms
of scientific innovation, and the implications for global development;
 evaluation of the ways in which conservation and biodiversity initiatives and policies can
and should be guided by scientific findings;
DRAFT: EfS Framework Appendix – V1 30th November 2009. Comments welcome: aryan@glos.ac.uk
 exploration of the role of new scientific developments in expanding or mitigating the
impacts of human life upon biodiversity;
 assessment and understanding of the risks to human populations from diseases and the
most effective means of addressing such threats;
 developing professional expertise and ethics regarding responsible scientific practice
across varied industrial and global contexts.
Through innovative pedagogic approaches, biological sciences can enhance the attributes EfS
encourages in graduates, in terms of tackling complex problems of species survival and human
development; understanding the relationships between science, industry and policy, working
collaboratively in multi-disciplinary scientific teams, and appreciating the ethical and legal
contexts of scientific decision-making and innovation. Thus the scale of professional influence of
bioscience graduates forms a strategic point of connection with EfS, due to the shared intent to
enhance scientific practice in the attempt to maintain balance in biosphere dynamics.
The potential for Biosciences graduates to contribute to building more sustainable forms of life
is considerable, through the provision of graduates capable of managing scientific practice with
responsible and systemic approaches. Opportunities for students to reflect upon their personal
attitudes to global and civic issues, and to bring this to bear in their professional lives, maximise
the value of the subject group in the pursuit of more sustainable future forms of life.
2. SUBJECT BENCHMARK CONNECTIONS:
The expectations and characteristics of the subject group are expressed in the QAA subject
benchmark for Biosciences, referred to hereafter as BIOS 20071:
The introductory sections of the benchmark statement point to:
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Knowledge of biosciences as essential for the future of humanity in its exploration of the
unprecedented effect of human life on the environment (BIOS 1.2)
Analysis of the benefits, costs and risks associated with foods, drugs, and other forms of
development that contribute to human health and wealth (BIOS 1.2);
The role of biosciences in informing leaders and the general public about the social,
ethical and legal challenges of new technologies, e.g. for biodiversity (BIOS 1.2);
The importance of engagement and understanding regarding the applications of science
and the philosophical and ethical issues involved (BIOS 1.2);
The ability to engage with complexity in the levels and forms of life, and to understand
the inter-relationships among different organisms (BIOS 2.3);
Ways to engage with other scientific disciplines in order to address important questions
through collaboration in multi-disciplinary teams (BIOS 2.3).
These position statements reveal direct connections with EfS priorities, and this is demonstrated
in the list of possible learning aims and outcomes in Section 3 below.
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DRAFT: EfS Framework Appendix – V1 30th November 2009. Comments welcome: aryan@glos.ac.uk
Many generic skills and attributes highlighted in Section 5 of the UoG EfS Framework document
are also found in sections of the benchmark statement dedicated to skills, teaching and learning
principles, and programme design:
Futures thinking
Critical and creative thinking
Participatory learning
Partnerships
Systemic thinking
BIOS 2007
1.2; 2.5; 3.2
2.1; 2.6; 3.2; 3.5
2.7; 3.9
1.2; 1.5; 2.7; 2.8
3. INDICATIVE LEARNING AIMS AND OUTCOMES:
The lists below suggest potential learning aims and outcomes that connect the field of
Biosciences with EfS priorities. Differentiation for programme/module level, and for skills
progression, can be framed in line with the architecture of existing programmes. Alignment
with different categories of learning outcomes, such as ‘knowledge’, ‘skills’ and ‘attitudes’, can
also be related to the approaches taken in existing provision.
Some examples of Programme or Module Aims for Bioscience subjects could include:
1) To promote critical evaluation of the relative waste and pollution impacts of scientific
innovations, as against their benefits, for different populations and species.
2) To develop understanding and expertise about sustainability questions as applied to the
ethical and legal problems posed by new biotechnologies.
3) To encourage critical appreciation of the global contexts and comparative perspectives
in which bioethics debates and environmental laws are contested.
4) To develop student competence in marshalling scientific evidence combined with
persuasive contextual argumentation to influence industry practices.
5) To identify the scope and limits of existing technologies to manage human disease
across varied geographical contexts.
Some indicative Learning Outcomes for the Biosciences might include:
1) Analyse the ways that scientific findings are represented in sustainability policies in
relation to complex issues of agricultural practice and natural resource management.
2) Recognise and assess the population growth and management debates arising in
relation to the preservation of areas of global commons.
3) Develop competence in debating specific contested issues within the field of bioethics
and challenging unsustainable industry practices in this area.
4) Evaluate the conservation strategies adopted in different national and regional contexts
to protect biodiversity and mitigate future climate change impacts on biodiversity.
5) Critically assess the relationship between environmental law and public policy on
specific questions of food production and security.