Knowledge Transfer of the Holistic View of Air Quality : Development of a modern framework for higher education

Abstract: People are exposed to poor air quality both outdoors and indoors. Already 91 % of people in the world are breathing air polluted above the limit set by the World Health Organization. Poor air quality causes negative health effects, increases mortality and leads to harmful effects on the environment. The history of air pollution shows that the air is regarded as no one’s ‘possession’, and the responsibility of it is not recognized before its pollution has seriously damaged nature and affected people’s health. Economic growth has been considered more important than clean air and human welfare. On the other hand, fast changes towards better air are possible, but they require public action and strong coordinated efforts of policymakers. People demand better air, but are influenced by confusing common opinions and contradictory public argumentation. Education provides possibilities for gaining new knowledge and shaping the cognitive schemas and behavior of people. Therefore, the research-based air quality education would be a key tool of knowledge transfer aiming at the necessary change of human behavior in the air quality issue. The main aim of this study is to contribute towards better air quality by investigating and improving knowledge transfer of people’s holistic view of air quality in higher education. To facilitate the achievement of the aim, the research bridges educational and air quality knowledge in the development of Modern Educational Design Framework (MEDF) for air quality education. The process of developing this framework also produced information on which issues should be considered in building people’s holistic view of air quality. In addition, it produced information on those pedagogical principles that are applicable in the teaching of air quality. This research was carried out with the Design Based Research (DBR) methodology. It consists of three main phases: (1) build-up of a holistic view of air quality, (2) study of appropriate elements of successful knowledge transfer, and (3) a study of air quality in practice. The framework was developed in continuous interaction between all the counterparts involved. The empirical part of this research was carried out in a multidisciplinary and multicultural Air Quality in a Changing World course. The course belonged to the international Master's Programme of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Helsinki. Both the students who represent future experts and researchers who work as educators need appropriate knowledge and skills on air quality and teaching of the subject. In addition, the multiand interdisciplinary characteristic of the air quality subject makes building a holistic view necessary. The results show that, in addition to knowledge and awareness of air quality and its impacts, people need to feel ownership of the air and self-interest to understand their responsibility for the condition of the air and environment in order to change their behavior. Understanding how our actions assist improvement of air quality, gives people a feeling of empowerment in front of the problems. To reach cleaner air, it is important, in addition to consideration of differences in processes and patterns of the natural environment, to better understand the regional cultural factors behind the different social and individual manners of behavior related to air pollution. The results indicate that there are seven main considerations needed to enhance the creation of the structured and aligned educational settings for air quality education, and to support learning: 1. It is important to understand the development of air quality in the internal dynamics and interplay of the social, scientific and technological process in both history and the present 2. It is important to understand the structure and dynamics of systematic knowledge building 3. The scientific communities need to develop interdisciplinary collaboration and skills 4. The educators should create an active and multi-form learning environment 5. The educators should take notice of the significance of linguistic aspects in all activities 6. The educators need an awareness of students’ pre-knowledge and background 7. The organizer should consider that planning and implementing interdisciplinary education requires more resources, such as funding and time, than traditional one Future research is necessary to identify the factors that influence the development of ownership and self-interest in air quality issues and how education can enhance it. More research into interdisciplinarity and knowledge building in multiand interdisciplinary educational settings should be conducted.