Tackling climate change through global learning : experiences and learnings from an international virtual course

Forrer, Carmen; Veith, Claudia

Publication type:	Conference other
Type of review:	Peer review (abstract)
Title:	Tackling climate change through global learning : experiences and learnings from an international virtual course
Authors:	Forrer, Carmen Veith, Claudia
et. al:	Yes
Proceedings:	SGM 2023 Abstract Volume 21st Swiss Geoscience Meeting
Page(s):	541
Pages to:	542
Conference details:	21st Swiss Geoscience Meeting, Mendrisio, Switzerland, 17-19 November 2023
Issue Date:	Nov-2023
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Swiss Academy of Science : Platform Geosciences
Language:	English
Subjects:	Climate change; Communication; Learning; International exchange
Subject (DDC):	363: Environmental and security problems 378: Higher education
Abstract:	Global learning, intercultural communication and virtual teamwork are at the heart of the programme called International Virtual Course: Tackling Climate Change through Global Learning. Students learn together and from each other about the challenges and strategies for coping with climate change in the agrifood system and test new forms of virtual collaboration. The international exchange enables insights into different realities and encourages a change of perspective. Both, in the global North-South understanding as well as in the didactic setting, classic role understandings are broken down in order to enable collaboration at eye-level between all students and also supervisors, enabling joint learning. The importance of climate change, the understanding of its complexity as well as learning about mitigation and adaptation strategies in education is also confirmed by literature (Reimers, 2021). In addition, the newest IPCC report (2023) states, climate change actions need to be based on equity and inclusivity in order to achieve long-term solutions and sustainable development. To combine the aspects of equity and inclusivity in climate change education, four universities from four continents - the Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados (UFGD), the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore (UASB), the University of Nairobi (UoN) and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) - developed this programme. Students learn about climate change in the agrifood system in different contexts and countries and develop intercultural communication skills. Due to its online format and low costs, the course is very climate friendly and socially inclusive. Since 2020, the course was carried out four times with a total of 143 students at the level of Bachelor/Undergraduate, Master, and PhD. The programme was concipated as a pilot-project and is constantly being improved. The course is structured in four phases with different events and communication tools. The structure with the responsible university for each phase and the description of tasks is shown in Figure 1. Strengths: The main strengths of this course are: the opportunity to participate with low costs and resources and that it is almost climate neutral but still allows for international experiences. To analyse and reflect on North-South-South collaboration on climate change, the course promotes mutual understanding of different backgrounds and realities. In addition, the course has a strong focus on social competences in intercultural and virtual collaboration. Through daily meetings and small group works, students learn and experience the importance of communicating at eye level. An overarching strength is the combination of the four participating universities, bringing together different expertise and a diverse knowledge base. Challenges: At the same time, the format faces different challenges: working together across different time zones, with sometimes poor internet connections, and cultural and language barriers. Therefore, continuous reflection on communication skills are needed and implemented. In our experience, these are the most challenging points: • Communication is more complex and time-consuming than expected. Especially in online settings it is important to talk about the expected communication and to allow enough time for it. • Commitment is more difficult in online settings. It is therefore even more important than in offline settings to create a personal and comfortable atmosphere in order to get students engaged. • Coaching sessions, where coaches interact with students on a personal level, are particularly important. • Conclusions and future perspectives In conclusion, we would like to emphasise that the learning and inclusion of social skills is essential for intercultural exchange in this course goes beyond technical skills. The emphasis on respect, tolerance, and building personal connections remains key, allowing personal topics to be explored and meaningful relationships to be cultivated over time. The use of online meetings during the pandemic has undoubtedly brought familiarity with virtual platforms, however on some occasions we could also identify aspects of corona fatigue. This innovative approach for international and intercultural learning experiences can be seen as a model for future courses in different settings. Publishing the concept as part of Open Educational Resources will make it widely accessible, contributing to inclusive and climate-friendly education.
URI:	https://geoscience-meeting.ch/sgm2023/wp-content/uploads/abstract_volume/SGM_2023_Symposium_18.pdf https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/30540
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	Life Sciences and Facility Management
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Natural Resource Sciences (IUNR)
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Life Sciences und Facility Management

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Forrer, C., & Veith, C. (2023). Tackling climate change through global learning : experiences and learnings from an international virtual course [Conference presentation]. SGM 2023 Abstract Volume 21st Swiss Geoscience Meeting, 541–542. https://geoscience-meeting.ch/sgm2023/wp-content/uploads/abstract_volume/SGM_2023_Symposium_18.pdf

Forrer, C. and Veith, C. (2023) ‘Tackling climate change through global learning : experiences and learnings from an international virtual course’, in SGM 2023 Abstract Volume 21st Swiss Geoscience Meeting. Swiss Academy of Science : Platform Geosciences, pp. 541–542. Available at: https://geoscience-meeting.ch/sgm2023/wp-content/uploads/abstract_volume/SGM_2023_Symposium_18.pdf.

C. Forrer and C. Veith, “Tackling climate change through global learning : experiences and learnings from an international virtual course,” in SGM 2023 Abstract Volume 21st Swiss Geoscience Meeting, Nov. 2023, pp. 541–542. [Online]. Available: https://geoscience-meeting.ch/sgm2023/wp-content/uploads/abstract_volume/SGM_2023_Symposium_18.pdf

FORRER, Carmen und Claudia VEITH, 2023. Tackling climate change through global learning : experiences and learnings from an international virtual course. In: SGM 2023 Abstract Volume 21st Swiss Geoscience Meeting [online]. Conference presentation. Swiss Academy of Science : Platform Geosciences. November 2023. S. 541–542. Verfügbar unter: https://geoscience-meeting.ch/sgm2023/wp-content/uploads/abstract_volume/SGM_2023_Symposium_18.pdf

Forrer, Carmen, and Claudia Veith. 2023. “Tackling Climate Change through Global Learning : Experiences and Learnings from an International Virtual Course.” Conference presentation. In SGM 2023 Abstract Volume 21st Swiss Geoscience Meeting, 541–42. Swiss Academy of Science : Platform Geosciences. https://geoscience-meeting.ch/sgm2023/wp-content/uploads/abstract_volume/SGM_2023_Symposium_18.pdf.

Forrer, Carmen, and Claudia Veith. “Tackling Climate Change through Global Learning : Experiences and Learnings from an International Virtual Course.” SGM 2023 Abstract Volume 21st Swiss Geoscience Meeting, Swiss Academy of Science : Platform Geosciences, 2023, pp. 541–42, https://geoscience-meeting.ch/sgm2023/wp-content/uploads/abstract_volume/SGM_2023_Symposium_18.pdf.