Creating Space for Student Action and Reflection on Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to provide insight to delivering global sustainability education in online asynchronous environments. High impact educational practices such as service-learning, community-based learning and global learning often require face-to-face interaction and off-campus travel. Few high impact practices are offered in an asynchronous online environment, highlighting a need in sustainability education that was made particularly urgent by the covid-19 pandemic. To address this need, an online asynchronous course was developed focused on Zero Hunger. Students explore different aspects of food security in domestic and international settings through asynchronous modules before being tasked in the creation of an individual action plan to address the issue of food security in a designated target audience. Students work independently on the action plans culminating their learning with an impact report presentation to the class community. The authenticity of the learning experience is increased by harnessing the power of student autonomy and student voice in crafting the application of course content knowledge. Intentional reflection on all aspects of the action project, including project impact, is a key aspect of enduring student learning. Course participants have the opportunity for cultural learning and intercultural communication due to a multinational cohort of students in each class. Well-designed high impact educational practices can play an important role in sustainability education in online, on-demand environments.