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The role of community‐based learning in teaching about industrial ecology and sustainability in the context of engineering education: A case study from the field

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  • Andrea L. Hicks

Abstract

Industrial ecology and sustainability education have evolved over time, as this relatively new discipline has emerged and has been refined. Courses engaging with these topics are often found in engineering departments, and feature project or problem‐based learning (PBL) commonly with an industrial partner. This provides students the opportunity to apply the topics that they have learned in class in a real‐world situation, complete with the constraints and uncertainties inherent in practice. Community‐based learning (CBL), a combination of service learning and PBL, allows students to not only apply the material from a sustainability course, but also to do so in service of a community partner. This work presents an analysis of a multi‐year effort in teaching a CBL course on the topic of industrial ecology and sustainability in a North American context. Knowledge probes are utilized to quantify student preparation for the course and confidence in knowledge gained during the course in a longitudinal manner. Meanwhile, evolving student reflection is utilized to assess the impact of how the CBL element of the course influenced student thinking about the role of sustainability and industrial ecology within engineering education. The findings suggest that applying CBL to industrial ecology education has the potential to further enhance student learning experiences, while also providing a valuable service experience.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea L. Hicks, 2022. "The role of community‐based learning in teaching about industrial ecology and sustainability in the context of engineering education: A case study from the field," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(3), pages 1136-1146, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:26:y:2022:i:3:p:1136-1146
    DOI: 10.1111/jiec.13224
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    References listed on IDEAS

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