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Greetings,

I was wondering if any of you knew about interactive activities, games,
and classroom simulations
for driving home the concepts related to the study of industrial ecology
(i.e. systems theory, LCA,
DfE, MFA, energy efficiency, process flow, etc.). I am developing a
graduate level class and
am looking for key activities to do with students that will help them to
better internalize what is taught
in the classroom.

Tony Sarkis
Antioch New England Graduate School

Tony,

One of the exercises I use with both our Business in Society courses and our
Greening of Business course focuses on Life Cycle Analysis. I typically use
it as the main activity for a 75 minute class. It's simple, but students
find it fun and insightful.

I show the students a simple LCA framework. I usually use the example of a
wooden bookcase to illustrate. Then I give them a handout showing the 5
life cycle phases in my simple framework. I walk around the room pulling
products from a duffle bag and giving each team (of 4 or 5 students) a
different product. I ask each team to do a quick LCA on the product.
Products I have used include:

a full plastic coke bottle
a full wine bottle
a last generation Nintendo Gameboy (on loan from my son)
a cotton shirt
an out of date textbook
a small lamp
(sometimes) a 13' TV
a picture of a Harley motorcycle
an outdated cell phone

I ask students to identify (or guess at) the primary materials. (I tell
them that if they don't know what a specific material is, or where it comes
from, to make a reasonable guess.) I then ask them to identify the main
impacts at each life cycle stage. Finally, I ask them to pick 1 or 2
impacts and identify one or two things they could do to reduce the impacts.

I typically limit the time for students to prepare their LCA to about 1/2
hour. I usually give them a transparency of the LCA framework, and ask them
to record their findings on the transparency. Then each team spends 3-5
minutes reporting their findings. If you pick a good mix of products,
students get the idea that different stages are most important for different
products. At this stage, students often point out that they have no idea
where plastics or other materials come from. That usually provokes some
interesting reflections.

If I'm working with a longer format class, I sometimes introduce the Natural
Step framework then ask them to identify which systems conditions the
product they used for the LCA violates. I ask them to suggest one or two
ways the product or process could be changed to avoid violating one of the
system conditions.

I've used these approaches with undergrads, MBA students and executive ed
classes with good success.

I'd love to hear about other exercises people use.

Best regards,

Bruce Paton


-----Original Message-----
From: Organizations and the Natural Environment Discussion
[mailto:ONE-L@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of Anthony M. Sarkis
Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2006 3:13 PM
To: ONE-L@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
Subject: course development

Greetings,

I was wondering if any of you knew about interactive activities, games,
and classroom simulations
for driving home the concepts related to the study of industrial ecology
(i.e. systems theory, LCA,
DfE, MFA, energy efficiency, process flow, etc.). I am developing a
graduate level class and
am looking for key activities to do with students that will help them to
better internalize what is taught
in the classroom.

Tony Sarkis
Antioch New England Graduate School

For the past 8 years I have been running several graduate level classes
in a way that I think helps them internalise what is taught and develops
their personal presentation and teamwork skills.

At the beginning of the semester I distribute a schedule of topics and
each week teams are required to research and present lectures to the
rest of the class. It follows this cycle:
- week before I give an introduction of the topic and provide some
guidelines for each team to follow
- then I facilitate breakaway sessions for teams to consider topics and
plan their presentations
- over the ensuing week the teams prepare their presentations and email
me powerpoint presentations and a single page handout on the topic
- then the presentations are conducted
- marks are given for each presentation

This way, students are required to attend each lecture and pay attention
to what is happening. They are required to stand in front of their
peers and present something interesting as opposed to a half effort that
sometimes is submitted.

I benefit from having part time students who are business managers
during the day. So they tend to have some experience in reality and may
have even already applied some of the subject material in their work.
Doing this sort of thing with graduate students with no work experience
and right out of undergraduate degrees may not be as effective.

The students certainly rate my subjects very high (testimonial letters
about my lecturing style are available if anyone needs convincing at
bottom of http://intergon.net/test.html).

Lionel Boxer CD PhD MBA BTech(IndEng) - 0411267256
Research Fellow - lionel.boxer@rmit.edu.au
Centre for Management Quality Research
In Stores Now: The Sustainable Way - http://intergon.net/tsw
Improvement Implementation: http://intergon.net
>>> sarkia@USADATANET.NET 01/22/06 10:13 AM >>>
Greetings,

I was wondering if any of you knew about interactive activities, games,
and classroom simulations
for driving home the concepts related to the study of industrial ecology

(i.e. systems theory, LCA,
DfE, MFA, energy efficiency, process flow, etc.). I am developing a
graduate level class and
am looking for key activities to do with students that will help them to

better internalize what is taught
in the classroom.

Tony Sarkis
Antioch New England Graduate School

Anthony,

in the early 1990s there were three lca studies on disposable and
reuseable diapers.

I used to give these studies to groups and ask each group to make a
presentation to the calss on their LCA.

key issues were:

1. who was it written for
2. who was it written by
3. what were the main results ad findings
4. what were`the key assumptions
5. what was good/bad about the LCA


After the three presentations we then examined why three so-called
objective studies came up with such different results.

This was designed to help the students

1. appreciate the LCA, systems view

2. understand the key role of assumptions in LCA

3. appreciate how to read and comprehend and interpete an LCA

4. recognise its managerial value and use in product comparison for
marketing and for new product development

5. recognise that science may have an objective veneer, and is to a degree
socially-constructed


I also use to take the rating systems for environmnetal and sustainability
reports produced by different organizations - accountants, environmental
interests and a responsible investment task force

Give the students three reports to compare and rate using the measurement
system. They were then asked to report on:

1. the elements of the evaluation technique they were using

2. who designed it

3. How the three reports were rated using the evaluation technique

4. What was good in the reports but not recognised by the evaluation
technique


After three presentations we were then in a position to judge:

1. why did the techniques rate the reports i differnt ways and gie
different results

2. what did this say abou 'good' reports

3. how to construct a report that appealed to different constituencies

4. recognising the priorities attached by different stakeholders or
interest groups


I hope this is of value.

Nigel Roome











> Anthony there was a special issue in the Journal of Management Education
> on how to teach ONE, with references to experiential expercises. My own
> favorites include "the fish banks game," (teaches systems thinking re:
> natural systems - developed by Denis Meadows at UNH--very like the beer
> game made popular by Peter Senge --check with the Sustainability Inst also
> located in NH for updates). Also - for getting students anchored in their
> personal experience I use Mathis Wakernagel's ecofootprint questionaire -
> best done live on the internet in the class - debrief according to peple's
> national origin to reinforce how much we are greedy piggies in the USA!
> good luck!
>
> Hilary Bradbury-Huang, Ph.D.
>
> www.Bradbury-Huang.net
> cell phone: 626 372 1516
>
>
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: course development
> From: "Anthony M. Sarkis"
> Date: Sat, January 21, 2006 3:13 pm
> To: ONE-L@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
>
> Greetings,
>
> I was wondering if any of you knew about interactive activities, games,
> and classroom simulations
> for driving home the concepts related to the study of industrial ecology
> (i.e. systems theory, LCA,
> DfE, MFA, energy efficiency, process flow, etc.). I am developing a
> graduate level class and
> am looking for key activities to do with students that will help them to
> better internalize what is taught
> in the classroom.
>
> Tony Sarkis
> Antioch New England Graduate School

I wrote a case a while back -
http://business.wri.org/pubs_description.cfm?PubID=2395

Alpha Motors, Ltd.: Integrating life cycle environmental concerns into
product design

I have only taught with it once - and when I used it I found it to work
well. It comes with a spreadsheet that students can work with, in which
there are outcomes for financial and "life-cycle" costs. It forces students
to take into account a variety of factors when considering life cycle
impacts. Students also compare this particular life cycle tool with another
one and a good class discussion is about the pros and cons of both.

-----Original Message-----
From: Organizations and the Natural Environment Discussion
[mailto:ONE-L@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of roome@FSW.EUR.NL
Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 6:42 AM
To: ONE-L@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
Subject: Re: course development

Anthony,

in the early 1990s there were three lca studies on disposable and reuseable
diapers.

I used to give these studies to groups and ask each group to make a
presentation to the calss on their LCA.

key issues were:

1. who was it written for
2. who was it written by
3. what were the main results ad findings 4. what were`the key assumptions
5. what was good/bad about the LCA


After the three presentations we then examined why three so-called objective
studies came up with such different results.

This was designed to help the students

1. appreciate the LCA, systems view

2. understand the key role of assumptions in LCA

3. appreciate how to read and comprehend and interpete an LCA

4. recognise its managerial value and use in product comparison for
marketing and for new product development

5. recognise that science may have an objective veneer, and is to a degree
socially-constructed


I also use to take the rating systems for environmnetal and sustainability
reports produced by different organizations - accountants, environmental
interests and a responsible investment task force

Give the students three reports to compare and rate using the measurement
system. They were then asked to report on:

1. the elements of the evaluation technique they were using

2. who designed it

3. How the three reports were rated using the evaluation technique

4. What was good in the reports but not recognised by the evaluation
technique


After three presentations we were then in a position to judge:

1. why did the techniques rate the reports i differnt ways and gie different
results

2. what did this say abou 'good' reports

3. how to construct a report that appealed to different constituencies

4. recognising the priorities attached by different stakeholders or interest
groups


I hope this is of value.

Nigel Roome











> Anthony there was a special issue in the Journal of Management Education
> on how to teach ONE, with references to experiential expercises. My own
> favorites include "the fish banks game," (teaches systems thinking re:
> natural systems - developed by Denis Meadows at UNH--very like the
> beer game made popular by Peter Senge --check with the Sustainability
> Inst also located in NH for updates). Also - for getting students
> anchored in their personal experience I use Mathis Wakernagel's
> ecofootprint questionaire - best done live on the internet in the
> class - debrief according to peple's national origin to reinforce how much
we are greedy piggies in the USA!
> good luck!
>
> Hilary Bradbury-Huang, Ph.D.
>
> www.Bradbury-Huang.net
> cell phone: 626 372 1516
>
>
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: course development
> From: "Anthony M. Sarkis"
> Date: Sat, January 21, 2006 3:13 pm
> To: ONE-L@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
>
> Greetings,
>
> I was wondering if any of you knew about interactive activities,
> games, and classroom simulations for driving home the concepts related
> to the study of industrial ecology (i.e. systems theory, LCA, DfE,
> MFA, energy efficiency, process flow, etc.). I am developing a
> graduate level class and am looking for key activities to do with
> students that will help them to better internalize what is taught in
> the classroom.
>
> Tony Sarkis
> Antioch New England Graduate School

I've been tasked to teach, in the not-too-distant future, a course
titled: "Assessing Performance in Sustainable Enterprise." This course is
part of our "MSM" (Master of Science in Management) program. I have
considerable leeway in designing the course, though part of the emphasis is
supposed to be on helping our students understand triple bottom line /
sustainable balanced score card types of measures. Anyone have a syllabus
they'd be willing to share? Or any advice on how to design such a course?
It will be taught in 8 weeks, in four-hour blocks.

Thanks,
Mike Barnett

Hi Mike,

I have developed a couple of sessions in my current elective on how to
assess business environmental performance. See syllabus attached.
Let's talk as we are trying to develop a similar elective at UC Santa
Barbara.

Best,

Magali

Magali Delmas
Assistant Professor
Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management
University of California, Santa Barbara
CA 93106-5131
Phone (805) 893-7185
Email: delmas@bren.ucsb.edu
http://www.bren.ucsb.edu/~delmas/

-----Original Message-----
From: Organizations and the Natural Environment Discussion
[mailto:ONE-L@aomlists.pace.edu] On Behalf Of Mike Barnett
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 9:29 AM
To: ONE-L@aomlists.pace.edu
Subject: Course Development

I've been tasked to teach, in the not-too-distant future, a course
titled: "Assessing Performance in Sustainable Enterprise." This course is
part of our "MSM" (Master of Science in Management) program. I have
considerable leeway in designing the course, though part of the emphasis is
supposed to be on helping our students understand triple bottom line /
sustainable balanced score card types of measures. Anyone have a syllabus
they'd be willing to share? Or any advice on how to design such a course?
It will be taught in 8 weeks, in four-hour blocks.

Thanks,
Mike Barnett