Integrating Sustainable Development into a Service-Learning Engineering Course

Abstract

This paper describes a unique service-learning course designed to introduce students to sustainable human development through a combination of classroom, laboratory, and fieldwork exercises. It responds to a need to educate engineers in addressing global societal problems. It provides a model that addresses the concerns and recommendations of various engineering accreditation boards in regard to the competencies expected of graduating university engineering students today. The course was multidisciplinary and involved a cohort of international students and faculty. The course employed multiple teaching methods and offered a variety of learning experiences. The study reported in this paper focuses on the students’ views of their learning and the course’s contribution to their development. More specifically, two research questions were considered with regard to (1) students’ learning outcomes and how they matched the course objectives and (2) learning experiences that were perceived as significant in promoting personal and professional development. The research findings imply that the course promoted various learning outcomes, and that the participatory and active learning experiences were the most significant learning experiences for the students.