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A Design-Based Learning Approach for Fostering Sustainability Competency in Engineering Education

Author

Listed:
  • Zhiliang Huang

    (School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hunan City University, Yiyang 413002, China)

  • Annan Peng

    (School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hunan City University, Yiyang 413002, China)

  • Tongguang Yang

    (School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hunan City University, Yiyang 413002, China)

  • Shuguang Deng

    (School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hunan City University, Yiyang 413002, China)

  • Yuexia He

    (School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hunan City University, Yiyang 413002, China)

Abstract

This paper provides and illustrates a design-based learning (DBL) approach for fostering individual sustainability competency in engineering education. We performed two studies with engineering students in typical educational activities. The first study helped students perform a topic-specific design task in the practicum unit of a sensor technology course, which compared the performance of the DBL approach and conventional passive learning approach. The second study guided students to develop innovative projects for participating in the "Internet Plus" Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition (IPIEC). To validate the proposed approach, stakeholder questionnaires and performance evaluations were implemented. The results show that the DBL approach was viable for sustainability competency teaching in terms of learning demand and teaching procedure. We found that students in the DBL group gave more prominence in the individual competencies, such as system-thinking, multidisciplinary applications, and collaboration. These findings suggest that applying the DBL approach to train sustainability competency in engineering education is beneficial for promoting students’ abilities in dealing with challenges involved in sustainability practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhiliang Huang & Annan Peng & Tongguang Yang & Shuguang Deng & Yuexia He, 2020. "A Design-Based Learning Approach for Fostering Sustainability Competency in Engineering Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-17, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:7:p:2958-:d:342664
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gregory Tassey, 2014. "Competing in Advanced Manufacturing: The Need for Improved Growth Models and Policies," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 28(1), pages 27-48, Winter.
    2. Alexander Dahlsrud, 2008. "How corporate social responsibility is defined: an analysis of 37 definitions," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Klaudia Zwolińska & Sylwia Lorenc & Radosław Pomykała, 2022. "Sustainable Development in Education from Students’ Perspective—Implementation of Sustainable Development in Curricula," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-27, March.
    2. Thi Phuoc Lai Nguyen & Thi Huy Nguyen & Thanh Khiet Tran, 2020. "STEM Education in Secondary Schools: Teachers’ Perspective towards Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-16, October.
    3. Izabela Simon Rampasso & Osvaldo L. G. Quelhas & Rosley Anholon & Marcio B. Pereira & Jocimar D. A. Miranda & Wenderson S. Alvarenga, 2020. "Engineering Education for Sustainable Development: Evaluation Criteria for Brazilian Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-11, May.
    4. Valentina Ndou, 2021. "Social Entrepreneurship Education: A Combination of Knowledge Exploitation and Exploration Processes," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-16, October.

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