By: Shirin Betzler (Osnabrück University) and Lisa Hollands (Vechta University)

Session type: Single session, Undergraduate/TT level, Medium size

Topics:

• Personal consumption

• Consumption as habitual

• From efficiency to sufficiency

 

Introduction to the teaching example:

The purpose of the exercise is to encourage students to reflect on their particular "building sites"—their strengths and shortcomings in their personal, professional, and academic environments and how these behaviors can be grouped along the strategies of sustainable development efficiency, consistency and sufficiency. Along these lines, a conversation on sustainable consumption patterns is sparked. Students are encouraged to identify particular behaviors that need to be improved and be inspired by positive examples of others.

 

The educator first explains the concept of efficient, consistent, and sufficient ways of consumption choices in a presentation. Then, in small groups, the students compile examples for each approach, connecting the concepts to positive and negative consumption behaviors in their personal and professional lives. Students are encouraged to reflect on the “building sites” that might require changes or development. Posters displaying the outcomes of this brainstorming session are then showcased and talked about in the plenary. Finally, a discussion on how to incite change follows, exchanging ideas and best practices within the collective.