Durham University: Greenspace Sustainability eLearning Module

Overview

Design and development of an interactive sustainability eLearning module for Durham University’s Greenspace initiative. The course was created for rollout to new and existing students and staff, supporting awareness, understanding and participation in the University’s sustainability ambitions.

The Challenge

Durham University needed an engaging, accessible digital course that could introduce sustainability in a clear and motivating way, without overwhelming learners. The content covered a wide range of environmental topics and had to work for a diverse audience with different levels of knowledge, learning needs and accessibility requirements.

The module needed to be research-led, visually engaging, compatible with existing university systems, and aligned with Durham’s brand and the Greenspace sub-style. It also needed to encourage action, not just awareness.

Conclusion & Results

The Approach

Working collaboratively with the University team, we helped define the structure and learning approach for the module. Topics were consolidated into six clear sections — Biodiversity, Energy, Ethical Procurement, Travel, Waste and Water — supported by a short introductory chapter, The Greenspace Movement, setting out the University’s ambition, sustainability context and carbon footprint baseline.

The course was designed as a linear learning journey, broken into digestible sections to maintain engagement over a 30–40 minute experience. We focused on simplifying complex information into clear, visual formats, using infographics, short videos, interactive elements and optional “read more” sections for those who wanted deeper detail.

Accessibility was a core consideration throughout. Audio content and voiceover supported different learning preferences, content was tested for accessibility compliance, and interactive features such as glossaries, task generators and “did you know” prompts were used to reinforce learning without adding cognitive load.

The module was SCORM 1.2 compliant, built to integrate with Oracle systems, and designed in line with the Greenspace style guide, ensuring it felt consistent with Durham’s wider brand while clearly aligned to the Greenspace initiative.

Key deliverables included:

Learning structure and course framework
Interactive sustainability eLearning module
Introductory chapter featuring timeline video and interactive map
Six topic modules covering key sustainability areas
Task generators embedded throughout the course
Glossary of terms and legislation
Infographics, video and audio content
Accessibility testing and optimisation
SCORM 1.2–compliant build for Oracle LMS
Call-to-action linking to the Greenspace app and leaderboard

The Impact

The module was tested over the summer and successfully rolled out in September with no technical issues. Feedback from stakeholders and senior teams was extremely positive, with the course praised for being clear, engaging and easy to use.

It has since become a core part of induction for new students and staff, supporting Durham University’s wider sustainability goals and reinforcing its commitment to accessibility, education and meaningful action.