Implementing an Environmental Science (ENSC) Curriculum Renewal

Ongoing

About

Since the last Environmental Science (ENSC) curriculum review in 2010, global temperature records have been broken year after year. Extreme wildfires, heatwaves, drought and floods have become annual occurrences with disproportionate impacts on poor and marginalized communities. Tackling global crises such as climate change, species extinction and pollution requires the ability to work across sectors.

With TLEF funding we will develop, implement and evaluate a revised ENSC curriculum that will realign existing courses with updated Specialization Objectives (SO) and Learning Goals (LG), revise current course pedagogies to accommodate larger class sizes, and build new courses to embed and progressively develop:
●    data analysis, computational, and problem-solving skills
●    intersections of climate change with other environmental and equity concerns
●    opportunities to work across different knowledge systems
●    connections to complementary fields of study (policy, law, engineering etc…)
●    exposure to diverse professionals in the environmental sector and opportunities to develop a professional identity

Objectives

There is a growing societal need for skilled individuals to address (ie., to mitigate and adapt) global crises relating to climate change, species extinctions and pervasive pollution in the context of growing inequality. As well, the demand for skilled workers in the “green economy” is outpacing the supply (Eco.ca). Students increasingly demand and expect to acquire the skills and experiences needed to address environmental challenges. To meaningfully and effectively tackle complex environmental challenges now and in the future, science students must learn to work across disciplines and knowledge systems, problem-solve using different disciplinary perspectives, and recognize challenges of inequity.

To break down disciplinary barriers and take the UBC mission1 to heart, the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science (EOAS) and the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES) have partnered to renew the Environmental Science (ENSC) specialization curriculum to:

1) Increase the number of students accepted into ENSC: Currently two of the core classes (ENVR 200, ENVR 300) are capped at 50 students. This creates a bottleneck and limits the number of students that we can accept as ENSC majors. Last year approximately 200 1st year students identified ENSC as one of their top three specialization choices. We accepted 65 and struggled to accommodate them in the core classes.

2) Update the ENSC curriculum to align with newly developed Specialization Objectives, Learning Goals and Areas of Concentration, including adding 5 new courses.

3) Better prepare ENSC graduates as agents of change, capable of bridging disciplines and working towards leadership roles in public and private sectors.

Work Plan, Timeline & Milestones

We will achieve our goals by:

1. Completing the curriculum review.

2. Identifying and implementing pedagogies in core ENSC courses that allow learning goals to be met in a larger class format.

3. Developing, implementing and evaluating new materials, pedagogies, and assessments for required ENSC courses to centre climate studies and data informed problem solving, ensure all student are able to identify equity and justice issues in the context of environmental challenges, support student wellbeing, and make connections to complementary fields of study and career opportunities.

4. Developing, implementing and evaluating new courses including 1 new introductory course, 2 new Environmental Science in Society (ESS) courses and 2 upper level courses, that focus on planetary health and environmental analytics, to support new ENSC AoC’s.

Outputs, Products or Deliverables

Barriers to course enrollment removed (ENVR 200, ENVR 300): Introduction of pedagogies appropriate for class sizes over 50 students.
At least 6 new assignments / activities developed for core courses (ENVR 200, ENVR 300).
Nine course alignments (ENVR 400, ENVR 410, ENVR 420, ENVR 430, ENVR 440, ENVR 449, ASIC 220, SCIE 320, SCIE 420)
Creation of 5 new courses: 1 new introductory level course, 2 Environmental Science in Society (ESS) courses and 2 new upper level courses.
Faculty and Graduate Student Professional Development: Approximately 13 EOSC and IRES Faculty will begin and advance along a journey to develop and teach assignments that include traditional and Indigenous perspectives and wellbeing pedagogies.

Anticipated Impacts

This project will benefit students directly by:

Improving existing course pedagogies, increasing offerings in interdisciplinary studies that address global challenges, making interconnections between courses more evident, Indigenizing the curriculum and supporting student wellbeing,

and indirectly by:

building relationships between the faculty teaching ENSC courses to increase collaboration and innovation sharing.

This project will result in:

More students admitted to ENSC majors:

Over 5 years, we aim to triple the intake of ENSC majors from 65 students to ~200 students annually.
pedagogies in 2nd and 3rd year courses will be revised so we can accommodate student demand.
Discussing and practicing techniques to support mental health and wellbeing will help students develop the skills to be successful and healthy environmental professionals.
Environmental solutions that do not take into consideration the disproportionate impacts of climate and environmental change on Indigenous communities are likely to repeat past wrongs. To move towards sustainable societies living on a healthy planet we must engage with and learn from traditional and Indigenous worldviews.
Exposure to environmental professions and professionals, field trips, and more support building portfolios will increase the opportunities for ENSC students to successfully transition to the workforce post-graduation.
Knowledge translation between courses and disciplines is a perpetual challenge for undergraduates. Making explicit connections between courses by using common language, case studies and approaches will allow students to recognize and benefit from progressively developed learning materials.
New introductory course, 2 new ESS courses and 2 new AoC courses.
This project will break down silos and build a collaborative community of faculty and grad students from two different units on campus, EOAS and IRES. Focused on student-centred learning, workshops and discussions with UBC support staff and community members will help these educators develop skills to support student wellbeing and Indigenize their course materials. This supported community of practice will foster new interdisciplinary collaborations.
UBC ENSC is currently ranked 12th internationally (QS rankings). Updating the pedagogies, indigenizing the curriculum, training students as agents of change with mental health and wellbeing skills, and fostering their professional identities will ensure that UBC remains a leader in ENSC education.

An increase in the number of students admitted to targeted classes

More students with skills and resources to address their mental health needs.

The addition of Indigenous histories, impacts, perspectives and ways of knowing, which not only address Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action but also provide new and broader lenses through which to develop solutions to Environmental issues.

Alumni better prepared for the diverse career pathways available to ENSC graduates.

Students who are able to identify and benefit from scaffolded skills development throughout the ENSC specialization.

Five additional courses that expand the introductory ENSC offerings, provide community connections, develop a professional identity and integrate between disciplines.

A faculty and grad student community working in partnership with others at UBC and beyond to build and deliver assignments and activities that support student wellbeing and appropriately present traditional and Indigenous perspectives on environmental challenges.