EU-projektet LOESS har tagit fram utbildningsmaterial om jord och jordhälsa som riktar sig mot studenter och lärare på högskolenivå.
Nedan hittar du en kurs för universitetsstudenter om jord och hållbar utveckling vars innehåll har samskapats av studenter, en kurs om jord för lärarstudenter som läser biologi/miljöämnen, en kurs och en workshop för universitetslärare om samhällsengagerad forskning och lärande, på engelska Community Engaged Research and Learning. Här finns också en ordlista och en praktisk guide för utbildare som applicerar den pedagogiska modellen 5E i undervisning om jordhälsa. Allt material är på engelska.
Soil, Society, and Sustainability: A Modular Teaching Framework for Higher Education
Training modules for students by students
This module equips lecturers with theoretical foundations and practical tools to integrate soil education into teaching for sustainability. It includes four flexible sessions that can be combined or used independently. Basic knowledge of soil functions and threats can be acquired through self-study.
The module blends field-based experience, core soil science, and interactive, game-based learning to provide a holistic introduction to soils. Participants explore soils as living ecosystems, learn about their functions, threats, and protection, and work with digital and hands-on tools to analyse soil health. They also engage with educational methods that promote systems thinking, active learning, and ethical reflection. Overall, the module strengthens both subject knowledge and pedagogical skills, enabling educators to link soil topics with sustainability, community action, and real-world problem-solving.
Learning objectives:
- Understand key soil functions, relevance, threats, and regional aspects.
- Use soil-related tools and ESD methods in teaching.
- Collaborate with external partners and engage communities in soil activities.
- Develop and evaluate educational materials and approaches.
- Apply critical, systemic, and solution-oriented thinking to real-world projects.
Download the documents on this page.
Educational Course for Biology and Environmental Education Teacher Students
Soil health as a stand-alone topic remains clearly underrepresented in European curricula. To address this gap, an educational course on soil health, specifically designed for pre-service biology and environmental education teachers, has been developed.
The course is aimed at future educators and can be integrated into existing teacher training programs or offered as an independent module. It comprises four sessions of 90 minutes each, during which participants explore how to design and implement effective teaching sessions on soil health. Upon completion, participants are expected to be able to develop their own teaching scenarios grounded in pedagogical theory and best practices in science education.
The course package includes a detailed module description and a set of PowerPoint slides, enabling interested educators to implement the module independently with their students.
Learning objectives:
- Students can explain the importance of soil health for education and the environment.
- Students can independently plan and design teaching units on soil health. • Students can apply educational concepts and best practices from the modules in their own teaching.
Download the documents on this page.
Module for Lecturers on Community Engaged Research and Learning
LOESS made an online self-study module on Community-Engaged Research and Learning (CERL) for Soil Health.
This resource has been developed for lecturers who want to connect their teaching more closely with real-world societal challenges and to explore innovative, community-engaged approaches to learning. Designed as a flexible, self-paced programme, the module enables you to work through the materials in your own time and design a CERL-based initiative tailored to your curriculum.
Through structured guidance, practical tools and reflective activities, you will explore how soil health can serve as a powerful interdisciplinary lens for engaging students, strengthening partnerships with community organisations, and embedding experiential learning in higher education.
Whether you are new to CERL or looking to deepen existing practice, this resource provides a practical pathway to integrating soil health education and community engagement into your teaching.
Download the materials and read FAQs for further details on this page.
Training Workshop: From a Real World Soil Problem to Research Question
LOESS made an online self-study training workshop resource to help higher education staff develop research questions from real-world soil challenges.
Drawing on Science Shop and service-learning approaches, it provides practical guidance on framing community-driven research, considering ethical and practical issues, and strengthening collaborative engagement. It forms part of the LOESS collection of soil health education resources.
Download the training workshop materials:
Blueprint for integrating soil health education into teaching
The Blueprint for Exemplary Sustainable Practices is designed as a handbook for educators interested in integrating soil health education into their teaching. Focusing on the description of a well-tested pedagogical foundation, the blueprint provides examples for different phases of an educational process following the 5E Model developed by Bybee and colleagues (Bybee et al., 2006).
The blueprint aims to support educators who wish to implement interactive and inquiry-based teaching in their classrooms. It was developed through an iterative process, with researchers from the LOESS consortium providing continuous feedback. The final version includes a detailed description of the five interrelated phases that guide teachers in designing motivational and learning-intensive programs that not only engage students physically but also promote deep learning: Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and Evaluate.
Learning objectives:
- Users can identify practical examples of sustainable soil management from the provided activities.
- Users can apply knowledge from the material to suggest improvements for soil management in real-world contexts.
- Users can adapt teaching strategies to promote inquiry-based learning about soils.
Take a look at the document on this page.
Glossary of soil-related terms
Here you find a glossary that provides definitions of soil-related keywords. The glossary is designed to support a clear understanding of soil-related concepts for users with varying levels of prior knowledge, including educators, students, practitioners, and land-management stakeholders. The resource brings together terminology from soil science, ecology, agriculture, and environmental policy, ensuring consistent use of key terms.
