Applying authentic assessment to teaching the Sustainable Development Goals

This chapter explores how leaders in business and other organisations from 180 different countries are engaging with teaching and learning on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through an authentic assessment approach that is aligned to the six Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME). The vehicle for this is the online MBA module ‘Local-Global Challenges in Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability’ which uses the SDGs as a sustainability management education framework. For their final assessment, students develop a personal action plan for their organisation (or community) to lead on their contribution towards the SDGs. In the academic years 2020–2021 and 2021–2022, more than 1,000 leaders studying for one of eight specialist MBAs, delivered by the University of Cumbria in partnership with Robert Kennedy College (Switzerland), have made practical commitments to address selected SDGs. With the students predominantly at senior manager or CEO level, the quality of the organisational action plans developed through the teaching, and their potential for making a difference, has been outstanding. At the same time, the academic learning process continues to develop and refine the teaching of the SDGs within an authentic and responsible management education and assessment context. This innovative SDG-focused teaching and learning initiative also offers emerging evidence of the University of Cumbria's progress with PRME implementation from purpose and values to method and research to partnership and dialogue.