Teachers Talk Tech is a podcast series about the role of technology in language learning and teaching. In conversations with leading experts from around the world, along with members of the Cambridge University Press & Assessment team, we discuss the latest developments in the field and offer suggestions for teachers on how best to use technology to support learning inside and outside the classroom.
Educational sustainability is about making the education process itself more sustainable (unlike education for sustainability, which is more about raising students’ environmental awareness). This means developing a culture of continuous improvement in teaching and learning while enriching rather than using up community resources. The aim is to develop long-term wellbeing for everyone involved in the education process. But how do teachers go about this? And what role does technology play? And how do we keep the human element at the centre of all this?
In this conversation Hayo Reinders speaks with André Hedlund, educational consultant, and Andrea Vinkler of Cambridge University Press & Assessment about what educational sustainability is, what it can look like in the classroom and where teachers can start to learn more about this fascinating topic.
After listening
Once you have listened to the podcast, the following reflective questions can act as prompts to consider educational sustainability in your context:
- What would my classroom look like if I minimized the use of technology? What would be the advantages and disadvantages?
- When integrating technology into your classroom, how do you assess the effectiveness of each tool?
- How can you raise students’ awareness about ways of using technology outside the classroom that are beneficial for them in the long term?
- When the impact of technology on your teaching feels overwhelming, take a step back and consider:
- What is beyond my control and should be let go?
- What is one thing I can experiment with today?
- What is something my colleagues, director or students could help with?
To learn more
Below are a number of resources, where you can learn more about the topics discussed in this episode.
Cambridge University and Assessment’s framework Sustainability in English language teaching framework is a great starting point, as is the white paper on Sustainability in ELT. These are part of our broader Life Competencies framework.
Last year we also published research on teachers’ perspectives on the impact of generative AI in language learning and teaching.
André recommends Jonathan Haidt’s book ‘How smartphones and social media impact mental health and the realistic solutions’, as well as ‘Screen damage. The dangers of digital media for children’, by Michel Desmurget. In the YouTube video ‘Chá Pedagógico – Mobile Phones: BANNED!’ André discuses the impact of technology on learning. If you’re interested in learning more about the Sciences of Learning, André has a blog with access to various talks and articles.
Finally, Hayo recommends a couple of his publications on this topic:
- Hays, J. & Reinders, H. (2020). Sustainable learning and education: A curriculum for the future, UNESCO International Review of Education – Journal of Lifelong Learning, 66(1), 29-52. A free pre-print of this publication is available here.
- Hays, J., & Reinders, H. (2023). Discontinuity, sustainability, and critical learnership: Development, dynamics, and demand. In E. Meletiadou (Ed.), Handbook of research on implications of sustainable development in higher education (pp. 115-143). IGI Global. . A free pre-print of this publication is available here.