NLI: Research: A Collaborative Approach to Curricular Transformation: Leveraging Institutional Experience to Advance Sustainable Engineering Education

Arizona State University, Scottsdale AZ

Investigators

Abstract

Our world is at a critical juncture facing environmental and societal challenges that demand innovative solutions from the engineering sector. This project seeks to transform engineering education by deeply integrating sustainability concepts into the curricula across three diverse universities: Arizona State University, Kennesaw State University, and Villanova University. This transformative initiative aims to fundamentally reshape how future engineers are trained, emphasizing the crucial role of sustainability in engineering practices. This project aligns with the goals of the National Science Foundation and The Lemelson Foundation who both strive to advance science and engineering education, addressing environmental and social sustainability, thereby enhancing the capability of the next generation of engineers to drive sustainable development. In this project, we will pioneer a network that promotes systematic improvements in engineering educational practices to prepare students to be systems thinkers and sustainable in their approaches. Simultaneously, this network will offer faculty a community that they can rely on in their continuous practice of learning, analyzing, and integrating evolving sustainability concepts into their courses. This initiative serves as a public testament to the value of investing in educational transformations that prepare engineers to tackle environmental and social challenges. The project will be executed in three phases over a period of two years, employing a dual-layered approach to engage both faculty and students in the transformative educational process. The initial phase involves establishing a network and developing collaborative action research projects, which enable faculty members from three institutes to explore and refine how sustainability concepts are implemented in their classrooms. The subsequent phase focuses on the continuous refinement of these practices in a collaborative community of practice through iterative action research cycles—planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. This approach not only aims to improve engineering teaching methods but also to deepen our understanding of the dynamics influencing faculty motivations and challenges in integrating sustainability into engineering education. The final phase focuses on dissemination, aiming to scale successful practices and foster a broader adoption of sustainability-focused education in engineering. Research questions will uncover the curricular and instructional changes that promote student learning of sustainability and the factors affecting faculty efforts of sustainability integration across diverse institutional contexts. Anticipated outcomes include the documentation of effective instructional strategies that enhance student understanding of sustainability in engineering problems, the advancement of faculty teaching methods, and better understanding of the processes that aid engineering faculty in integrating sustainability into their teaching. Ultimately, this project seeks to foster a cultural shift towards sustainability in engineering education, thereby equipping future engineers with the knowledge and skills necessary to lead societal progress towards a more sustainable and equitable world. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.