How Information and Communications Technologies Can Support Education for Sustainable Development

The document examines the role of ICTs in advancing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), arguing that technology can move education from a traditional objectivist model to a 'connectivist' approach. It identifies three primary uses of ICTs: as information resources for educators, as supplements to classroom activities (such as real-time research and systems thinking simulations), and as tools for distance and online learning. The report highlights the shift toward 'School 2.0,' where learners actively construct knowledge through collaboration and real-world experience, and notes the potential for bridging the digital divide through initiatives like 'one laptop per child.' It concludes that while ICT tools are proliferating, more research is needed to explicitly link these technologies to ESD outcomes and to develop new metrics for measuring sustainability-oriented learning.

• Traditional education systems often fail to influence sustainable behaviors because they rely on an objectivist approach where knowledge is instructed as independent of the learner's experience, which prevents students from connecting their actions to planetary impacts.
• George Siemens proposes 'connectivism' as a learning theory for the digital age, suggesting that learning now occurs outside individuals in technology and networks, shifting the focus from learner-centered to collective-centered learning.
• ICTs support ESD by increasing access to sustainability materials and promoting new interactive ways of learning that emphasize choices, values, and actions over simple knowledge acquisition.
• Real-time, real-world learning is facilitated by ICTs that allow students to follow scientific expeditions or track wildlife via satellite telemetry, such as the 'Space for Species' resource.
• Systems thinking in ESD is promoted through interactive multimedia, including modelling software like STELLA and simulations like SimCity and 'My Adobo,' which allow users to see how choices affect the climate.
• Distance learning (DL) is critical for ESD's reach; for example, the United Nations Global Virtual University offers a fully online Master’s degree in Global Environment and Development Studies.
• The 'School 2.0' trend involves a shift where the teacher becomes a facilitator and the 'classroom' becomes a remote, online environment where students share and construct knowledge based on real-world experience.
• Efforts to bridge the digital divide, such as the 'one laptop per child' (OLPC) program, are increasing ICT access in developing countries, with significant orders in Peru and Uruguay and shipments to Rwanda, Mongolia, Haiti, and Afghanistan.
• The report identifies a lack of specific research demonstrating the synergies between ICTs and ESD, suggesting a need for policy development that explicitly encourages ICT integration into ESD curricula.

APA

Paas, L., & Creech, H. (2008). How Information and Communications Technologies Can Support Education for Sustainable Development. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/ict_education_sd_trends.pdf

Chicago

Paas, Leslie, and Heather Creech. How Information and Communications Technologies Can Support Education for Sustainable Development. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2008. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/ict_education_sd_trends.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Paas |first1=Leslie |last2=Creech |first2=Heather |title=How Information and Communications Technologies Can Support Education for Sustainable Development |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=January 2008 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/ict_education_sd_trends.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{paas2008how, author = {Paas, Leslie and Creech, Heather}, title = {{How Information and Communications Technologies Can Support Education for Sustainable Development}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2008}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/ict_education_sd_trends.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }