Christensen, David

Christensen, Per

Du, Xiangyun

Holgaard, Jette Egelund

Kolmos, Anette

Nielsen, Eskild Holm

English

    Aalborg UniversitetCentre for PBL & Sustainability: Enhancing Sustainability in Engineering and ScienceeducationHolgaard, Jette Egelund; Christensen, David; Kolmos, Anette; Nielsen, Eskild Holm;Christensen, Per; Du, XiangyunPublication date:2009Document VersionPublisher's PDF, also known as Version of recordLink to publication from Aalborg UniversityCitation for published version (APA):Holgaard, J. E., Christensen, D., Kolmos, A., Nielsen, E. H., Christensen, P., & Du, X. (2009). Centre for PBL &Sustainability: Enhancing Sustainability in Engineering and Science education. Poster presented at The 3rdEuropean Fair for Education for Sustainable Development, Hamburg, Germany.General rightsCopyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright ownersand it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights.            ? Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research.            ? You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain            ? You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ?Take down policyIf you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us at vbn@aub.aau.dk providing details, and we will remove access tothe work immediately and investigate your claim.Downloaded from vbn.aau.dk on: November 29, 2020Jette E. Holgaard, David Christensen, Anette Kolmos, Eskild Holm Nielsen, Per Christensen & Xiangyun DuDepartment of Development and Planning Aalborg Universityjeh@plan.aau.dkWHY THIS INITIATIVE?As noted by Barnett (2000), the University finds itself in an age of super-complexity, withone of the most complex challenges of our time being to alter trajectory to a moresustainable society on a corporate, regional, national and international level. The politicalpressure is ever more distinct to provide sustainable scientific and technologicaltransformations to decouple the increase in problematic environmental and social impactsfrom economic growth, and secure a balance between the three pillars of sustainability. Aspointed out by Peet, Bijma & Mulder (2004), education is of crucial importance in this de-coupling as sustainable development requires a long-term vision and integral approach.Several researchers within the field of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) haveargued that a paradigm shift is needed in Higher Education to face these new challenges ofsustainability, see for example Cortese (2003), Sterling (2004) and Gough & Scott (2007).On the institutional level this paradigm shift implies a more systemic perspectiveemphasising collaboration between different disciplines, and on the more operational levelthe process of education also has to change as stressed by Cortese (2003:19) in thefollowing:“The process of education will emphasise active experiential, inquiry-based learning andreal-world problem solving on the campus and in the larger society”Along the same vein, Sterling (2004) argues that an ecological paradigm for education ischaracterised by development and action-orientation; critical and creative inquiry; reflectiveand iterative learning; an indicative and open curriculum; learning in groups, organisationsand communities; and a democratic and participative environment. We believe that the PBLphilosophy embrace exactly those values.Problem and Project Based Learning (PBL) has been shown to be an effective framework foreducating engineers and scientists capable of solving complex tasks in a collaborativeframework. In a Centre for PBL and sustainability (PBL-SUS) we wish to research anddevelop PBL methods for integrating Sustainability into Engineering and Science Educationto foster sustainable scientific and technological innovations and transformations.OBJECTIVESAt Aalborg University, 35 years experience in educating Science and Engineeringstudents in a PBL environment has been accumulated, and The UNESCO chair inPBL in Engineering and Science education has the vision of furthering this byresearching the possibilities for using PBL as a framework for enhancing ESD withinthis field.In 2009 the vision of establishing a Centre for PBL and Sustainability under theUNESCO chair of PBL became reality with funding assistance from the Danish Obelfond.The objectives for 2009-2011 are:1. To create a global society of practitioners, researchers, experts and institutionswithin the field of Problem Based and Project Based Learning (PBL) andSustainability in Engineering, Science and Health Education;2. To establish international research and doctoral training on PBL andsustainability in Engineering, Science and Health Education;3. To provide global formal education and training for academic staff and todisseminate and exchange knowledge and support among society members interms of how to implement PBL in education, in carrying out research in PBLand in applying PBL for regional sustainable development;4. To give HE institutions and governments open access to a body of knowledge,education, training and other resources in order to facilitate PBL andSustainability in Engineering, Science and Health Education.The UNESCO chair wishes to invite all interested parties to join the global networkestablished in this centre among others researchers, business representatives, staffdevelopers, and interested academic staff with emphasis on research anddevelopment in PBL, Engineering and Science Education and Education forSustainable Development..JOIN US!Be a part of the global network on PBL & SustainabilityContact:Associate Professor Jette Egelund Holgaardjeh@plan.aau.dkDepartment of Development and PlanningAalborg UniversityLEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT IN ESD(Adapted from Sterling, 2004).Education aboutsustainabilityan “add-on” strategyEducation for sustainabilitya “built in” strategyEducation as sustainabilitya “re-build”-strategyToward a Sustainable Education Paradigm?A PBL approach means a focus on how students’ learningprocess can be situated to the changing and challengingnature of real life problems. PBL is interdisciplinary,contextualised and student-centred, and the pedagogicalmeans are changed from transferring knowledge tofacilitating learning (Kolmos, 2006). According to Kolmos& Graff (2007) the cognitive learning approach of PBL isthat learning is organised around problems and solved ina project-organised educational model with a dialecticinteraction between the subjects taught in lectures andthe real life problems dealt with in project work. Thesocial learning approach is team-based and participant-directed and through the project work the studentsinteract with surrounding stakeholders and therebycontribute to development of society in general (Kolmos& Graff, 2007).REFERENCESBarnett, Ronald (2000): Realizing the University in an Age of Supercomplexity.Society for Research Into Higher Education & Open University Press.Cortese, Anthony D. (2003): The Critical Role of Higher Education in Creating a Sustainable Future , Planning for Higher education, March-May, Society for College and University Planning.Gough, Stephen and Scott, William (2007): Higher education and Sustainable Development, Paradox and possibility, Routledge, Oxon.Kolmos, Anette (2006): Future Engineering skills, knowledge and identity. In: J. Christensen, L.B. Henriksen and Anette Kolmos eds. Engineering science, skills and Bildung, Aalborg University Press, pp. 165-185.Kolmos, Anette & de Graaff, Eric (2007): Process of changing to PBL: In E. de Graaff  and A. Kolmos eds. Management of Change: implementation of problem-based and project-based learning in engineering. Rotterdam: SENSE Publisher, pp. 31-44.Peet, Jan-Dirk, Bijma, Adrianne, Mulder, Karel F (2004): Intertwinning sustainable development in engineering courses: A manual for individual interactive approach, International Conference on Engineering Education in Sustainable Development, EESD, Technical University Delft.Sterling, Stephen (2004): Sustainable Education: Re-visioning Learning and Change, Green Books, Bristol.Centre for PBL & SustainabilityEnhancing Sustainability in Engineering and Science education 

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Centre for PBL & Sustainability: Enhancing Sustainability in Engineering and Science education

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