Sustainability and Social Responsibility

Forging an Activist Knowledge Ecology Through Discovery Learning During COVID, Social Unrest and Ecological Crisis: An Online Graduate Capstone Experience

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Abstract

The purpose of this teaching narrative is to highlight a graduate capstone scenario, overview the process, and share outcomes experienced during COVID through the lens of Earth Logic Action research as a method to teach and learn in a time of crisis. The Earth Logic Action Research starts from the simple but radical idea of putting the health and survival of our planet earth and consequently the future security and health of all species including humans, before industry, business, and economic growth and to genuinely address both the scale and speed of change required within the climate emergency. Considering the implicit elements of relationship building, listening, and reflection (amid a global pandemic and social and political unrest) outcomes of this unique teaching and learning scenario generated courageous new insights, making sustainability research as critical discourse relevant, communicating findings to pluralistic stakeholders and sharing insights in “informal” accessible formats to generate broader discussion and connection (Tham and Fletcher, 2019). Resultant products exemplify a new generation of sustainable “change agents” nurtured virtually to generate knowledge for action, empowerment, and change intensifying crises.

Keywords: Earth Logic, Climate crisis, Learning

How to Cite:

Cobb, K., Savage, E., McDevitt, L., Attema, L. & Radin, M., (2022) “Forging an Activist Knowledge Ecology Through Discovery Learning During COVID, Social Unrest and Ecological Crisis: An Online Graduate Capstone Experience”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 79(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.16102