ALT 1: Dialogue (Leaving Cert CASD): Revision Notes
ALT 1: Dialogue
What are Applied Learning Tasks?
Applied Learning Tasks form a crucial part of your CASD studies, designed to help you think and act sustainably in real-world situations. These tasks are completed in small groups over your two years of study and connect directly to your local community and broader society.
Applied Learning Tasks serve as a practical lens through which you can apply concepts from the other strands of your course. They encourage you to consider issues from multiple viewpoints, recognise connections between local and global challenges, and make evidence-based decisions using interdisciplinary approaches.
Understanding ALT 1: Dialogue
Applied Learning Task 1 focuses specifically on engaging in dialogue about climate action and sustainable development. This task gives you the opportunity to explore topics that matter to you whilst developing essential communication and facilitation skills.
In this task, you'll plan and facilitate a meaningful conversation about climate action and sustainability issues. The format is flexible and can be tailored to your interests and circumstances. You might organise a small group discussion, classroom debate, conversation with an elected official, or even connect with students from another school or country.
The flexibility of ALT 1 allows you to choose a dialogue format that suits your interests and circumstances - from small group discussions to international connections with students from other countries.
Key concepts you'll explore
Values and their influence on sustainability
Values are fundamental beliefs that shape how people view the world and make decisions. Through ALT 1, you'll investigate how different values drive people's attitudes towards sustainability. Some individuals may prioritise economic growth, whilst others focus on environmental protection or social justice.
Understanding these varying perspectives is crucial because climate action and sustainable development are complex issues influenced by many factors. By exploring different viewpoints, you'll develop a more nuanced understanding of why people support or oppose certain sustainability initiatives.
External influences on values and attitudes
You'll examine how external forces shape people's environmental attitudes, including:
- Advertising and media messaging that may promote consumption or environmental awareness
- Company communications that influence public opinion about sustainability
- Economic ideologies that prioritise different aspects of development and growth
Understanding external influences is essential because these forces significantly shape public opinion and individual decision-making about environmental issues. Recognising these influences helps you facilitate more informed dialogue.
Diverse perspectives across communities
Different groups and individuals hold varying values based on their experiences, cultures, and circumstances. You'll explore how value systems impact the relationships between people, communities, and societies (including indigenous peoples) with nature, both historically and in the present day.
This exploration helps you understand why there isn't a single 'correct' approach to sustainability challenges and why inclusive dialogue is so important.
Essential facilitation skills
ALT 1 develops practical facilitation abilities that will serve you well beyond your CASD studies:
- Active listening: Paying full attention to speakers and understanding their perspectives
- Awareness of others' behaviour: Recognising non-verbal cues and group dynamics
- Self-awareness: Understanding your own biases and communication style
- Questioning techniques: Asking thoughtful questions that promote deeper thinking
- Conflict management: Handling disagreements constructively and respectfully
You'll also learn to encourage participation from all dialogue participants and identify and remove barriers that might prevent people from contributing effectively.
Practical Application: Facilitating a Climate Discussion
When facilitating a dialogue about renewable energy, you might:
Step 1: Use active listening to understand different participants' concerns about cost, reliability, and environmental impact
Step 2: Apply questioning techniques by asking "What experiences have shaped your views on renewable energy?"
Step 3: Practice conflict management when participants disagree about nuclear power by acknowledging different perspectives and finding common ground
What you'll be able to do
By completing ALT 1, you should develop three key abilities:
-
Compare different perspectives: You'll be able to analyse how various people's values, including your own, influence their attitudes and dispositions towards climate action and sustainable development.
-
Discuss evolving values: You'll understand how values relating to nature can vary between different people and change over time, recognising that attitudes towards the environment are not fixed or universal.
-
Facilitate inclusive dialogue: You'll develop the skills to lead meaningful, inclusive conversations about climate action and sustainable development that welcome diverse viewpoints and encourage respectful exchange of ideas.
Key Learning Outcomes:
- Analytical skills to compare diverse perspectives on sustainability
- Understanding of how environmental values evolve over time
- Practical facilitation abilities for inclusive dialogue
Assessment and reflexion
ALT 1 will not be formally assessed by the State Examinations Commission (SEC). Instead, your teacher will provide ongoing feedback as part of regular classroom teaching and learning activities.
However, the learning you achieve through this Applied Learning Task can contribute to additional assessment components and your end-of-course examination. Most importantly, you'll document, reflect on, and share your learning experiences, helping to inform your understanding throughout the entire CASD course.
While ALT 1 isn't formally assessed by the SEC, the skills, values, and knowledge you develop will enhance your learning across all aspects of the subject and provide valuable life skills for future education and career opportunities.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- ALT 1: Dialogue helps you develop practical facilitation skills whilst exploring climate action and sustainable development issues that matter to you
- Values significantly influence people's attitudes towards sustainability, and understanding different perspectives is crucial for effective dialogue
- Facilitation skills like active listening, questioning, and conflict management are transferable abilities useful in many life situations
- The task emphasises inclusive dialogue that welcomes diverse viewpoints and removes barriers to participation
- While not assessed by the SEC, your learning from ALT 1 contributes to your overall CASD understanding and can inform other assessment components