Co-instruction Model for Multidisciplinary Senior Projects in Sustainability

San Jose State University Foundation, San Jose CA

Investigators

Abstract

This engineering education research award to San José State University would integrate sustainability in engineering education using a novel "co-instruction" model based on team teaching from engineering, business, and humanities faculty. A senior project involving sustainability topics named "zero-emissions house" would be piloted during the 2010-2011 academic year. The project would be co-taught by five faculty from Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Organization/Management, Industrial Design, and Political Science. The hypothesis is that with effective co-instruction and planning, the benefits of multidisciplinary project-based learning can be realized without the resource intensiveness which often is cited as a barrier to implementation. The multidisciplinary project-based learning approach synergizes with effective education in sustainability. This work is expected to be a model for similar institutions and have broad impact on the incorporation of multidisciplinary sustainability education into the engineering curriculum.