The difference between self-directed learning and a MOOC
January 1, 2014
Happy New Year! And if your resolution is to learn something new – may I suggest learning online? The Web is a huge repository of information and resources, and it can fairly be said that you can learn anything on the Web from calligraphy to sewing, from PHP to coding games, from fundamentals of anatomy …
Countdown #30: top tips for a sustainable lifestyle
December 30, 2013
I asked on Twitter: what tip would you give someone just starting to make their lifestyle more sustainable? @ginnyfranklin started us off with a transport tip: how about: reduce your car use @TomFranklin chipped in: get and use a bicycle – walk or cycle to the shops, then extra trips don’t matter – I use …
Countdown #29: Five top tips to save water
December 29, 2013
Georgina Wood gives us her top tips for saving water at home: Put the plug in the sink when washing your face or brushing your teeth Fill up the washing machine and/or the dishwasher each time they’re used Take shorter showers instead of baths Wash fruit and vegetable in a dish or pan of water …
Countdown #28: a conversation about sustainability
December 28, 2013
Sustainability, of course, isn’t just for Christmas – we can make sustainable choices in every aspect of our daily lives. This Christmas in my family we have mostly managed recycling, and all my gift wrapping was re-used from last year! But the final one of the 3Rs is more of a struggle: reduce. I’d love …
Advent calendar #27: A recipe for a successful video shoot
December 27, 2013
Simon Barnett from our Video Team offers us his recipe for a successful video shoot: An idea of what you want to record 5 cameras and tripods 3 monitors Camera Track and Dolly (10metres in length) 1 Jib Crane 15 different lights with stands Video cable (lots) An audio mixer Audio cable (lots) 6 different …
Advent calendar #26: Tips on being a FutureLearn student
December 26, 2013
Having taken several FutureLearn courses now, as well as helping to set up and deliver the Sustainability, Society and You course, my top tips for being a FutureLearn student include: Interact with the other students, it’s so much better than trying to learn alone. And… .. learn with friends. It’s fun if family or friends …
Advent calendar #25: Using your Christmas leftovers
December 25, 2013
Sarah Speight writes: we have just finished running the ‘NOOC’ – the Nottingham Open Online Course, ‘Perspectives on Sustainability’. This is an internal University of Nottingham version of the Futurelearn MOOC, ‘Sustainability, Society and You’ that starts on January 6th. Our students have been carrying out audits of their domestic waste. While most of them …
Advent calendar #24: Are you an eco-tourist?
December 24, 2013
At least according to the adverts on TV, Christmas must be the time when people start planning their next holiday. So are you an eco-tourist or plan an eco-holiday this year? Eco-tourism involves being visiting areas of the planet that are more undisturbed, while trying to be low-impact and socially responsible. These holidays often have …
Advent calendar #23: My Sustainable [and early] Christmas
December 23, 2013
Sarah Speight writes: I think I get more and more concerned about consumer excess every Christmas. I’ve always been someone who prefers ‘useful’ presents myself and now I’ve extended this to my friends and family. If I am buying rather than making or growing (I’m not as advanced down this path as Mike Clifford, Advent …
Advent calendar #22: Influencing people
December 22, 2013
I was intrigued when reviewing the materials for our free online course Sustainability, Society and You (which starts on on January 6th) to see that there are a set of principles by which the UK Government aims to influence people’s behaviour. The approach is called ‘MINDSPACE’ (Dolan et al., 2010), which is an acronym for …
