ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABILITY IN LIBRARIAN EDUCATION IN NORTHERN BRAZIL

an experience report from the UFAM distance learning librarianship programme

Abstract

This article reports on the experience of the course Thematic Seminar II: Environmental Education and Sustainability, offered within the Distance Learning Librarianship Programme at the Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM), under the framework of the Open University of Brazil System (UAB). The study is an experience report based on a qualitative approach, grounded in participant observation, document analysis, and interactions recorded in the virtual learning environment. The course involved 64 students distributed across 10 learning centres located in the states of Amazonas, Acre, Roraima, and Rondônia, including Indigenous students from Santa Isabel do Rio Negro. The course content addressed Environmental Education, Sustainability, Agenda 21, the 2030 Agenda, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), articulated with librarianship education and the Amazonian context. The results revealed high levels of student engagement, strengthened critical thinking, appreciation of traditional knowledge, and an expanded understanding of the role of libraries in sustainable development. Challenges related to Internet connectivity, interculturality, and student retention in distance education were also identified.