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Creating Change

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Time: Mon 3-Mar 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Location: Learning & Teaching Bldg [10T1]

Being TD Change-Oriented SoCIETIE KNOT Workshop

Summary

Today’s most pressing issues, such as climate change, misinformation, and rising inequality, are largely anthropogenic, meaning they are caused by human behaviour. Addressing these challenges therefore requires an understanding of human psychology and behaviour. In this KNOT, we explore theories and empirical findings to understand how behavioural change (broadly defined) can occur. We focus especially on applying these insights to environmental problems like climate change—arguably one of the most urgent challenges of our time.

Students will have the opportunity to apply what they learn by proposing solutions to a defined problem of interest.

Preparation

Please come with a specific issue they would like to address through changes in attitudes and behaviours.

This could be the topic that you are engaging with in your project/portfolio, or anything else that you are comfortable sharing with the class.

What participants will learn

  • Gain a deeper understanding of key psychological theories and concepts related to behaviour change
  • Learn how to apply behavioural science to real-world issues, especially in the context of sustainability
  • Develop critical thinking skills around the drivers and barriers of behavioural change
  • Design and communicate evidence-based, behaviourally informed solutions to defined problems

Advice

Change is an element of the Transdisciplinary Problem-Solving Graduate Attribute. A great set of resources have been compiled into the ANU Library's LibGuide, which includes books, journals, blogs, toolkits and other media on the topic.

Completion

Consider the attitudes and behaviours that you are trying to change, and see if you can put these into practice.

If it is a personal change experiment (such as adjusting to good habits), what did you learn about the process of change through the experience?

If it is a societal change experiment (such as solving climate change), you might like to explore what others have been doing to create change at different scales - such as in their local community.

Make a copy of any examples/data/experimental outputs (a photo, or digital copy) and include them with your reflection.

Material

There are some great resources on the ANU Library's LibGuide.

Explore some of the resources listed there, but if this topic grabs you a good place to start a deep dive is:

And there are some great videos under the topics:
  • Theory of change
  • Diffusion of Innovations
  • Choice architecture
  • Nudging


Written by
Kimin Eom
Created by
Kimin Eom
Reviewed by
Chris Browne