Pedagogical Ecology
Course code
KAE6071.HR
old course code
Course title in Estonian
Pedagoogiline ökoloogia
Course title in English
Pedagogical Ecology
ECTS credits
3.0
Assessment form
Examination
lecturer of 2023/2024 Spring semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
lecturer of 2024/2025 Autumn semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
Course aims
To recognise the links between animate and inanimate nature and the development of humans and society; To develop knowledge of basic ecological concepts and approaches, and the links between ecological processes and the development of society; To shape a systematic understanding of the role and impact of humans on the environment and feedback mechanisms; To understand the links between the environment and the organism based on the theory of functional systems; To understand how the psyche and declaratory psyche are formed in the environment, what the role of language signs is in the formation of environments specific to humans and what the characteristics of this kind of environment are; To understand the role of the development of conceptual structure and thinking operations in its formation. The difference between behavioural environment and geographical environment, and understanding their importance. Meaningful linking of the declaratory psyche and environmental problems. Purposeful formation of the environment.
Brief description of the course
The course addresses key ecological concepts and approaches including ecological levels and organisations, ecological factors, regulations of populations, positive and negative feedback mechanisms in population dynamics, complex systems and cycles, adaptation – conforming and adapting, evolution, relationships between species, and cycles of matter and energy. All of the subjects are associated with practical examples of societal processes and human activities. In addition, the course addresses the role of the human in ecosystems and the human as part of the ecosystem, and explores the background to conflict situations that have led to global environmental problems which in turn have created a need for the concept of the sustainable development of society. In addition, the course addresses the nature of the environment formed by language signs, the development of thinking and the role of linguistic mediation in the development of an environment specific to humans; the meaning of language as a way to make sense of the environment (a specific form of perception). Among other things, the importance of conceptual development and linguistic mediation (variability) is addressed and exemplified in the context of the emergence, understanding and solving of environmental problems. The course addresses the relationship between the organism and the environment based on the functional systems theory.
Learning outcomes in the course
Upon completing the course the student:
- acknowledges animate and inanimate nature as an integrated, self-organising system;
- acknowledges the human as a biological being in an integrated ecosystem;
- is able to explain feedback mechanisms in the environment and the counteractions of ecosystems and human activities;
- understands the characteristics of a linguistically mediated environment;
- acknowledges the role of the development of thinking and thinking operations in the formation of an environment (and its problems) specific to humans.
- acknowledges animate and inanimate nature as an integrated, self-organising system;
- acknowledges the human as a biological being in an integrated ecosystem;
- is able to explain feedback mechanisms in the environment and the counteractions of ecosystems and human activities;
- understands the characteristics of a linguistically mediated environment;
- acknowledges the role of the development of thinking and thinking operations in the formation of an environment (and its problems) specific to humans.
Teacher
Mihkel Kangur, PhD, Grete Arro, PhD
Study programmes containing that course