Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 10 | Page 22

22 | JADE
ARTICLE #1 | 23
TRACKING SUSTAINABILITY CONCEPTS IN GEOLOGY AND
EARTH SCIENCE TEACHING AND LEARNING, KEELE UNIVERSITY, UK
STEVEN L. ROGERS, STUART S. EGAN, & IAN G. STIMPSON
ESC-30028
Economic Geology Process and mechanisms of ore body formation.
Includes coal and aggregate material.
1, 6, 7
8
10
ESC-30030
Advanced
Petrology and
Structural
Geology Field
Course Igneous and metamorphic rocks in the field with
an emphasis on crustal evolution and associated
geological structures. ESC-30033
Volcanic and
magmatic
processes Volcanic and magmatic processes in the field (e.g.
physical volcanology, volcanic hazards, global
environmental change). ESC-30034
Advanced Topics in
Sedimentology Analytical methods of seismic and sequence
stratigraphy, relating sediments to regional
tectonic and eustatic controls. 13, 14, 15 8
ESC-30036
Exploration
Geophysics
for the Hydrocarbon
Industry Geophysical techniques used in the hydrocarbon
exploration industry are investigated. Career
preparation for those wishing to enter
hydrocarbon exploration. 1, 7 8, 12
ESC-30038
Geological
Communication
Skills The communication of complex geological
issues, including and awareness of Earth science,
sustainability and social awareness.
4, 9, 11
13, 15
representing the four basic elements of the planet, the solid earth
(geosphere), life on the planet (the biosphere), the Earth’s water
reservoirs (the hydrosphere) and the atmosphere (Fig. 2). The
module also places emphasis on how these systems interact in terms
of physical, geochemical and environmental processes as well as
how Society (the anthroposphere) is interacting with parts of the
Earth System, which, in turn, is closely linked to sustainability issues.
1, 2, 3
1, 2, 3, 4,
6, 7, 8, 9,
11, 12, 13,
14, 15
Table 2: A visual matrix of links between modules currently run as part of the
by Geology and Geoscience degree programmes and the UN’s SDGs. Brief
descriptions of the module content are provided, these are summarised from
the respective module descriptions available to current and prospective
students. Numbers in the “Link” columns correspond to the individual SDGs:
1, No Poverty. 2, Zero Hunger. 3, Good Health and Well-Being. 4, Quality
Education. 5, Gender Equality. 6, Clean Water and Sanitation. 7, Affordable
and Clean Energy. 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth. 9, Industry,
Innovation and Infrastructure. 10, Reduce Inequalities. 11, Sustainable Cities
and Communities. 12, Responsible Consumption and Production. 13, Climate
Action. 14, Life Below Water. 15, Life on Land. 16, Peace, Justice and Strong
Institutions. 17, Partnerships for the Goals.
Module ESC-10048, The Earth System
An example of embedding sustainability in the geology curriculum
The Earth System is the title of a bespoke module belonging to the
first year of the Single Honours Geology course offered at Keele. It
is concerned with studying the Earth using an Earth System Science
approach (e.g. Skinner and Murck, 2011), which is an interdisciplinary
concept that is new to most, if not all, students taking the module.
The Earth System is often represented by interacting "spheres"
16, 17
Figure 2: The Earth System is underpinned by four basic components; the
atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the geosphere and the biosphere. There is
continuous interaction between these components in terms of the flow of
energy and matter that controls climatic and environmental conditions
on Earth.
The module was introduced in the 2009–10 academic year as part
of the new Single Honours Geoscience programme (now renamed
to Single Honours Geology). The main rationale for introducing the
module was to add some interdisciplinarity to the Single Honours
Geoscience programme, pulling in aspects from other disciplines
such as Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Oceanography,
Physical Geography, etc. In addition, the QAA’s Subject Benchmark
Statement for the Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences and
Environmental Studies (ES3; QAA 2007) emphasised the need for
ES3 degree programmes to “focus on understanding Earth systems
in order to learn from the past, understand the present and influence