Course content

This course aims for innovative education about Climate Change in both local and global perspectives via field course. Teaching and learning in the field is often rather traditional and teacher-led. Course transforms field trip(s) to innovative, creative learning environments in which teachers, students and pupils create knowledge together. There is a believe that supporting innovation and creativity can easily be achieved via international partnerships and inter- and transdisciplinary approaches. Therefore, the course includes partners from various European countries with various geography related backgrounds (environmental science, teachers´ geography, urban geography, geoinformatics, island studies, biology, science teacher education, etc.) but with a common objective. The partnerships with local high-schools strengthens the role of higher education regionally as well as channel the knowledge from universities towards the public and is linked to the place-based education that assumes the creation of knowledge together - connecting scientific perspective with local knowledge and daily experiences. The field courses strive to stimulate deeper learning. It will be achieved by a student-centred approach and a well-balanced mix of innovative teaching methods for field- and place-based education, such as blended learning or modern playful and multimedia methods. Students will experience both roles - being students during the field-courses and being teachers during their local activities with upper secondary school students.

Learning outcome

Knowledge: Students will gain a basic understanding of global warming and the local effects of climate change, with a particular emphasis on water issues (such as floods and droughts).
Skills: Students will get hands-on experience in climate change communication by producing visualisations, StoryMap applications, and game-based learning material for use in upper secondary schools.
General competence: Through place-based blended learning methods and by co-operating with students from the Czech republic, the Netherlands and Malta, students will develop a deeper understanding of the geography of climate change impacts.

Learning methods and activities

Field Course:
1) seven-day learning block organized by rotation in Czech Republic, Malta or the Netherlands.
2) lectures on climate change, innovative educational methods and local field-trips.
3) project teams establishment and thematic project assignment.
Virtual mobility (Skype tutoring):
1) one-hour call per month during the semester.
2) thematic/pedagogic project consultation with the project supervisor.
Intensive ScienceJam:
1) five-days intensive ScienceJam organized in Norway.
2) educational activities organised by students in their home countries presentations.
3) lectures on academic skills and science popularisation.
4) discussion and feedback

Compulsory assignments

• 7 days Field Course and 5 days ScienceJam

Specific conditions

Course materials

All the teaching materials will be available online under open licence (creative commons or Open Database License for geodata). Innovative teaching methods will include short educational clips (educlips), e-learning platform, multimedia online maps (StoryMap platform), GeoGames (such as wherIgo, Shutterspot, Dériveor Geocaching), low-cost aerial photography (kite mapping) and many more. All of these methods are born in the digital era and are valuable supplements to traditional classroom lecture, lab work and group discussions.