New publication “Analysis and support for participatory decision-making processes aimed at regional sustainable development strategies through the use of actor analysis methodology” available on-line

Abstract

In the framework of the project MOSUR and TAČR projects “Analysis and support for participatory decision-making processes aimed at regional sustainable development strategies through the use of actor analysis methodology” (2014‑2015); and “Use of regional sustainable development case studies in higher education and for the creation of Open Educational Resources” has our Center published the book "Exploring regional sustainable development issues. Using the case study approach in higher education". Book was edited by Andrew Barton and Jana Dlouhá. It brings together a total of seven regional sustainable development case studies that have been used as teaching materials for e-learning courses at the Charles University Environment Center in Prague, Czech Republic, and which form a part of its open education resources. Full text of the book is available here.

This book brings together a total of seven regional sustainable development case studies that have been used as teaching materials for e-learning courses at the Charles University Environment Center in Prague, Czech Republic, and which form a part of its open education resources. These case studies are accompanied in the opening pages of the book by two chapters describing the methods and approaches that we applied when teaching our e-learning courses and international summer schools held in the mountains of North Bohemia in partnerships with the Leuphana University of Lueneburg. The first chapter describes in detail the methods used in studying regional sustainable development issues from a case study perspective. The second chapter focuses on the Actor Analysis method, which was originally introduced to us by our colleagues from Leuphana University, and the third provides an example of how this method is used in a specific case in the Czech Republic. The other case studies  presented here were mostly used in the context of Globalization courses accredited at Charles University and offered on an interdisciplinary basis to other universities in the Czech Republic and abroad (through the Virtual Campus for Sustainable Europe and other networks). One case study is a product of the European Virtual Seminar,
which is an e-learning programme overseen by the Open University of the Netherlands but with tutors provided by a number of European universities, including Charles University, and one other is the result of an undergraduate diploma thesis. Together, the chapters aim to provide a theoretical basis for case study oriented teaching concerned with the social dimension of sustainable development (the role of actors on the global and regional level), shows the possibilities of a common development of open education resources (teachers in collaboration with students for the next generation of students), and outlines options for independent, problem oriented learning where research skills are practiced. In this context of transformative educational practices, it provides insight into qualitative methods of exploration based on direct or indirect experience, and examples of products of such work (case studies).