Environmental Decision-Making


Environmental Decision-Making

Team and Contact
Online Access
Intellectual Property and Dissemination
Related Publications

Gary Brierley
Physical Geography, Macquarie University
Content expert, Primary Designer

Mick Hillman
Physical Geography, Macquarie University
Content expert,Tutor

CONTACT
mhillman@els.mq.edu.au

Elizabeth Devonshire
At time of project development Centre for Flexible Learning, Macquarie University
Now at School of Indigenous Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney
Content expert, educational theory

Leigh-Anne Funnell
Centre for Flexible Learning, Macquarie University
Scripted the round table simulation; incorporated simulation into a WebCT unit.

Open access to the actual learning setting cannot be made available because of student confidentiality issues and the fact that this component forms an important learning space for students.

Note: Extensive guidelines about how to design and implement Online Role Play plus examples of various role-play designs are available in the "Guides" section of this web site.

According to Macquarie Research Limited, in technical terms copyright subsists in the round-table teaching tool that is documented here. However, Macquarie University has no problems granting warranty-free licenses to anyone who want to use this tool, or wishes to build on it for academic purposes. Macquarie University will be prepared to execute any documentation required relating to this. Macquarie Research Limited will act on behalf of the university on this matter, if required.

Brierley, G.J., Hillman, M. and Devonshire, L. 2002. Learning to participate: Responding to challenges in Australian land and water management policy and practice. Australian Journal of Environmental Education.

Abstract:
Rapid changes to resource and environmental management systems are occurring in Australia. These include increased emphasis on a whole-of-ecosystem approach, adaptive management, and community participation in decision-making. The need to respond to these rapid changes raises new educational challenges, which are being addressed in the Resource and Environmental Management program at Macquarie University through a round table exercise in environmental decision-making. Using an environmental flow allocation scenario, with a combination of face-to-face meetings and online tasks, this role-play activity requires students to assume a stakeholder role, formulate a position paper, question the views of other stakeholders, and negotiate to reach a consensus-based outcome. A key outcome is the learners' active engagement in an authentic task that exposes them to many of the uncertainties they will face in professional practice.