Advancing Environmental Literacy for the SDGs in Virtual and Distance Programs

The objective of the study was to propose curricular guidelines for environmental literacy from a sustainability perspective for the Universidad de la Amazonia distance and virtual programs. The research adopted a mixed-methods approach, with a critical, analytical, and interpretive methodological design structured into three phases: a document review, an exploration of teachers’ and students’ perspectives, and a proposal phase. The results revealed significant weaknesses in the curricular integration of environmental education in virtual and distance learning programs, which limit their effective contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Likewise, the need to strengthen students’ critical thinking, territorial commitment, and transformative action was identified as a key competency for promoting educational practices oriented toward sustainability, socio-environmental responsibility, and decision-making aligned with national environmental policies and the 2030 Agenda. Based on these findings, guidelines were proposed that articulate pedagogical, didactic, and evaluative components, with recommendations for their practical application in design, implementation, and evaluation, to consolidate contextualized environmental literacy that is relevant and consistent with the socio-environmental challenges of the Amazon region.