Environmental Short Course
About this course
What is the Environmental Short Course?
The ASDAN Environmental Short Course is a flexible, portfolio-based course for learners aged 13 and over. It accredits between 10 and 60 hours of learning about environmental issues, climate change and sustainability.
Learners explore climate impacts and global connections, climate justice, green skills and careers, climate action, influencing others and sustainable communities.
Through investigation, practical projects, planning and reflection, learners develop environmental awareness and transferable skills, including learning, communicating, decision making, thinking, team working and self-awareness.
Challenges can be interpreted and adapted to suit learners’ individual abilities, needs and learning environments.
| Learner age | 13+, 14+, 14–16, 14–25, 16+, 16–19, 19+, Adults |
| Level (indicative for non-regulated courses) | Entry 3, Level 1 |
| Key Stage | Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5 |
| Education setting | Mainstream school, Justice system (including youth offending), Further education, Community Education, PRU, EOTAS, Academy / Multi-academy trust, Voluntary sector, Training provider, Adult education, Independent school, Social services, Secondary |
| Guided learning hours | 10–20 hours, 20–60 hours |
| Regulated | Non-regulated course |
| Certification | Externally certificated, digital or hard-copy (additional fee) |
| Location | International (including Channel Islands and Ireland), Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England |
| UCAS points | No UCAS points available |
| Available on Equitas | Yes |
Helpful information
Who is the Enviromental Short Course for?
Short Courses are widely used in formal and non-formal settings, for learners aged 13 and over. Although ASDAN’s Short Courses are designed for learners working at Entry level 3 to Level 1, they can be adapted for learners working above or below these levels. The focus is on completing challenges and developing skills.
Facts and figures
- Flexible programmes of learning accessible to learners at a range of levels
- Internally moderated
- Accredits 10–60 hours of activities
- Can count towards up to three credits for the Personal Development Programmes
- Can support skills development for ASDAN’s Personal Effectiveness Qualifications and may contribute to recognition of prior learning where standards are met in full
Requirements
Each learner must have their own registration. Learners must present evidence of their activities in an organised portfolio.
This should include:
- a record of the challenges completed, with supporting evidence
- recording documents showing how the learner planned and reviewed their activities
- a summary of achievement highlighting skills development
- a personal statement.
Equitas organises evidence against each challenge within the platform.
We have created guidance for members delivering ASDAN Short Courses, including planning, requirements, quality assurance and certification.
Course content
Please note that there are some key differences between the challenge content in the original Environmental Short Course Student Book and the version now available on Equitas, ASDAN’s digital learning platform. These include updated module titles, revised challenge content and outcomes, and additional new challenges. For consistency, we recommend that members choose one format to use with all learners within a group. Copies of the challenges available on Equitas can be downloaded and used directly with learners.
Course content on Equitas
The Environmental Short Course on Equitas comprises eight modules:
- Understanding climate change
- Climate impacts and global connections
- Climate, emotions and justice
- Green skills and careers
- Climate action
- Green skills
- Influencing others
- Sustainable communities
Course content - student book
The Environmental Short Course book comprises six modules:
- My environment – Review and awareness raising
- The atmospheric experiment
- The built environment
- The natural environment
- The wider environment
- My environment – managing and monitoring
For guidance on running ASDAN Short Courses, please see our step-by-step guides:
ASDAN training supports educators to deliver this course successfully. Sessions provide an introduction, alongside guidance on planning, delivery, assessment and internal quality assurance. Training is not mandatory but is strongly recommended.
Training is included in ASDAN membership for organisations joining or renewing after 1 April 2026, excluding tailored INSET.
Book training in the members area
ASDAN members can also take part in our special interest groups. These online sessions focus on specific areas of practice and provide opportunities for discussion, collaboration and networking with other members.
All registration costs are per learner. Each learner must have their own registration. Registrations are valid for three years from the date of purchase.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Short Course student book | £12 |
| Short Course Equitas learner registration and digital learning platform login | £12 |
| Short Course PDF certificate | Free |
| Short Course printed and foiled certificate (optional, per learner, per Short Course) | £3.75 |
Volume pricing for Equitas Short Courses
We offer scalable pricing for Short Courses on Equitas. This pricing applies only to new registrations made together in a single transaction for the same Equitas Short Course:
- 1–9 learners: £12 per registration
- 10–19 learners: £8 per registration
- 20–29 learners: £6 per registration
- 30+ learners: £4 per registration
Products
Course resources
Environmental Short Course - 1A2: Environmental review template
This resource provides a template for an environmental review of your centre. This resource links to challenge 1A2 of the Environmental Short Course.
Environmental Short Course - 2B1: Weather diary
This resource provides a template for a one-week weather diary. This resource links to challenge 2B1 of the Environmental Short Course.
Environmental Short Course: Map templates
This resource contains blank map templates (with country lines) for: the world; Asia; Africa; North (and Central) America; South America; Europe; Australia and Oceania; The United Kingdom. This resource links to a number of challenges in the Environmental Short Course.
Evaluation chart (individual)
This evaluation chart can be used by learners to evaluate a six-week individual activity. Learners are asked to mark on the graph each week to show what they did and how they felt; at the end of the project the learner should join up the marks to give a picture of the whole activity. This resource is particularly suited to challenges in Short Courses, Personal Development Programmes (Bronze, Silver, Gold), CoPE and Wider Key Skills.
Evaluation chart (group)
This evaluation chart can be used by learners to evaluate a six-week group activity. Each member of the group should choose a different colour and mark on the graph each week to show what they did and how they felt. At the end of the project, each group member then joins up their marks to give a picture of the whole activity. This resource is particularly suited to challenges in Short Courses, Personal Development Programmes (Bronze, Silver, Gold), CoPE and Wider Key Skills.
Planning a group or team task
This resource can be used when planning a group or team task. It links particularly well to ASDAN's Short Course programmes.
Self-evaluation template
This generic self-evaluation template can be used by learners to evaluate almost any group activity. Learners are asked to record how they felt about the activity and pick out the best and worst bits, before reflecting on what they could do better next time. This resource is particularly suited to challenges in Short Courses, Personal Development Programmes (Bronze, Silver, Gold), CoPE and Wider Key Skills.
Teamwork health check
This generic teamwork health check template can support a wide range of group activities. Learners are asked to come up with a list of agreed ground rules for good teamwork, then rate each group member's performance against these criteria. This resource is particularly suited to challenges in Short Courses, Personal Development Programmes (Bronze, Silver, Gold), CoPE and Wider Key Skills.
Short Courses summary of achievement and personal statement : PDF version (mandatory)
Short Courses summary of achievement and personal statement : Word version (mandatory)
Short Courses skills sheet 1 : PDF version (mandatory)
Short Courses skills sheet 1 : Word version (mandatory)
Short Courses skills sheet 2 : PDF version (mandatory)
Short Courses skills sheet 2 : Word version (mandatory)
Short Courses skills sheet 3 : PDF version (mandatory)
Short Courses skills sheet 3 : Word version (mandatory)