Integrating climate change across the disciplines: review of a faculty learning community and student climate literacy assessment model

Abstract

This paper begins with a broader discussion of the current efforts to address the gap in integrating the topic of climate change across university curricula. This context informs the study’s primary objective of evaluating the efficacy of a two-phase faculty learning community (FLC) and student climate literacy assessment model, designed and implemented as an exploratory case study at an American Midwestern university, in promoting (1) climate change pedagogy and (2) climate change literacy and engagement among students. Methods include: surveys of the FLC to assess how well it prepares faculty to add or revise climate change coverage in their courses, climate literacy and engagement tests of students in these courses, and faculty debrief reports at the conclusion of course revision implementation. Faculty surveys indicated appreciation of interdisciplinary dialogue and collaborative learning, though debrief reports highlighted a need for additional training on climate change and guidance in assignment design and assessment. Climate literacy and engagement surveys demonstrate improved scores among the student population in the assessed areas, and growth in levels of student engagement with the topic. The paper offers suggestions to address FLC time constraints and the reliability of the climate literacy results for those considering employing this model.