Teaching Online in Response to Climate Change

Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS) have released the report Navigating Climate Change – Scenarios for Australia’s Tertiary Education Sector (June 2025). 

ACTS recommend universities:

1. "Provide educational capabilities that ensure that future generations are resilient, creative and can provide the leadership Australia needs to navigate the challenges ahead.
2. Undertake research that helps find the technological, societal, political and environmental solutions to the challenges ahead, thereby attracting increasing levels of research funding.
3. Connect with their communities to support adaptation.
4. Connect with local authorities in responding to extreme weather events."

More specifically ACTS says one way universities can address climate change is by educating students about it, and another is with online learning. The Australian Computer Society (ACS) commissioned me to design and run an online course for computer students, to teach them to address the problem of global warming. The course was first run in 2009 for ACS, then by ANU (as COMP7310). One of my ANU students adapted the course for Canada, where it is still offered by Athabasca University today. I suggest universities could run more such courses for relevant professions, making them available online, and as micro-credentials.  

Ten years of Innovation Connection in Canberra: trash & tea

 

Greetings from the 10th anniversary Canberra Innovation Network, First Wednesday Connect. Mr Michael Pettersson, Minister for Business is doing the honours. In the audience is a delegation from a Chinese university, hosted by University of Canberra. The minister entered into the spirit by keeping their speech short, on topic and ending with a call to action to entrepreneurs.

One of the entrepreneurs is "bin chicken" who has an instrumented bin here. The system has just been purchased by Canberra Institute of Technology. Also there is non-alcoholic drinks tasting by local brewers.

Industrial Design and Prototyping Info Session

Greetings from the Industrial Design and Prototyping Info Session at Canberra Innovation Network. I am not making a gadget but it helps me to know what some of my students do (the unis & CIT have maker spaces). The ACT Government is funding vouchers to pay for a startup's prototype making locally. This complements other schemes to refine the business idea first. 

Those interested in the ACS Prototyping voucher can:

1. Learn more: https://cbrin.com.au/act-prototyping-voucher-pilot/
2. Book a one-on-one chat : Project Coordinator Meeting
3. Submit an application: https://podio.com/webforms/29783323/2477415

It was surprising to learn US companies use Canberra designers and Sydney plastic manufacturers. Another was the suggestion to start at a high price point with small production run for a small company.

One interesting comment from Formswell, the design company involved with the scheme, was having Aldi copy your product it is a compliment. The example given was a curved two handed pizza cutter, which looks like a Bat'leth from Star Trek.