Learning to Change Universities from Within: A Service-Learning Perspective on Promoting Sustainable Consumption in Higher Education

Journal of Cleaner Production, 46 (2013)

21 Pages Posted: 12 Jul 2013

See all articles by Maik Adomßent

Maik Adomßent

Leuphana University of Lueneburg

Matthias Barth

Leuphana University of Lueneburg

Daniel Fischer

Arizona State University, School of Sustainability; Leuphana University of Lueneburg

Sonja Richter

Leuphana University of Lueneburg

Marco Rieckmann

University of Vechta

Date Written: April 29, 2013

Abstract

Progression towards more sustainable consumption patterns is a key challenge of the 21st century. Higher education plays a crucial role in this in as much as it significantly contributes to building the capacity of future generations to deal with real-world problems of unsustainable consumption. However, conceptually substantiated approaches to educating for sustainable consumption in universities are still poorly developed. This paper contributes to bridging this gap. It merges two separate fields of scholarship (service learning and incidental learning) and analyses key aspects of a teaching approach to promote learning for sustainable consumption in higher education. A case example of a series of project-based seminars is presented that illustrates how the conceptual approach can be applied in practice. Here it is illustrated how the integration of the concept of transdisciplinarity into service learning can help to further develop the concept to support rich and meaningful learning settings for students The paper concludes with a critical appraisal of the approach for moving the agenda of higher education for sustainable development in the context of consumption forward and a call for further research.

Keywords: Service learning, higher education, sustainable consumption, incidental learning, organisational culture, transdisciplinary collaboration

Suggested Citation

Adomßent, Maik and Barth, Matthias and Fischer, Daniel and Richter, Sonja and Rieckmann, Marco, Learning to Change Universities from Within: A Service-Learning Perspective on Promoting Sustainable Consumption in Higher Education (April 29, 2013). Journal of Cleaner Production, 46 (2013), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2293022

Maik Adomßent

Leuphana University of Lueneburg ( email )

Scharnhorststrasse 1
Lüneburg, 21314
Germany

Matthias Barth (Contact Author)

Leuphana University of Lueneburg ( email )

Scharnhorststraße 1
Lüneburg, 21335
Germany

Daniel Fischer

Arizona State University, School of Sustainability ( email )

Wrigley Hall
800 S. Cady Mall
Tempe, AZ 85287-5502
United States
+1 (480) 965 9622 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://sustainability.asu.edu/person/daniel-fischer/

Leuphana University of Lueneburg ( email )

Universitaetsallee 1
Lüneburg, 21335
Germany

Sonja Richter

Leuphana University of Lueneburg ( email )

Scharnhorststraße 1
Lüneburg, 21335
Germany

Marco Rieckmann

University of Vechta ( email )

Driverstr. 22
Vechta, 49377
Germany

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