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Learning to Collaborate from Diverse Interactions in Project-Based Sustainability Courses

Author

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  • Theres Konrad

    (Center for Global Sustainability and Cultural Transformation, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany)

  • Arnim Wiek

    (School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA)

  • Matthias Barth

    (Institute for Sustainable Development and Learning, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany)

Abstract

Project-based sustainability courses require and facilitate diverse interactions among students, instructors, stakeholders, and mentors. Most project-based courses take an instrumental approach to these interactions, so that they support the overall project deliverables. However, as courses primarily intend to build students’ key competencies in sustainability, including the competence to collaborate in teams and with stakeholders, there are opportunities to utilize these interactions more directly to build students’ interpersonal competence. This study offers insights from project-based sustainability courses at universities in Germany, the U.S., Switzerland, and Spain to empirically explore such opportunities. We investigate how students develop interpersonal competence by learning from (rather than through) their interactions with peers, instructors, stakeholders, and mentors. The findings can be used by course instructors, curriculum designers, and program administrators to more deliberately use the interactions with peers, instructors, stakeholders, and mentors in project-based sustainability courses for developing students’ competence to successfully collaborate in teams and with stakeholders.

Suggested Citation

  • Theres Konrad & Arnim Wiek & Matthias Barth, 2021. "Learning to Collaborate from Diverse Interactions in Project-Based Sustainability Courses," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-15, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:17:p:9884-:d:628005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Mette Mari Wold Johnsen & Ela Sjølie & Vegard Johansen, 2024. "Learning to Collaborate in a Project-based Graduate Course: A Multilevel Study of Student Outcomes," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 65(3), pages 439-462, May.
    2. Rui Zhang & Ji Shi & Jianwei Zhang, 2023. "Research on the Quality of Collaboration in Project-Based Learning Based on Group Awareness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-20, August.
    3. Na Li & Ping Jiang & Cuihong Li & Wei Wang, 2022. "College Teaching Innovation from the Perspective of Sustainable Development: The Construction and Twelve-Year Practice of the 2P3E4R System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-16, June.

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