The University of Texas at Dallas
AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Gary
Cocke Sustainability Director Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution conduct an assessment of the sustainability literacy of its students?:
Which of the following best describes the literacy assessment? The assessment is administered to::
Which of the following best describes the structure of the assessment? The assessment is administered as a::
A copy of the questions included in the sustainability literacy assessment(s):
A list or sample of the questions included in the sustainability literacy assessment or the website URL where the assessment tool may be found:
The Comets to the Core Project requires students to work individually and in small teams to analyze several solutions to a complex world problem. For Fall 2022, students will focus on the issue of sustainable public transportation in the City of Dallas. This topic aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #11 of Sustainable Cities and Communities. Additional information about the Comets to the Core Project is available in E-learning.
Students complete the following assignments as part of the Comets to the Core Project:
Perceived skills assessment.
Short essay (2-3 pages) in response to a series of questions related to your project.
Group contract.
Group video pitch (5-7 minutes) to potential investors and/or a grant review board as if they are attempting to secure funding to implement their solution.
Evaluation and reflection survey.
A brief description of how the literacy assessment was developed and/or when it was adopted:
Comets to the Core began in 2017 as a project-based method for assessing core curriculum. Sustainability was chosen as the lens through which project assignments could be presented and sustainability learning outcomes were adopted.
A brief description of how a representative sample was reached (if applicable) and how the assessment(s) were administered :
Comets to the Core is a co-curricular requirement that began in the fall semester of 2017 for all first-time in college freshmen. Comets to the Core is completed during the fall semester of students first and third years at UT Dallas through the UNIV 1010/2020 course sequence.
A brief summary of results from the literacy assessment(s):
Students in the Comets to the Core class showed significant improvement in their abiltiy to identify social, political, environmental , and economic components of complex sustainabilty issues when comparing year 3 assignments to year 1. Proposed solutions to sustainability challenges in year 3 showed significantly greater attention to root causes and systemic nature of sustainability challenges than did solutions from year 1 students.
Website URL where information about the sustainability literacy assessment is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.