Integrating Global Sustainability Challenges in an Organizational Management Course Academic Article in Scopus uri icon

abstract

  • © American Society for Engineering Education, 2021Previous studies indicate that there is a link between a country's engineering capacity and its economic development. Future professionals must be capable of integrating the social and environmental fields into their engineering solutions. Their vision of the world must answer a new development model that ensures resource availability and well-being for current and future generations. Thus, it becomes essential to update course assignments considering these new challenges to foster a model of engineering that incorporates a sustainable criterion. This study aims to measure the impact of a sustainable curriculum integration experience using problem-based learning in the organizational management course module in the School of Engineering at a private university in Chile (Universidad Andres Bello). This study is a two-group design, having experimental and control groups. The intervention in a course module consisted of problem-based learning and teacher-led interventions. Both groups covered the same topics and similar activities. Data collection included surveys, class activities, and evaluations in both groups. The results showed that the intervention positively impacted students, particularly in how students' prejudices changed. However, the expected impact on their commitment to and awareness of equality was not as expected. Reflections made within the course assignment were relevant when taking an informed stand. A single course module intervention indicated that students improved sensitivity to sustainable development goals, but it was insufficient. The authors recognized the importance of including contextual problems with social and environmental considerations in future course modules, especially at the beginning of the course. The incorporation of other approaches during engineering training requires intention on the teacher's part and must be supported by different instances of curricular advancement. This study's relevance rests on the fact that the management tradition in Chile only incorporates the economic dimension of problems, so this experience leads us to seek how to improve the current engineering training by developing sustainable and equitable solutions to change the way companies currently operate.

publication date

  • July 26, 2021