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COVID-19 and lockdown schooling: how digital learning environments influence semantic structures and sustainability
Sonja T Fiedler1, Thomas Heyne2, Franz X Bogner3
1Didactics of Biology, University of Würzburg, Matthias-Lexer-Weg 25 , 97074 Würzburg, Germany.
Discover Sustainability
|April 15, 2022
Summary
Online learning effectively boosts sustainability knowledge in young students, even distinguishing it from environmental protection. This digital approach offers a viable alternative for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) when on-site learning is not possible.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Education
- Digital Learning
- Pedagogy
Background:
- Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is crucial for UN's Agenda 2030, traditionally relying on nature-based learning.
- Pandemic-related restrictions limited traditional ESD, raising concerns for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Need to assess current student understanding of sustainability and explore effective online teaching methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate 5th graders' knowledge of sustainability and its effective online teaching.
- To compare an online learning module with an on-site intervention for sustainability education.
- To monitor cognitive learning and attitudinal shifts regarding sustainability and environmental protection.
Main Methods:
- A pretest-posttest design was used with 288 Bavarian 5th graders (approx. 10 years old).
- An online learning module focused on botany and sustainable farming was developed and compared to an on-site module.
- Cognitive tests and semantic differentials for 'sustainability' and 'environmental protection' were administered.
Main Results:
- The digital learning environment significantly increased sustainability knowledge among learners.
- Students demonstrated a clear distinction between the concepts of 'sustainability' and 'environmental protection'.
- No direct correlation was found between semantic differential scores and the learning outcomes achieved.
Conclusions:
- Digital learning environments are effective tools for enhancing sustainability knowledge in young learners.
- ESD can be successfully delivered online, providing an alternative to traditional nature-based methods.
- Further research should explore the nuanced relationship between attitudes and knowledge acquisition in sustainability education.
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