SADC
Regional Environmental Education Programme

Process of development of materials

Research in resource materials development in southern Africa has revealed a shift from Research Design Dissemination Adopt (RDDA) to more participatory approaches. The first publication of the book Developing Curriculum Frameworks benefited from contributions by 62 environmental education practitioners from eight SADC countries. Although it was first published in 1999, consultation had started in 1997. The other one, Development, Adaptation and Use of Learning Support Materials , was published in collaboration with 20 participants from 13 SADC countries.

In the most recent review of the SADC REEP, the following categories of learning support materials were identified as priorities, to be supported by the Programme;

• Materials in the category of Information on Environmental Issues are designed to focus on providing information about topical and relevant issues. They include examples like the ' Enviro Fact Sheets' .
• Materials in the category of Tools of Science for Conducting Investigation focus on enabling learners to engage with local environmental issues and risks through using the 'tools of science' to undertake field work enquiry in a relevant setting. Such materials include ' Water Testing kits or the Cholera Test Kit' .
• Then there are materials designed for Decision Making and Action Taking which focus on enabling learners to take action to address environmental issues and risks like the ' How To' series booklets and the ' Action Magazine' .
• Lastly there are materials used as Tools for Reporting whose focus is on enabling learners to report on processes of information seeking, enquiry and action taking in response to environmental issues and risks. Examples in this category include the ' Schools and Sustainability Pack / School Environmental Policy Pack and Management Plan
• The SADC REEP has therefore prioritised the development of learning support materials that enhance environmental learning processes in context. The programme has recently focused attention not only on the development of learning support materials, but on the way in which learning support materials are used.

Learning Support Materials

Supporting EE and ESD in Higher Education Institutions in southern Africa

This publication was informed by the materials developed by practitioners from the 14 SADC countries over the last 10 years, particularly from materials developed in the context of Teacher Education programmes.  This source book is open-ended to support teaching and learning in environmental and sustainability education in higher education institutions.  It supports practitioners to strengthen their courses and encourages them to add their own experiences in dealing the environmental and sustainability issues
Download Here [1.84MB]

MESA (UNEP Course)

The Mainstreaming Environment and Sustainability in African Universities is a UNEP initiative that has built on the work of the Course Development Network. The objective of the MESA programme is to support university lecturers and management to bring in innovations in teaching, learning, research, community support and university management. During the past year the SADC REEP has worked closely with UNEP, UNESCO, the Global Virtual University, the Association of African Universities and many others to develop course material and to conduct courses for participants from throughout Africa. This will be an ongoing initiative and we look forward to working with individual universities to support innovations in environment and sustainability at higher education institutions in the SADC region.

Course Development Toolkit

The Course Developers Toolkit comprises of five source books developed to strengthen aspects of course development in support of environmental and sustainability education processes.

Source book 1: - Currently being revised
Deliberating curriculum frameworks in adult learning

Source book 2:- Download [1.7MB]
Supporting adult learning and tutoring

Source book 3: - Download [2.3MB]
Course materials development for adult learning

Source book 4: Download [1.2MB]
Development, adaptation and use of learning support materials -

Source book 5: - Download [1.1MB]
Course evaluation in adult education programme

The sourcebooks draw on the experience of a range of course developers in southern Africa, and are an output of the SADC Course Development Network, established by the SADC Regional Environmental Education Programme in 1999, and funded by Sida. Course experiences informing the books are drawn from a range of southern African country contexts including: Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mauritius and South Africa (amongst others). The source books therefore provide a regional vantage point on issues of transforming education to address Africa's socio-ecological and development questions.

The Monograph

This monograph provides a number of case stories illustrating how higher education institutions are developing and institutionalising new education and training programmes. These case studies include stories of course development from Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Swaziland and South Africa (amongst others) providing a regional vantage point on issues of transforming education to address Africa's socio-ecological and development questions.

CDN - Our Environment Our Stories

This publication emanated from the need identified during the course of the Course Developers Network project for a selection case stories that showcase environmental education research within a variety of SADC contexts. Such stories could form the basis for deliberation and reflection within environmental education research courses taught in inter alia formal education programmes.

For more details on the materials developed by the SADC Regional EE Programme and to receive copies contact Us .