Free Online Course on Concepts in Sustainable Development

The University of Leicester is offering free online course on Concepts in Sustainable Development: an Introduction to the Key Issues. This course is open to anyone interested in exploring the general technical and social issues around the concept of sustainability and sustainable development.

In this six week course, applicants will explore some of the key issues in sustainability, tackling the big questions with examples from around the world. This course will start on January 15, 2018.

Course At Glance

Length: 6 weeks
Effort: 3 hours/week
Subject: Concepts in Sustainable Development: an Introduction to the Key Issues
Institution: University of Leicester and Future learn
Languages: English
Price: Free
Certificate Available: Yes
Session: Course starts on January 15, 2018

Providers’ Details

The University of Leicester is a leading research led university with a strong tradition of excellence in teaching. It is consistently ranked amongst the top 20 universities in the United Kingdom.

About This Course

In this course you will study the conceptual foundations of sustainable development, and discuss the issues around sustainability as a complex problem.

Why Take This Course?

University will look at the flow of energy and materials worldwide; social and political issues; wealth inequality; the impact of geography, history and culture on sustainability today; and the problems of collective action.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to…

• Explain what is meant by a complex system and its relevance to sustainability

• Evaluate the Brundtland definition of sustainable development

• Explain how economy and ecology work together as one system

• Summarise the prospects for a circular economy

• Identify the effects of the agricultural and industrial revolutions

• Identify and discuss the practical and moral issues around inequality

• Evaluate the difficulty in assigning causation in complex systems

• Discuss the implications of past actions for current generations

• Define what is meant by the term ‘tragedy of the commons’

• Explain what is meant by globalisation, and its implication for sustainability

• Discuss the major problems of sustainability and the prospects for solutions

• Discuss the range of views on approaches to development

Requirements

This course is open to anyone interested in exploring the general technical and social issues around the concept of sustainability and sustainable development. The course explores the theoretical basis of sustainability from the natural sciences, political and economic perspective. This course is aimed at learners who wish to engage with the challenges and potential solutions to sustainability at a conceptual level.

How To Join This Course

• Go to the course website link

• Sign Up At FutureLearn

• Select a course and Join

• Once a course has started, applicant will be able to access the course material

• After the start date, students will be able to access the course by following the Go To Course link on My Courses page.

• Applicants can buy, to show that they have completed a FutureLearn course.

• On some FutureLearn courses, learners will be able to pay to take an exam to qualify for a Statement of Attainment. (These are university-branded, printed certificates that provide proof oflearning on the course topic(s)).

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