Life cycle analysis of a digital training programme

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) enables the environmental assessment of a product and the measurement of its impacts. It generally consists of five phases:
1. Raw material extraction
2. Manufacturing
3. Distribution
4. Usage
5. End of life

Let us apply these five phases to digital education:

Phase 1: Design
The design phase corresponds to training engineering. Analysing training needs allows for defining the framework of the programme, including pedagogical methods, evaluation strategies, monitoring, etc.

Phase 2: Production
Production, or pedagogical engineering, involves creating the training content (presentations, videos, podcasts, text files, etc.).

Phase 3: Distribution
The training is then distributed either in-person or remotely, depending on the methods defined during the first phase.

Phase 4: Usage
Once the training is available, it is used by learners, teachers, and trainers.

Phase 5: End of Life
The final phase concerns the management of the end of life for digital training content.

Through these five phases, we can already glimpse the range of possibilities and the strategies to implement to reduce the environmental impact of a training programme.

Phase 1 is of considerable importance as it allows for setting parameters and establishing responsible foundations. For example: Do learners possess the necessary equipment to follow all or part of the training remotely? If not, will they need to travel to access remote modules?

Phase 2 involves reflection on the pedagogical content to be developed. Do I need to create new materials, and if so, do I have the appropriate equipment? Or, can I update existing content or use resources available in open access?

Phase 2 also impacts Phase 3. Indeed, are the resources properly calibrated, particularly in terms of file size, to facilitate distribution to learners? Furthermore, are learners aware of basic rules for responsible digital behaviour and usage during their online or in-person learning?

Finally, Phase 5 prompts us to reflect on how we manage obsolete digital training content.

Reflecting on these five phases can provide answers, or at least lines of inquiry, to reduce the impacts of digital pedagogical practices. This life cycle perspective reflects the vision of the In-DigiT project, which promotes digital practices that are inclusive, frugal, democratic, protective, enabling, fair and innovative.

Discover all the free resources developed by the project at: https://indigit.sustainable-digital-learning.com/