Edge Award Portal

Student sign-in  

Nature Connectedness

You will gain these graduate attribute skills:

Critical Thinker Critical Thinker

Citizen with Integrity Citizen with Integrity

Inclusive Citizen Inclusive Citizen

Sustainable Citizen Sustainable Citizen

Future Thinker Future Thinker

Well-being Well-being

Read about Graduate Attributes  

This free MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) from the University of Derby provides an opportunity for you to learn about Nature Connectedness and the value of having a strong relationship with nature.

Outline of Activity

There's no wellbeing without nature's wellbeing. Everyone is at risk from the loss of habitats and a warming planet. The climate emergency, wildlife emergency and pandemic show that the existing relationship between people and the rest of nature is broken.

To fix this we need a new relationship with nature. A new relationship with nature can also help tackle the crisis in mental health. The relationship between people and the rest of nature, 'Nature Connectedness', is grounded in scientific study, is measurable and accepted internationally.

Research evidence shows that improved nature connectedness benefits human wellbeing and pro-environmental behaviours. However, nature connectedness in the UK is well below levels required for pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours. This course covers:

  • What is nature connectedness?
  • Why nature connectedness matters: People
  • Why nature connectedness matters: Nature
  • Improving nature connectedness: Noticing
  • Improving nature connectedness: The pathways framework
  • Pathways Case Studies
  • Using the pathways and evaluation
  • Scaling up – societal application of the pathways

Endorsed by Natural England

Access this course via https://www.derby.ac.uk/short-courses-cpd/online/free-courses/nature-connectedness-relationship-with-nature

Learning Outcomes

Complete this free online course with the University of Derby to develop:

  • An understanding of the psychological construct of nature connectedness
  • An understanding of why nature connectedness matters for human and nature’s wellbeing
  • An understanding of how to improve nature connectedness

Assessment Details

Made up of eight short units, the course encourages you to actively consider our relationships with nature, for our own well-being as well as for the longer-term benefit of nature and the natural world.

During the course, you will look at why nature connectedness matters and how it can be improved. You’ll learn about our Pathways to Nature Connectedness Framework and will look at how you can use this framework to positively impact our connections with nature, pro-nature and environmental behaviours and our overall well-being.

Once you have completed this MOOC, please download the certificate and send to the activity co-ordinator.

Level of Commitment

20 hours

Graduate Attributes

Critical Thinker image

Critical Thinker

A student who displays this skill can:

  • question norms and practices
  • source and retrieve relevant contextualised information to support logical reasoning
  • analyse and combine ideas to find patterns, formulate and evaluate arguments
Citizen with Integrity image

Citizen with Integrity

A student who displays this skill can:

  • be critically self-aware - recognising individual strengths and opportunities for development
  • uphold strong moral principles and act with honesty, reliability, and respect for others
  • develop a sense of one's values for ethical choices and actions that will benefit others
  • value different world views and cross-cultural diversity
Inclusive Citizen image

Inclusive Citizen

A student who displays this skill can:

  • actively participate in local communities and global society
  • demonstrate inclusive behaviour toward different abilities, backgrounds and beliefs
  • use empathy to encourage inter-cultural respect
Sustainable Citizen image

Sustainable Citizen

A student who displays this skill can:

  • take responsibility for their actions for sustainability issues
  • adapt a practical approach to solve sustainability challenges
Future Thinker image

Future Thinker

A student who displays this skill can:

  • understand and evaluate possible, probable and desirable futures to create a personal vision of the future
  • understand and contribute towards current and future local and global challenges
  • future gaze to deal with change
Well-being image

Well-being

A student who displays this skill can:

  • develop and maintain healthy relationships
  • recognise and promote positive mental health
  • manage physical well-being and lifestyle choices