no / The aim of this article is to assess the experiential learning environment of the African Study Visit (ASV). It presents a theoretically grounded analysis of the ASV. Although field visits are not a new phenomenon within Higher Education, they seem, but with few exceptions, to be considered as an add-on teaching method. By drawing from the experiential learning literature, we demonstrate that there are sound pedagogical reasons for incorporating field visits like the ASV into the curriculum as stand-alone components. Thus, the original contribution of this article is to place the ASV within the experiential learning literature such that the theoretical, practical and conceptual benefits for students are understood. Its significance is that this article offers a set of practices from an experiential learning perspective that can be used for deepening the levels of comprehension of political issues in Africa for international studies students.

Essay means attempt, and is a paper written based on self-experienced dilemmas, which the writer then returns to, reflect upon and discusses on the basis of literature and accepted theories. In this essay, I reflect upon my own professional role as a leisure-time pedagogue. The leisure-time pedagogue must provide activities that in different ways relate to the curriculum 2011. I have therefore a responsibility to influence the students' desire for knowledge. Focus of learning is different from the one in school, with an emphasis on informal learning. The dilemma is that I am unable to do any pedagogical work at the museum because of many conflicts. And that there is an ambivalence of what is expected of my work. By writing this essay, I want to explore and reflect upon leisure-time pedagogue´s meeting with a museum. I also reflect how to obtain an educational meeting, despite poorly developed awareness among teachers, other professionals, parents, and museums. There are many ways to implement work with the curriculum with a visit to the museum, and that would make the leisure-time pedagogue more of support for the whole visit. It would facilitate if the museums themselves hade a material adapted for leisure-time centre. With an emphasis on informal learning and for example aesthetic learning processes.

Climate-anxiety is a growing mental health issue among the public and particularly among students in sustainability-related studies in Higher Education Institutions (HEI). As education on climate change in HEI overly relies on cognitive learning, students are not able to address their emotions and potential worries about climate change adequately. The research field of climate-anxiety has emerged after 2007 and relates to other mental health responses to environmental destruction such as eco-anxiety. This study examines whether climate-anxiety affects students within HEI and what coping strategies are used by them. The aim is to suggest approaches for HEI and educational tourism providers to better address climate-anxiety. Specifically, it investigates whether non-formal actors like ecovillages can help students to cope with climate-anxiety. Ecovillages are increasingly recognising their role in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and helping students with climate-anxiety could balance the shortcomings of HEI. Five case studies of ecovillages were included to determine the potential of educational tourism in reducing climate-anxiety. Even though the study found that short-term study visits were not helpful for students climate-anxiety, it can be assumed that students could gain hands-on coping techniques from more extended stays at ecovillages. Particularly the ecovillages learning environment and pedagogy are beneficial for coping with climate-anxiety. It is suggested that HEI should initiate cooperations with local ecovillages to improve climate-anxiety among students, as it was found that lecturers and Student Mental Health Services (SMHS) in HEI in Sweden do not sufficiently address climate-anxiety.

Microplastics take hundreds to thousands of years to degrade in nature, and pose a threat to the environment. A photocatalytical degradation method have been developed to take advantage of solar light to degrade microplastics, however it takes several months to degrade microplastics with the process. The purpose of this study is to enhance the degradation rate of microplastics by synthesizing a material where photocatalysis is combined with Fenton reaction. A material with zinc oxide nanorods coated with tin oxide and decorated with iron particles (𝑍𝑛𝑂/𝑆𝑛𝑂2/𝐹𝑒0) was synthesized and used to degrade methylene blue, polystyrene and polypropylene. The result show that the degradation rate with a 𝑍𝑛𝑂/𝑆𝑛𝑂2/𝐹𝑒0 – sample is faster than with a 𝑍𝑛𝑂 – sample, and that it can be used to degrade polystyrene and polypropylene.Students’ view on researchers can affect the development of their interest and attitude towards science. Study visits to laboratories have been used to increase students’ interest and give them new experiences. The purpose of this study is to investigate what and how high school students learn during a study visit to a nanotechnology laboratory, and how the study visit affects high school students’ interest and motivation for research and learning. A study visit with 5 stations was organized, and students were given a questionnaire about what they learned during the study visit. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the students’ answers. The result shows that the study visit increased students’ interest in research, and the importance of designing stations so that they are connected to students’ previous knowledge and are within their proximal development zone. / Mikroplaster tar hundratals till tusentals år att bryta ner i naturen och utgör ett hot mot miljön. En fotokatalytisk nedbrytningsprocess har utvecklats där solljus utnyttjas för att bryta ner mikroplaster, dock tar det flera månader att bryta ner mikroplaster med den processen. Syftet med denna studie är att förbättra nedbrytningshastigheten av mikroplaster genom att syntetisera ett material där fotokatalys kombineras med Fenton-reaktion. Ett material med zinkoxid nanorör belagda med tennoxid och dekorerade med järnpartiklar (𝑍𝑛𝑂/𝑆𝑛𝑂2/𝐹𝑒0) syntetiserades och användes för att bryta ner metylenblått, polystyren och polypropen. Resultatet visar att nedbrytningshastigheten med 𝑍𝑛𝑂/𝑆𝑛𝑂2/𝐹𝑒0 – materialet är snabbare än med ett 𝑍𝑛𝑂 – material, och att 𝑍𝑛𝑂/𝑆𝑛𝑂2/𝐹𝑒0 – materialet kan användas för att bryta ned polystyren och polypropen.Elevers syn på forskning och forskare kan påverka utvecklingen av deras intresse och inställning till vetenskap. Studiebesök på laboratorier har använts för att öka elevernas intresse och ge dem nya erfarenheter. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vad och hur gymnasieelever lär sig under ett studiebesök i ett nanotekniklaboratorium och hur studiebesöket påverkar gymnasieelevernas intresse och motivation för forskning och lärande. Ett studiebesök med 5 stationer organiserades och eleverna fick ett frågeformulär om vad de lärde sig under studiebesöket. Tematisk analys användes för att analysera elevernas svar. Resultatet visar att studiebesöket ökade elevernas intresse för forskning och vikten av att utforma stationer så att de är kopplade till elevernas tidigare kunskaper och ligger inom deras proximala utvecklingszon.