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From their outset, MOOCs have been envisioned as engines of change. Whereas early conceptions of MOOCs centered around providing universal access to high quality education, our goal is for MOOCs to be key actors or springboards in spurring local sustainability practices. MOOC participants and contributors from seven countries describe how their various MOOC experiences helped them to build nonprofit organizational capacity, innovate in their community engagement and environmental education practices, and launch lasting online and face-to-face networks. Design factors enabling MOOCs to contribute such public goods include facilitating and supporting online social networks and local groups as well as final projects where MOOC participants apply what they have learned to a local sustainability practice or action. This project also includes recognizing participants’ local practices such as through inviting them to co-author journal articles and eBooks and facilitating ongoing social media after the course ends. In terms of social change and impact, this ambitious team has designed one of the most exciting initiatives in the history of MOOCs. Through their assorted efforts, what has been learned via the MOOC can quickly impact local practices and actions.

More about the participants below the video

PDF of Presenter Slides from Episode #38:

Participants:

  • Marianne E. Krasny, Professor, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, USA
  • Gail L. Woon, Founder, EARTHCARE, Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, The Bahamas
  • Zahra Golshani, Research Associate, Institute for Health and Environment, University At Albany, Tigard, OR, USA
  • Michael Schrenk, Division Manager: Environment, Wild Serve NPC, Gauteng, South Africa
  • Masango (Massy) Roderick Warakula, Reverend, Anglican Church Diocese of Harare (CPCA), Harare, Zimbabwe

 

Marianne E. Krasny is professor of Natural Resources and Director of the Civic Ecology Lab at Cornell University. Her recent books include Civic Ecology (with K Tidball), Urban Environmental Education Review (with A Russ), Communicating Climate Change: A Guide for Educators (with A. Armstrong and J. Schuldt), and Grassroots to Global. She was director of EPA’s National Environmental Education Training Program and of the Garden Mosaics community gardening education program. She is also a Public Voices Fellow and an International Fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry. Dr Krasny particularly enjoys teaching environmental education MOOCs for international audiences, and has co-authored Ebooks, journal articles, and book chapters with online course participants who implement projects that enhance their local community.

Gail Woon is from Grand Bahama Island. Her degrees are in Environmental Technology/Aquaculture, Oceanographic Technology, and International Environmental Law. In addition, she has Expert Certificates in Global Environmental Education, Civic Ecology, and Biological Diversity Sampling Techniques. In 1988, she founded an environmental NGO (non-governmental organization) dedicated to Environmental Education called EARTHCARE. The EARTHCARE organization is active in many aspects of environmental issues affecting the nation and was instrumental in obtaining a ban on longline fishing in 1993. EARTHCARE received a grant from SWOT (State of the World’s Oceans Turtles) wherein they distributed volumes on Marine Turtles to all of the schools and libraries on the island of Grand Bahama and has received several grants from the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association.

Zahra Golshani has been involved in international training and capacity building since early 2016. She obtained her PhD in human dimensions of environmental systems from the University of Illinois at Urban-Champaign, followed by a one year post-doctoral at Cornell University. Her first international training was a collaboration with Cornell University on a course called: global environmental education: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Addressing Wicked Problems. That collaboration extended itself to a new position at SUNY- Albany. Here, Dr Golshani joined an international training of trainers program, as an instructor, course developer, facilitator, and students supervisor. Her own research broadly covers the human dimensions of water resource management. She recently conducted a study that assessed minorities participation in urban river stewardship programs in southeast Portland.

Michael Schrenk obtained his degree from the school of civil and environmental engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. At the time, he began to learn that nature and mankind can and must harmonise. An understanding of the need for these harmonies drove him to leave behind a corporate engineering career and help start the organisation Wild Serve. The Wildlife Warriors programme, which Schrenk co-founded, engaged over 1,000 underprivileged young students on the value of wildlife and wild spaces before it was transferred to Wild Serve. Schrenk has more than 5 years of experience in working with a large variety of urban wildlife species including mammals, reptiles, and birds. He is also a world champion martial artist and enjoys travelling.

Masango Roderick Warakula is an ordained Anglican Priest in the Diocese of Harare, Zimbabwe. He is a holder of a MSc in International Relations from Bindura University of Science Education. He is a very passionate lecturer in Ecotheolgy and a peace activist. In his spare time, he volunteers with the Scout Movement and works with youths from displaced societies. He is interested in environmental and social justice issues.