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Purpose: This paper aims to showcase and critically review the value of selected pedagogies in which real-world engagements are used to enhance sustainability learning in an open, distance and e-learning (ODeL) context in the Global South. The paper considers opportunities, issues, alternatives and implementation guidelines. Design/methodology/approach: The School of Ecological and Human Sustainability (University of South Africa) serves as case study, with blended and fully online learning used as examples of pedagogies. The assessment of these pedagogies uses examples of learning activities and exercises, critical reflections on feedback by lecturers and students and consideration against criteria for real-world learning. Findings: The experiences showcased illustrate that despite challenges in ODeL, real-world engagements can be used successful as pedagogy for sustainability learning in the Global South context. Limited access to ICTs can be mitigated through mobile technologies and free and open software applications, as illustrated by the examples in this paper. Research limitations/implications: The case study approach and qualitative methodology present limitations, with focus on only two examples. However, significant depth is achieved with the assessment of these examples, while the recommendations and lessons learnt can be applied in other contexts, thus expanding on the knowledge and experience in this field. Originality/value: This paper showcases innovative approaches to incorporate real-world engagements for sustainability learning in ODeL. Application of real-world engagements in ODeL in the Global South context is original and addresses the need for teaching and learning strategies responding to the digital divide and contributing to expand access to higher education and an Afrocentric discourse to best practice.

Spatial thinking is an essential skill for geographers and can be taught and learnt at any age. Spatial thinking should, therefore, form part of the Geography curriculum at every study level. An initial desktop study by the authors has indicated that the inclusion of spatial thinking in the undergraduate Geography curriculum at South African universities needs improvement. Up to now, published research papers have focused mostly on questions on spatiality included in Geography textbooks at the school and tertiary levels. None of these papers focused on the spatiality of assessment questions. This research aims to assess the spatiality of questions posed in formative and summative assessments of undergraduate geography modules at six selected South African universities. The taxonomy of spatial thinking was used to determine the spatiality of 2864 formative and summative assessment questions used at the first, second and third-year levels at six selected South African universities. The results indicate that the assessment questions, generally, do not reach a desirable level of spatiality and will, therefore, contribute towards developing students’ spatial thinking skills only in a limited way. Based on the results, recommendations are supplied to improve the spatiality of undergraduate Geography assessment questions using the taxonomy of spatial thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]