Environmentally-concerned parents and educators today are asking, “How do we co-create learning environments that will foster environmental citizenry?” This reflects David Orr's claim: “More of the same kind of education that enabled us to industrialize the earth can only make things worse.” Using autoethnography to explore my decision to deschool my children, I'm placed in the position of a reflexive practitioner, as I serve as both the primary researcher and subject of that research. Upon arriving at the decision to forgo the compulsory education system I discovered the interconnectedness between deschooling, autoethnography, and 21st century theories of environmental education. I examine the rationales of environmental educators such as Orr, Weston and Jickling who call for new systems of environmental education. I expose underlying assumptions and beliefs that shape my decisions to deschool my daughters and create context for broader community discussion about how to educate for an environmentally engaged citizenry.

abstract: To sustain world preeminence, 21st century university and college leaders in the United States are redesigning their institutions organizationally and culturally to align with the direction of local and global societies and markets. The New American University enterprise model at Arizona State University has become one of the leading organization and cultural redesigns in United States higher education since its inception in 2002. Yet, sustaining a 21st century model such as this one means every individual in the college or university must understand his or her specific role to further progress the new model forward. Therefore, to advance and sustain a 21st century higher education redesign model at a U.S. college or university, it becomes imperative that every master-level professional who works in the academic/student services field at the institution understand his or her specific role in helping to further progress the new model forward. To this end, there is a need to change the way graduate students in higher education/student affairs masters programs are educated to work in the 21st century institution. This change can prepare new professionals to understand these enterprise models and how to integrate them into their practice in order to meet the needs of the institution, local and global societies and markets. The purpose of this action research study is to highlight one program, the ASU M.Ed. Higher and Postsecondary program, and show how graduates from 2007 - 2011 understand New American University concepts and integrate them into professional practice within higher education. Through use of a quantitative approach, this action research study described how the ASU M.Ed. in Higher and Postsecondary program graduate students' understanding of New American University concepts informs their thinking and practice to lead and respond to changes and challenges facing today's 21st century higher education field. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Higher and Postsecondary Education 2011

This thesis seeks to address emerging future questions by envisioning the future of educational architecture, considering the evolving dynamics between people, machines, and collaborative learning environments. While machines will play a significant role, human interaction, collaboration, and experimentation will remain indispensable for the exchange of ideas. As we look ahead, it is evident that students will require learning spaces that balance passive educational modes—such as lectures, seminars, research, and introspection—with hands-on exploration. These spaces will transcend traditional structures, embracing liminal zones that facilitate seamless transitions into professional or higher education spheres. In the dynamic landscape of 21st-century education, the convergence of technology, globalization, and evolving pedagogical paradigms presents both challenges and opportunities for educational institutions. This thesis endeavors to explore the transformative potential of high school architecture, centered around the concept of the liminal zone—a space that transcends conventional schooling. Our aim is to reconceptualize schools as vibrant hubs of innovation and intellectual exploration, equipping students with the skills, knowledge, and adaptability essential for success in a complex and interconnected world. At the core of our design philosophy lies a commitment to flexibility and adaptability, evident in features such as the Pod concept and informal collaboration spaces, ensuring that educational environments remain responsive to the evolving needs of learners and the demands of the future. / Master of Architecture / This research aims to shape the future of educational architecture by envisioning how learning spaces can evolve in response to changing dynamics between people, technology, and collaborative environments. While technology will play a significant role in education, human interaction, collaboration, and hands-on experimentation will remain crucial for the exchange of ideas and knowledge. As we move forward, it is clear that students will need learning environments that balance traditional educational methods—like lectures, seminars, and research—with practical, hands-on exploration. These new spaces will go beyond conventional classrooms, creating zones that seamlessly transition students into professional or higher education settings. The rapidly changing landscape of 21st-century education, influenced by technology, globalization, and new teaching methods, offers both challenges and opportunities for schools. This thesis explores how high school architecture can be transformed to meet these needs. It introduces the concept of the "liminal zone," a space that bridges traditional schooling and the future, encouraging innovation and intellectual exploration. Our goal is to redesign schools as vibrant centers of learning, where students can develop the skills and adaptability needed for success in a complex, interconnected world. Key to our design are flexible and adaptable features, such as the "Pod" concept and informal collaboration areas, ensuring that educational spaces can evolve with the changing needs of students and the demands of the future.

This diploma thesis is concerned with the possibilities of the social web data employment in social sciences. Its theoretical part describes the changes in education in the context of the dynamics of contemporary society within three fundamental (interrelated) dimensions of technology (the cause and/or the tool for the change), work (new models of collaboration), and economics (sustainability of free & open-source business models). The main methodological part of the thesis is focused on the issues of sampling, sample representativeness, validity & reliability assessment, ethics, and data collection of the emerging social web research in social sciences. The research part includes illustrative social web analyses and conclusions of the author's 2014 Coursera & Khan Academy on the Social Web research and provides the full research report in its attachement to compare its results to the theoretical part in order to provide a "naive" (as derived from the social web mentions and networks) answer to the fundamental question: "How to Create Self-Driven Education?" Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)