Tools for Embedding and Assessing Sustainable Development Goals in Engineering Education

Abstract

This paper presents three tools developed within the framework of the project EDINSOST2-SDG, aimed at embedding and assessing the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Engineering curricula. ESD is promoted through the introduction into engineering curricula of learning outcomes related to sustainability and, specifically, to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The first tool, the “Engineering Sustainability Map”, contains ESD-related learning outcomes that any engineering student should have acquired upon completion of their studies. These learning outcomes are described according to four sustainability competencies: (1) Critical contextualization of knowledge, (2) Sustainable use of resources, (3) Participation in community processes, and (4) Application of ethical principles. The second tool, the “Sustainability Presence Map” of a degree, shows the percentage of the presence in the curriculum of each sustainability competency. The calculation of the presence of each competency is based on the effective integration of the related learning outcomes into a specific curriculum. Respective data are provided by teachers responsible for the coordination of the different subjects of the degree, collected by means of a questionnaire. The third tool presented is a questionnaire aimed at measuring the level of ESD that students perceive they have acquired through each competency. The comparison of data resulting from the Sustainability Presence Map with the data from the student questionnaire is the first step that allows the effectiveness of embedding ESD in a degree to be determined, a proper learning assessment will confirm such effectiveness. The three tools presented in this work have undergone a validation process and are currently being used in a set of engineering degrees related to the EDINSOST2-SDG project. The results of the application of these tools are part of the future research work of the authors.

Using Competency Maps for Embedding and Assessing Sustainability in Engineering Degrees

“…In EDINSOST2-SDG, a common SCM was designed for all engineering degrees based on the SCM developed in EDINSOST1. The SCM design and validation process can be found in [30]. The engineering SCM of the EDINSOST2-SDG project is a matrix design based on the four sustainability competencies defined by the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE) [ Each competency is further defined by one or more competency units, which are described using as a starting point the three dimensions of sustainability (environmental, social and economic) plus a holistic dimension.…”

“…Each competency unit is described by one or more learning outcomes at each level of the taxonomy. The engineering SCM of the EDINSOST2-SDG project described in [30] contains 53 learning outcomes. Figure 4 shows a schematic of this map.…”

“…To relate the engineering SCM to the SDGs, a table was created in which the learning outcomes of the map are related to the SDG targets [29] and the UNESCO learning objectives [28]. Details on the process of creating and validating this table can be found in [30].…”

“…In 2021, the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech decided to use the EDINSOST model to incorporate ESD in the curricula of all its degrees. After analyzing the tools designed by the EDINSOST2-SDG project [30], the UPC asked the project researchers to simplify the tools to facilitate their use for professors and management teams unfamiliar with ESD. The EDINSOST team then began a process to create a simplified version of the SCM by reducing the number of learning outcomes from the original map.…”

Impulso a los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible a través de las prácticas de laboratorio

“…En los últimos años ha crecido el número de artículos que describen la incorporación de los ODS a los planes de estudio, actividades extracurriculares, etc. (Albareda-Tiana et al, 2018;Álvarez et al, 2021;Gómez-Martín et al, 2021;Mori Junior et al, 2019;Ramirez-Mendoza et al, 2020;Sánchez-Carracedo et al, 2021). La Guía "Acelerando la educación para los ODS en las universidades" (SDSN, 2020) tiene un suplemento que recoge casos que muestran las diferentes formas en que las universidades pueden integrar los elementos de la educación para los ODS en actividades de aprendizaje y enseñanza (SDSN, 2020; blogs.upm.es/education4sdg).…”