Nurturing Adaptive Capacity Through Self-regulated Learning for Online Postgraduate Courses on Climate Change Adaptation

Abstract

The University of the South Pacific provides postgraduate courses on climate change adaptation across the South Pacific region to 12 countries. In 2014 a programme to implement research skill development was extended to the postgraduate courses. The implementation process over four semesters culminated in a pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of a model of pedagogy for postgraduate climate change education that was critically developed over the period. A challenge facing the project was the need to increasingly use a purely online mode of delivery. The approach taken was to explore possible synergies that might be found between self-regulated learning necessary for online courses, research skill development, and the adaptive capacity required for effective climate change adaptation. Postgraduate students were nurtured to understand, and required to participate with, adaptive capacity to initiate research relevant for the climate change adaptation needed within the region they live and work. Self-regulated learning pedagogy was integrated with research skill development pedagogy, by focusing on the recursive processes involved, including the need for feedforward as well as feedback, and aligning it with the adaptive capacity required for climate change adaptation. Helpful practical developments in online delivery were discovered. In the fourth semester, to gain an initial assessment of the effectiveness of the pedagogy for postgraduate climate change education that was critically developed, a pre-post survey was conducted. A total of 21 students out of a 34 (63%) participated in the pre-survey and 16 students out of 30 (53%) participated in the post-survey. There were 19 questions in the survey. 68% (13) of the questions showed highly significant improvement (p < 0.05) and 90% (17) showed significant improvement (p < 0.1). It was concluded that it is possible to efficiently provide effective and relevant postgraduate climate change education for developing nations that are bearing the brunt of climate change.