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Despite an emerging emphasis on the role of engineers in achieving the SDGs, there is still a lack of agreement on which competencies should be prioritised to prepare them to tackle future sustainability challenges. By formulating a theoretical framework of key sustainable competencies based on prior studies, this study investigated engineering students’ subjective views on which competencies they considered as the most important to support them in becoming sustainable engineers/designers. Using Q methodology, views were collected from 26 master students in a Sustainable Design programme in a Danish systemic problem- and project-based (PBL) context. Three key competencies were identified: collaboration, interdisciplinarity, and systemic thinking. Competences within the ‘doing’ and ‘being’ dimensions were represented the strongest. There is a hierarchy between the competencies, with collaboration being the highest level, as it demonstrates that it is transversal to the others. These results emphasised the role of PBL in developing competencies for sustainability and in reinforcing the value of Education for Sustainable Development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the application of the epoxidation process of poly‐β‐myrcene, a constituent of the natural resin from Chios Mastic trees (Pistacia Lentiscus L.), as an educational instrument for teaching Green Chemistry and Engineering to students at various academic levels. The study provides a comprehensive presentation of foundational knowledge essential for interpreting the subsequent experimental data. Consequently, the production process that leads to the production of Mastic Epoxide (MASTEP) stands as an invaluable pedagogical resource, enabling educators to impart crucial principles of Green Chemistry and Engineering to both pre‐graduate and post‐graduate students. By employing MASTEP as a case study, this educational approach actively involves students in a dynamic learning environment. Through this methodology, learners develop a profound comprehension of sustainability, innovation, and good practices. The integration of the MASTEP concept into the curriculum would foster a deeper understanding of responsible methodologies among aspiring chemical engineers and scientists, equipping them to make substantial contributions towards a more sustainable global landscape. This educational model aims to contribute to preparing future generations for a pivotal role in fostering a sustainable world through their professional endeavors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering education is pivotal in driving sustainable development forward, yet many engineers encounter hurdles stemming from insufficient preparation for sustainability challenges. A major factor contributing to this is the lack of a structured and practical framework to guide the integration of sustainability into engineering education. This study addresses this gap by presenting a system-based framework tailored to ‘engineering education as sustainable development.’ The framework outlines a dynamic and inclusive organisational system, incorporating inputs from key stakeholders, a value-and-belief subsystem, throughput processes, and resultant outcomes. These outcomes encompass the cultivation of a new cohort of engineering graduates equipped with sustainable development knowledge, skills, and values/attitudes, thereby fostering the sustainable well-being and prosperity of all stakeholders involved. Additionally, the study examines the intricate relationships, including feedback loops, among system components and concludes by offering insights for practitioners to consider for future action and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green engineering is an important direction for engineering education, especially in the field of chemical engineering, where green chemical is a necessary guarantee for achieving sustainable development in the industry. How to practice the principles of green engineering in curriculum education is a problem that needs to be faced in engineering education, due to the currently educated persons are the future practitioners. The aim of this study is to integrate green techniques into an undergraduate‐level chemical design course, demonstrating how green engineering principles can be embedded in the curriculum to practice green engineering education, and thus disseminate the sustainability concept, resulting in a framework for achieving sustainable development. According to the training programme and design procedure, each student receives a product process design project and is guided by a teacher through the data review and discussion and then integrates green technologies in all aspects of the design, and the design result is evaluated. The good results of the students' design show that the undergraduate‐level chemical design course can well integrate green engineering principles and green technologies in the design, enhance the green standard of process design, broaden the students' design vision and mobilize their engineering creativity. It is a good form of green engineering education that the integration of engineering green technologies into an undergraduate‐level chemical design course, as demonstrated by the design results, which achieve effective practice of the sustainability concept and develop green education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Considering the relevance of education for sustainable development (SD) to enhancing engineers' abilities to contribute towards sustainability-related issues, this study aims to help understand the global context of the insertion of SD into engineering education and to provide guidelines to further evolve research and efforts towards implementing Engineering Education for Sustainable Development (EESD). Design/methodology/approach: This study performed a longitudinal analysis using bibliometrics and a content analysis via Conceive–Design–Implement–Operate standards. SciMAT software was used to support the bibliometric analysis. Findings: In addition to an increase in the practical aspects presented due to a change in the approaches taken to examine key topics, evidence on important concepts such as "life cycle assessment" and "digitalisation" increased in more recent years. However, it was possible to show that, despite the evolution observed throughout the years, several important opportunities exist for engineering programmes to improve and, for researchers, to fill the related gaps in the research. Originality/value: This study can be used as a guide for future research and as a source of insights for EESD implementation and improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Considering the relevance of education for sustainable development (SD) to enhancing engineers' abilities to contribute towards sustainability-related issues, this study aims to help understand the global context of the insertion of SD into engineering education and to provide guidelines to further evolve research and efforts towards implementing Engineering Education for Sustainable Development (EESD). Design/methodology/approach: This study performed a longitudinal analysis using bibliometrics and a content analysis via Conceive–Design–Implement–Operate standards. SciMAT software was used to support the bibliometric analysis. Findings: In addition to an increase in the practical aspects presented due to a change in the approaches taken to examine key topics, evidence on important concepts such as "life cycle assessment" and "digitalisation" increased in more recent years. However, it was possible to show that, despite the evolution observed throughout the years, several important opportunities exist for engineering programmes to improve and, for researchers, to fill the related gaps in the research. Originality/value: This study can be used as a guide for future research and as a source of insights for EESD implementation and improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global challenges regarding climate changes, food and energy resources security, poverty and human rights have received serious attention in the recent years. The solutions provided by policy-makers and researchers have clearly not been able to be effective on a global scale. For instance, nearly one-third of the world's population do not have enough access to safe drinking water, the devastating effects of global warming pose threats to environment and people's health and relative poverty and conflicts have spread in many parts of the world. These situations alert global and futuristic perspectives to the sustainable development. Since the concept of sustainability is inherently complex with interdisciplinary nature including economic, environmental and social aspects, it requires sustainable development education in all fields of university study, especially for engineering students. By describing the characteristics of sustainable engineering education and a domestic and foreign literature review in this field, this article tries to provide a scheme to include the interdisciplinary aspects of sustainable development in the curriculum of engineering students. In this regard, the subject of an integrated course was proposed and analyzed with emphasis on strengthening the social knowledge of engineers and increasing their ability to find and understand the mutual effects of different aspects of sustainability. It was argued that such a subject could prepare future engineers to confront and find sustainable solutions to the complex challenges of the modern world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability tools should be taught to civil engineers to make the most sustainable engineering decisions in projects. This study is conducted mainly to compare the application of the sustainability approach in civil engineering education in Iran and some developed countries. In this study, the investigated factors are measured using the comparative-descriptive method. In this regard, the importance of sustainability education is discussed in addition to examining the views of domestic and foreign professional organizations. Besides, some solutions for sustainability education in civil engineering are provided by describing sustainability education topics in some world-class universities and comparing them with the approved civil engineering education program in Iran. Studies show that the educational programs of the country's higher education centres can be revised in some aspects to teach sustainability concepts. Sustainability concepts should be taught operationally by modifying and updating teaching methods and connecting students with industry and knowledge-based companies. In this way, students will get the necessary preparation to apply these concepts in the design, construction, and operation of civil infrastructure after passing the relevant courses. The quality of teaching sustainability tools and concepts can be improved by using interactive and encouraging approaches and group activities of civil students and engineers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The education of engineers and other professionals to address the global grand challenge of sustainable food production will require much more than excellent technical skills. New mindsets, human-centered design principles, and collaborative leadership skills will be required to develop leaders who will be successful in addressing the complex political, economic, and societal challenges inherent in sustainable agriculture and food production today. This will require supplementing--not replacing--the technical core of engineering education with new pedagogical models and extracurricular experiences. One such model that has proven effective in this area and has spread to nearly 100 universities globally is the Grand Challenges Scholars Program. This article explains how the complexities of agriculture and food production today can be addressed by future engineering leaders based on this program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to discuss how the theory of complex thinking can be considered an interesting element in engineering education, especially in the context in which challenges toward sustainable development are multidisciplinary. Design/methodology/approach: This viewpoint synthesizes the main reflections and discussions generated during a process of debate, research and creation of a proposal for an undergraduate engineering course at a higher education institution in Brazil. The literature on engineering education, sustainability and complexity was considered in an integrated way. Debates were conducted considering the authors' knowledge and experience as professors of engineering courses and researchers in the field of sustainability. A qualitative and reflexive approach was used to organize the main discussions. Findings: The prevailing classical engineering paradigm trains professionals to think from a Cartesian, reductionist perspective, appropriate for solving well-structured problems with known solution paths and convergent answers. However, addressing sustainability challenges requires a different kind of thinking capable of dealing with situations characterized by uncertainty, emergence and incompleteness of knowledge. Complexity thinking can be useful for this purpose as it provides a broad system approach to deal with ill-defined, ill-structured and unpredictable problems. This study can be understood as a call to researchers and professionals to consider the value and importance of complexity thinking to advance engineering education for sustainability. Originality/value: The need to overcome the limits of the classical engineering paradigm is emphasized in the context of sustainability. Complex thinking is considered as a path toward a paradigm shift in engineering education for sustainability. It can contribute to the training of professionals to face pressing challenges now and in the future. This viewpoint provides some insights to enhance debates on education engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to analyze how a tangram activity improved students' abilities to explain sustainability, articulate a positive perception of sustainable design and relate sustainability with innovation in engineering design. Design/methodology/approach: The concept of paradigm shift was introduced in the classroom by using a tangram activity to help students understand that sustainable design requires out-of-the-box thinking. Instructors from three institutions teaching various levels of sustainability courses to engineering majors used the activity to introduce sustainable design, then measured the understanding and appreciation of the concepts introduced through the tangram activity with pre- and post-activity surveys. Findings: Findings from the study indicate that students' perceptions of sustainability significantly improved due to the activity, without regard to the institution. The activity also significantly improved students understanding of the connection between sustainability and innovation, across all three institutions, across all majors and across all years of study except second-year students. Improving engineering students' views on sustainability may lead, over time, to changes in the industry, in which environmental performance is incorporated into the engineering design process. Originality/value: Active learning approaches are needed for affective-domain learning objectives in the sustainability field for students to learn the necessary attitudes, values and motivations to implement sustainability in engineering design. Simple, easily implemented active learning techniques, such as the tangram activity presented here, can be implemented across the curriculum or to the public to introduce the paradigm shift necessary with sustainable design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the differences in first-year and senior engineering students' engineering agency beliefs and career goals related to sustainable development. The authors also sought to understand how topics related to sustainable development in engineering courses affect senior engineering students' goals to address these issues in their careers. This work provides evidence of how students' agency beliefs may be shaped by higher education, which is essential to workforce development. Design/methodology/approach: Findings stem from two national surveys of engineering first-year (Sustainability and Gender in Engineering, n = 7,709) and senior students (Student Survey about Career Goals, College Experiences, n = 4,605). The authors compared both groups using pairwise testing by class standing. Findings: The results indicate that undergraduate studies tend to reinforce students' engineering agency beliefs to improve their quality of life and preserve the environment. Significantly more senior students selected career goals to address environmental issues compared to first-year students. In general, students undervalue their roles as engineers in addressing issues related to social inequities. Those topics are rarely addressed in engineering courses. Findings from this work suggest discussing sustainability in courses positively impact setting career goals to address such challenges. Research limitations/implications: The study compares results from two distinct surveys, conveyed at different periods. Nonetheless, the sample size and national spread of respondents across US colleges and universities are robust to offer relevant insights on sustainable development in engineering education. Practical implications: Adapting engineering curriculum by ensuring that engineering students are prepared to confront global problems related to sustainable development in their careers will have a positive societal impact. Social implications: This study highlights shortcomings of engineering education in promoting social and economic sustainability as related to the engineering field. Educational programs would benefit from emphasizing the interconnectedness of environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development. This approach could increase diversity in engineering education and the industry, and by ripple effect, benefit the communities and local governance. Originality/value: This work is a first step toward understanding how undergraduate experiences impact students' engineering agency beliefs and career goals related to sustainability. It explores potential factors that could increase students' engineering agency and goals to make a change through engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to analyse how the materials selection courses of engineering undergraduate programmes can be better aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach: Initially, a content analysis was performed in 39 materials selection course descriptions from 40 engineering undergraduate programmes of Brazilian higher education institutions, and subsequently, Delphi method procedures were conducted with professors that teach or have taught the course and are knowledgeable in the subject of sustainability. Findings: Considering the analysed course descriptions, it was shown that most of the materials selection courses do not consider or present little emphasis on sustainability aspects. Regarding the Delphi method, eight items were evidenced to consider sustainability aspects in the analysed courses. Originality/value: This study contributes to the debates about sustainability insertion in engineering undergraduate programmes. More specifically, the findings presented consolidated information that professors and coordinators can use to align materials selection courses with the SDGs better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial ecology and sustainability education have evolved over time, as this relatively new discipline has emerged and has been refined. Courses engaging with these topics are often found in engineering departments, and feature project or problem‐based learning (PBL) commonly with an industrial partner. This provides students the opportunity to apply the topics that they have learned in class in a real‐world situation, complete with the constraints and uncertainties inherent in practice. Community‐based learning (CBL), a combination of service learning and PBL, allows students to not only apply the material from a sustainability course, but also to do so in service of a community partner. This work presents an analysis of a multi‐year effort in teaching a CBL course on the topic of industrial ecology and sustainability in a North American context. Knowledge probes are utilized to quantify student preparation for the course and confidence in knowledge gained during the course in a longitudinal manner. Meanwhile, evolving student reflection is utilized to assess the impact of how the CBL element of the course influenced student thinking about the role of sustainability and industrial ecology within engineering education. The findings suggest that applying CBL to industrial ecology education has the potential to further enhance student learning experiences, while also providing a valuable service experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to present a methodology for analysing the extent to which students of a university degree perceive that they have received a good education for sustainable development (ESD). The methodology enables us to quantify this perception, which, in turn, allows us to determine: to what extent the objectives related to ESD are achieved in the degree, and to compare the learning in ESD perceived by students of different degrees. The methodology is applied to nine engineering degrees and nine education degrees in the Spanish university system. Design/methodology/approach: ESD is analysed from the students' learning perception. This perception is measured by comparing the responses of first- and fourth-year students to a questionnaire about their sustainability competencies. Two indicators have been designed to analyse the results. The first indicator, learning increase, measures the declared learning difference between fourth- and first-year students. The second indicator, learning percentage, measure the amount of learning as reported by fourth-year students compared to how much they could have learned. Findings: The results show that the average learning percentage perceived by students is higher in engineering degrees (33%) than in education degrees (27%), despite the fact that the average learning increase declared by students at the end of their studies in both areas of knowledge is similar (66%). Engineering students report having achieved higher learning than education students in all sustainability competencies, with the exception of ethics. Originality/value: This paper analyses ESD from the student's perspective. Furthermore, to the knowledge of the authors, this is the first study that compares the perception of ESD between engineering and education students. This comparison allows us to determine the different approaches that university Professors take to ESD according to the discipline they teach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to research the ways of integrating sustainable development into study programs of engineering faculties in an international context, as well as to analyse the current state of engineering education for sustainable development at the universities of the Republic of Serbia. Therefore, a desktop research, as well as an analysis of the engineering education curricula, have been conducted. The results of the research indicated to two possible approaches to the integration of sustainable development into the engineering curricula – in the form of special subjects dedicated to the problems of sustainable development in the engineering, or as an integrative approach which implies that sustainable development becomes an integral part of the entire curriculum. Subjects dedicated to sustainable development have been identified at all universities, but not at all faculties where engineers are educated in the Republic of Serbia, they are present at all levels of study (undergraduate, master, doctoral), as well as within applied, integrated and specialist studies, and by status they are most often elective. The results confirm that the engineering curricula open up towards the questions of sustainable development both in international context, and in higher education of the Republic of Serbia and as such, they can serve to the relevant ministries of education and science, universities and engineering faculties as a recommendation in which way to plan and design higher education of engineers in the future in order to provide overall support in the integration of sustainability into the engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Environmental sustainability and social contexts are becoming increasingly important concepts. The infusion of sustainability and humanitarian engineering (HE) into the academic core curriculum is often challenging. This study aims to provide an understanding of students' perceptions and attitudes toward the incorporation of active learning of sustainability and humanitarian concepts into engineering education. Design/methodology/approach: A project-based sustainability course was developed and offered to engineering undergraduates. A HE international field experience was also provided to students as an extracurricular activity. Pre- and post-surveys were conducted to assess students' perceptions and attitudes toward sustainability and HE project learning experience. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to determine the statistical significance of the results and demographic influences on students' experiences. Findings: Both project-based and international field learning experiences positively influenced the students' perceptions of sustainable practices, social change and appreciation of the engineering profession. Multidisciplinary learning also helped students become more motivated, engage in sustainability-promoted activities and community work and improve their social interactions. Students gained practical engineering skills that they did not typically receive in traditional classroom settings and recognized the global and social responsibilities that are core to sustainable development education. Originality/value: The study demonstrates a mixed undergraduate educational model in which students acquired sustainability concepts through a project-based engineering course and practiced social responsibility through international HE projects. The findings help engineering educators understand students' perceptions toward sustainability and HE, providing insight into effective curriculum design and strategic inclusion of social responsibility in traditional engineering education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of applying sustainability to the engineering curriculum at a university in China. Design/methodology/approach: A new curriculum, "ethics, involvement and sustainability," was designed and presented to engineering students from an undergraduate major in quality management engineering. This curriculum incorporated knowledge acquisition and skills training into sustainability via various teaching approaches in a mandatory curriculum at Tongling University, China. Pre- and post-questionnaire surveys, as well as a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model, were adopted to evaluate the changes in knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of respondents before and after curriculum implementation. Findings: Significant changes in knowledge and attitudes were observed following the implementation of the curriculum. In terms of the development of new behaviors, the changes tended to be moderate. Generally, respondents were satisfied with the effectiveness of the new interdisciplinary curriculum post-implementation. Practical implications: Positive results were observed for the pilot and practice of the new engineering education (NEE) strategy at the cooperating university in China. Specifically, the integration of sustainability into curriculum design, implementation and evaluation inspired greater social responsibility in engineering students' decision-making processes. Additionally, it shed light on how to integrate the concept of sustainability into curricula. One limitation of this study was the absence of a comparison group that did not experience the new curriculum. Originality/value: Scant attention has been paid to local universities in the context of the newly-launched NEE strategy. This study provides new insight regarding the implementation of sustainability into engineering curricula and practice via formal, but diversified, teaching approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Considering the requirements of sustainable development regarding professionals training and the challenges evidenced during Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, this study aims to contribute to the debates regarding the need to insert sustainability into engineering education in the current context. Design/methodology/approach: For this, the literature about sustainability in engineering education was considered, and the need for sustainability insertion in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic was debated. It is important to emphasize that this debate was based on the authors' experience regarding sustainability research and teaching. Findings: The current moment unveiled companies' financial management problems, constantly evidenced by media. In this sense, the interest of engineering students in business management may lead them to believe that companies' survival depends only on financial aspects, neglecting environmental and social aspects. This study is characterized as a reminder to academic staff in the field of engineering to continue valuing the principles of sustainable development with their students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originality/value: The need to make engineering students understand the importance of social projects in the current period is emphasized. The training of professionals to consider all the sustainability aspects even during crisis moments is evidenced now and should be used as a learning lesson for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human world and the biosphere which we inhabit with all other life on earth is a complex socio-ecological system. It is essential to think about the sustainability problem by considering the interventions necessary to achieve our objectives within that system. The paper describes how the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be placed within a systems configuration. In this paper, I outline the development of a dynamic model to explore this system and its plausible trajectories over coming decades and centuries. The results echo the findings of other studies, indicating that urgent action is required to avoid declining average global living standards in the coming century. The key policy interventions required to avoid this are described. The present institutions are insufficient to re-structure the global economy in the timeframe required, meaning that our profession must be elevated in the public discourse, and our voices must become louder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to report on how programme directors address sustainability within engineering education at Swedish universities and engineering colleges. Design/methodology/approach: The study was performed as a survey with follow-up interviews around the following core questions: to what extent do programme directors possess a deep understanding of the subject of sustainable development? Which are the core competencies in sustainable development that programme directors identify as important for their engineering students to acquire during their basic training? To what extent are those competencies integrated into engineering education today and what kind of support do programme directors receive from their department to integrate these competencies into the curriculum? Findings: Programme directors believe that learning for sustainable development is important mainly based on their personal convictions. However, out of 10 potential learning objectives extracted from the literature, only four-six are implemented in degree programmes. Learning objectives and activities are not always aligned, as students are required to learn about interdisciplinary collaboration without working with students from other faculties. The programme directors receive some support from the department, but they express a need for additional support. Examples of support that they suggest are faculty training, efficient teaching material and incorporation of sustainability in the quality assessment instruments for degree programmes. Originality/value: This study is the first comprehensive, national survey of what programme directors think about sustainability in higher education. Their views are important in the attempt to accelerate the integration of sustainability in higher education curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing engineering students' engagement with public welfare is central to promoting ethical responsibility among engineers and enhancing engineers' capacity to serve the public good. However, little research has investigated how student experience attempts to increase engagement with public welfare concerns. Purpose/Hypothesis: This study identifies and analyzes the challenges facing efforts to increase engineering students' engagement with the social and ethical implications of their work through a study of students' experiences at two engineering programs that emphasize public welfare engagement. Design/Methods: We conducted interviews with engineering students (n = 26) and ethnographic observations of program events, classes, presentations, and social groups (n = 60) at two engineering programs that focus on engagement with public welfare and foreground learning about the social context and social impacts of engineering. We analyzed these data to identify areas in which students experienced challenges integrating considerations of public welfare into their work. Results: We found that four main areas where engineering students experienced difficulty engaging with considerations of public welfare: (a) defining and defending their identities as engineers; (b) justifying the value of nontechnical work and relevance to engineering; (c) redefining engineering expertise and integrating community knowledge into projects; and (d) addressing ambiguous questions and ethics. Conclusions: This work contributes to knowledge about the barriers to increasing students' engagement with issues of public welfare, even when programs encourage such engagement. These findings are relevant to broader efforts to increase concerns for ethics, social responsibility, and public welfare among engineers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Project‐based learning has shown promise in improving learning outcomes for diverse students. However, studies on its impacts have largely focused on the perceptions of students and instructors or students' immediate performance. This study reports the impact of taking a project‐based introductory engineering course on students' subsequent academic success. Purpose/Hypothesis: This quantitative study examines characteristics related to enrollment in the project‐based introductory engineering course and subsequent academic performance. We hypothesized that participation in the course would be associated with higher academic performance in subsequent engineering courses. In addition, we examined heterogeneity effects for students traditionally underrepresented in engineering education. Design/Method: This study utilized data on students' demographics, academic preparation, course enrollment, and course performance from 1,318 engineering students from a large public university in Southern California. Logistic regression analysis with robust standard errors examined enrollment patterns. We applied propensity scores as inverse‐probability weights in multiple linear models to calculate the average treatment effect on the treated for participants from the project‐based introductory engineering course in five subsequent engineering courses. This analysis was conducted for all students and for selected student subgroups. Results: Enrollment in the project‐based introductory engineering course was positively associated with students' performance in some subsequent engineering courses and did not adversely affect students traditionally underrepresented in engineering. Conclusions: This study provides an example of a project‐based introductory engineering course that can support students' academic success in engineering. The benefits detected for some student populations (e.g., female) are encouraging for broadening engineering pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many blame politicians, governments, and markets for the technically-driven problems the world faces (think war, climate change, surveillance, disinformation, and so on). But why is it that there are almost always engineers and corporations willing to design and build the technologies that cause those problems, many times in spite of knowing about the negative consequences of those technologies? I offer in this paper practical guidance on how to engage in activist engineering, the goal of which is to get engineers to step back from their work and be able to ask and have a conversation about the question, "What is the real problem, and does this problem 'require' an engineering solution?" Building on research in the history and philosophy of engineering, and engineering ethics and education, as well as current events—all of which highlight important issues of debate within engineering practice—I provide a list of questions that engineers can start with for self-reflection to better understand their motivations for doing engineering work, and to better understand the implications of their work. The questions relate to considerations engineers must make regarding the social, environmental, economic, and peace implications of their work, and relate to alternative and non-technical interventions to the problem at hand. I believe that each engineer should, in the end, be able to answer the questions: Why am I an engineer? For whose benefit do I work? What is the full measure of my moral and social responsibility? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contribution: An analysis of the extent to which sustainability is present in the syllabi, project briefs, report templates, and student final reports of the three Iberian European project semester (EPS) providers, over a five-year period. Background: EPS is a one-semester capstone project framework that adopts project-based learning and multicultural, multidisciplinary teamwork. Educating engineers for sustainable development requires fostering critical and ethical thinking and a desire for equity, solidarity and preservation of natural resources, and cultural and genetic diversity. Existing engineering capstone design programs emphasize solving real world problems, hands-on training, and soft skills, but few focus on sustainability aspects of engineering design. The three Iberian EPS providers adopt project-based learning and teamwork methodologies, promoting the development of transversal skills and addressing sustainability in a multicultural and multidisciplinary background. Intended Outcomes: To show that the three Iberian EPS providers follow these recommendations and contribute to raising students’ awareness of sustainable development. Application Design: The proposed sustainability learning assessment method collects evidence from syllabi, project briefs, report templates, and final reports to extract faculty and student perspectives. The sustainability-related terms collected were processed into word cloud format, allowing a simple and intuitive interpretation of students’ understanding of sustainability, and in co-occurrence network format, to understand if sustainability has a pervasive or confined presence within the reports. Findings: Iberian EPS faculty and students are aware of the social, economic, and environmental impact of their projects, in terms of quality of life, social responsibility, the use of resources, and environmentally friendly technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research on gender differences and practical initiatives to attract girls to engineering are often carried out at the macro level where science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are aggregated into an entity called STEM. Purpose/Hypothesis: This article challenges the aggregated approach, analyzes gender differences among science and engineering applicants in Finland, and discusses the implications of the findings for engineering education and intervention initiatives. Design/Method: The data consist of the application choices of all applicants to Bachelor studies in Finland in 2016 (151,369 individuals), from which two groups were selected: persons whose first application choice was engineering/technology and persons whose first choice was natural sciences or mathematics. The application choices of these individuals (in total 9,104) are statistically described and analyzed. Results: Engineering/technology (TECH) and natural sciences and mathematics (SCIMA) subjects are not perceived as alternative options by female applicants. Almost 60% of all female TECH applicants and more than 50% of the female SCIMA applicants apply only to their respective programs. Moreover, TECH applicants considering other options prefer other subjects to SCIMA and vice versa. Conclusions: Encouraging more girls to study STEM is not a sufficient solution for attracting more women to engineering. Instead of or in addition to encouraging girls to study science and mathematics in K‐12 education, it is necessary to open the black box of technology and help young people better understand what engineering is about. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering education research in Canada is, in many ways, still establishing itself as a discipline, yet much is already being asked of it. The diversity of career pathways for engineering graduates, along with the increased complexity of global engineering challenges and the ramifications of technological opportunities, is raising important questions about current engineering education foci and practices. This paper brings together issues surfaced through the process of compiling a Special Theme on engineering education research in Canada, positioning the collection of papers in terms of the challenges and opportunities faced by this maturing Canadian research community. We seek to reconcile how this research can incorporate the theoretical and methodological depth valued in the social sciences while honoring the focus on effective instructional practices that has become an important strand of inquiry in engineering education. Challenges to the growth of engineering education research, such as funding and graduate student inclusion, are also discussed. In addition, we explore the emergence of teaching stream engineering faculty and problematize the role of research and scholarship in their career trajectories. Finally, we call for more strategic thinking to guide the evolution of engineering education research in Canada. We hope that, collectively, this editorial and the other four papers in this Special Theme will help to stimulate discussion about how we define and recognize excellence in the domain of engineering education research in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the curriculum of engineering leadership offerings in Canadian universities. We operationalize an adapted version of Lattuca and Stark's (2011) academic plan framework to analyze key documents of engineering leadership offerings embedded in the engineering curriculum in six different universities. In the process, we generate relevant categories for comparison that are specific to engineering leadership curricula, leading to a preliminary taxonomy for leadership education in a professional field. Using the process and taxonomy developed, findings show a range of purposes, content and sequencing, with a common core of instructional processes and resources. We also explore how accreditation, labour markets, internal resources and relationships shape curriculum decisions. This paper highlights changing trends in engineering education related to leadership skill development and provides insights for professional education more broadly on the influences and practical implementation of these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As reported by many professional bodies responsible for accrediting engineering programs, today's engineering graduates present important limitations in the practice of engineering because current engineering curricula are still too focused on fundamental engineering science without providing sufficient integration to industrial practice. To overcome these limitations, active learning approaches have been applied in the literature with positive results in engagement, motivation and student's performance. In this paper, we propose a project-based learning approach with real manufacturing activities in a four-year mechanical engineering course to improve the learning process. The goal of the project is to plan the manufacturing process of a real part and conduct at shop-floor levels all the activities required. The experience was evaluated considering project/exam grades, questionnaires and manufacturing quality. The results showed an increase in student's satisfaction, improvement in the exam performance and a clear increase in student's enrolment in the manufacturing master degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate framework was initiated around 20 years ago at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in order to reform engineering education to cope with the latest needs and challenges available in the industry. MIT researchers thought of the set of skills that graduates would need to have upon graduation. Then they developed the framework and syllabus, and then ran it through pilot programmes to monitor and refine its underlying approaches. The framework takes into account students' 'Technical Knowledge and Reasoning', 'Personal and Professional Skills', 'Interpersonal Skills' and ability to 'Conceive-Design-Implement and Operate' engineering system or processes. It is now well established with over 100 universities applying its concepts to enhance engineering education. The framework defines 12 standards, which are implemented to describe the frameworks structure. This framework has been applied to several modules (or courses) within Taylor's School of Engineering. In particular, the present investigation discusses the application of this framework within the context of a Capstone Project module in the school's Mechanical Engineering Programme. This module is a yearlong, 3rd year module within a 4-year engineering degree programme where students are tasked to design and build a complex engineering system. This paper discusses how the framework is used to enhance students' ability to brainstorm and develop suitable and sustainable engineering design solutions for a specified design challenge. The paper will discuss what the students have accomplished in each part of the conceive-design-implement-operate framework stages, as well as how these techniques have enabled them to appropriately design an engineering solution in addition to the rubrics used to assess them in each part of the framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The engineering education discourse increasingly recognizes the role of empathy in preparing students for 21st century challenges. This pedagogical and theoretical interest is not supported by an empirical understanding of the role empathy plays in students' professional formation. Purpose This study investigated how undergraduate engineering students made sense of empathy during a series of empathic communication modules as part of a mechanical engineering design course. Methodology: Post‐module reflections from 146 students were collected in two iterations of the course. The data were qualitatively analyzed using social phenomenology to focus on participants' meaning making in the context of their overall experiences. A model of empathy as interrelated skills, orientations, and ways of being theoretically framed the data gathering and analysis. Findings Three analytic categories structured the significant variation in students' meaning making. (a) Relationships with Others captured students' understandings of the relationship with and role of others along the three dimensions of Distance, Difference, and Power. (b) The Act of Learning identified varying degrees of resonance or disconnect between students' expectations of engineering learning and the forms of learning encountered in the modules. (c) Empathy as a Conceptual Object described the variation of students' own understandings of the nature and function of empathy in the context of their engineering learning. Conclusions: The experiential significance of engaging with empathy makes visible and pedagogically accessible students' value orientations that frame their relationships toward others and their self‐understanding as engineers, thus providing potential new avenues for research and education to engage less tangible facets of engineering formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used a mixed methodology to investigates the possibility of using blended assessment for engineering education in a challenging learning environment. It discussed the outcome of the evaluation, which is problematized by the influences of an encumbered learning environment. It used the blended engineering models to investigate the circumstances of assessments and its outcomes in a university situated in the sub-Sahara African region. It revealed the experiences of post-internship engineering students using a single blended course. The survey showed that students' knowledge of factors impeding thorough assessment for productivity in the region and advocated ways of improvement. It disclosed past and present assessment percentage shares in addition to suggesting a preferred assessment percentage share required for graduating skilled engineers. The result uncovered where assessment might be situated so that there is a satisfactory learning outcome for engineering programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Science, technology and engineering students, within the scope of the European Higher Education Area, often approach their subjects as chunks of knowledge due to the very construction of the teaching plans and the interdepartmental structure of the universities, that is, without deepening the interrelationship between these chunks and the future working reality that the student will have to live. During this research, a board game was designed, within the framework of STEAM education, in order to establish the dynamics of playful activities to generate a gamified learning environment. Through a planned, organized, directed and systematic research process, the effect of the use of the board game on the academic grades of engineering students was assessed, based on the hypothesis that the use of this game allows the acquisition not only of knowledge, but also of the ability to integrate the knowledge of subjects directly linked to the STEAM environment. The analysis of the results verified the initial hypothesis of this research, confirming the positive effect that the use of gamified elements has in STEAM environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of diversity in engineering and perpetuation of inequities through engineering designs have motivated the rise of new curricula centred on the integration of traditional technical content with social aspects of technology. However, the 'revolutionizing' of curricula has primarily been spearheaded by junior faculty, women and faculty of colour. This article uses an autoethnographic approach to explore the development of social justice-oriented curricula within engineering from the perspectives of junior women and faculty of colour. Drawing on feminist and critical race theory, we discuss how power dynamics within the school, university and engineering more broadly have shaped the development and teaching of justice-oriented engineering. Through the lens of our experiences, we show that, despite the support from some institutional allies and administrators, stereotypes, hegemonic norms and microaggressions can undermine efforts for social and structural change in engineering education, even as such changes are supported and promoted by the institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the curriculum for engineering education (course requirements as well as extra-curricular activities like study abroad and internships) should be based on a comprehensive understanding of engineers' responsibilities. The responsibilities that are constitutive of being an engineer include striving to fulfill the standards of excellence set by technical codes; to improve the idealized models that engineers use to predict, for example, the behavior of alternative designs; and to achieve the internal goods such as safety and sustainability as they are reflected in the design codes. Globalization has implications for these responsibilities and, in turn, for engineering education, by, for example, modifying the collection of possible solutions recognized for existing problems. In addition, international internships can play an important role in fostering the requisite moral imagination of engineering students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities throughout the world are realigning engineering education by integrating the impact and importance the profession has on humanity, society and the natural environment. Amongst western universities it is common practice for the engineering programs to have ethics and sustainability embedded within most professional practice courses. Western universities are now understanding the important role cultural, social and emotional intelligence play in producing holistic 21st century engineers. Universities are supporting and fostering fieldtrips to resource-constrained communities, exposing students to real-world problems and finding solutions not necessarily typical in western environments. This, to a certain degree, has helped promote the concept of the Humanitarian Engineer. However, many activities run the risk of disempowering communities and incorrectly promote neo-colonialism as a positive concept to students: the exact opposite of what universities should be striving to achieve. This paper explores the concept of voluntourism and the need for holistic and sustainable solutions for universities to produce culturally, socially and emotionally intelligent engineers with a strong depth of technical knowledge. The paper provides case studies of different programs, highlighting different methods of service-learning and community empowerment. The paper provides a framework to assess program suitability to produce holistic 21st century engineering graduates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade and prompted by the United Nations (UN) 2030 Framework, significant engineering bodies have been calling for education directed towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this paper, the authors reflect on progress to enable SDG knowledge and skills in engineering studies, overviewing key examples of efforts within the global professional engineering and education community, including Australia and the United States of America (the US). Acknowledging differences in language and guidance around the world, the authors discuss the need to provide clear and concise language regarding: 1) statements for desirable graduate attributes, 2) required knowledge and skill (i.e. competency) development, and 3) commentary/guiding elements and indicators. The paper concludes with recommending accreditation bodies and professional societies and colleges make use of current international review processes underway by the International Engineering Alliance (IEA) and the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO), to update accreditation and supporting documents to ensure graduates have capacity to deliver solutions for 'thriving humanity and planet' in the twenty-first century. The authors also challenge educators to review and renew their institution's desired graduate attributes and program offerings to ensure curriculum develops capacity for achieving the UN SDG goals, targets and indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated best practices in teaching environmental responsibility to inventors and innovators. Because successful invention includes engineering, design, and business, best practices in all three disciplines were investigated, as well as connections among them. The investigation sought best practices in curriculum, delivery methods, and administrative leadership to maximize environmental responsibility in invention education. To find best practices, interviews of 25 instructors, administrators, and graduates from sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship programs were performed; a small literature review provided background and validation. Results found that for curriculum, there was no "silver bullet" but a wide spread of topics for different contexts; however, core topics included business knowledge, measurement of impacts, systems thinking, communication, and inclusion of social justice for broader sustainability. For delivery methods, project-based learning in interdisciplinary teams was a best practice, especially when partnering with industry or other external stakeholders. For leadership, faculty leading with strong administrative support was often praised, though other models were also described, and barriers were mentioned. Leadership best practices also included involvement of all aspects of institutions: faculty, administration, students, facilities, and operations. Image 1 •.Recommended curricula 1: business skills, impact measurement (including social). •.Recommended curricula 2: systems thinking (or critical thinking), communication. •.Recommended delivery: projects in interdisciplinary teams with external partners. •.Recommended administration: faculty leading with strong administrative support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the problems in the practice teaching, the reform of electronic practice teaching based on outcomes-based education (OBE) concept is implemented to meet the requirements of engineering education program accreditation. Based on the student-centered, the engineering project is taken as a carrier to cultivate the knowledge, ability and quality of the students. A progressive three-level system which consists of basic experiment, design experiment and research experiment is designed. The basic experiment teaching emphasizes to cultivate knowledge. The design experiment teaching is to emphasize the cultivation of practical ability and innovative spirit. In research experiment teaching, cultivation of comprehensive quality is emphasized. A quality evaluation system is designed to guarantee the quality and continuous improvement of the practice teaching. The practice in recent years shows that the comprehensive quality of the students is significantly improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of metacognition is critical to learning, especially in fields such as engineering that involve problem‐solving and difficult conceptual material. Due to limitations with current methodological approaches, new methods are needed to investigate engineering students' metacognitive engagement in learning situations that are self‐directed, such as study groups. Purpose: Our purpose was to develop an approach to investigate the metacognitive engagement of undergraduate engineering students in self‐directed learning environments. The Naturalistic Observations of Metacognition in Engineering (NOME) Observational Protocol and Coding Strategy is a qualitative data collection method that allows researchers to observe the behaviors of students who are studying in groups to determine the student's engagement in different metacognitive practices. The NOME is intended to be used by researchers interested in studying online metacognitive behaviors without the direct interference of a methodological approach. Design/Method: We observed three study groups where students were working on an engineering problem‐solving homework assignment. Using a taxonomic definition of metacognition, we coded episodes of observation transcripts to identify behaviors that represented key definitions in the taxonomy. Results: We combined subcodes and descriptions of behaviors with key definitions to develop a coding strategy useful for future observational studies. Evidence of intercoder agreement and agreement in unitizing indicates that the coding strategy can reliably be used by multiple trained coders to identify metacognitive engagement. Conclusions: The reliability evidence shows that the NOME may be a useful tool for researchers in engineering education interested in studying the metacognitive habits of engineering students in self‐directed study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entrepreneurial mind-set, knowledge and skills to recognise opportunities and implement ideas are vital competences for achieving success in the midst of rapid global changes. The main purpose of the entrepreneurship education is to foster those competencies. The present paper focuses on the role of the university education in developing various entrepreneurship competences, and the share of entrepreneurs among the alumni. The aim is more specifically to examine the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurship competence development in university and the later entrepreneurial activities of the engineering alumni. The analysis is based on a questionnaire survey of alumni entrepreneurship conducted in 2016 as a part of a programme 'Edu ja Tegu- Development of entrepreneurial education throughout all educational levels'. Chi-square tests, t-tests are used to compare the engineering alumni of Estonian University of Life Sciences with graduates from other fields. The overall share of entrepreneurs among the engineering alumni was 35.6%. The entrepreneurial activities were impacted by the time of graduation. It had also impact of whether the graduates had received entrepreneurship courses during their studies. In comparison with other alumni, the engineering graduates assessed that their university education helped them develop significantly better problem-solving skills, critical thinking, self- evaluation skills, ability to develop new ideas and solutions and leadership skills and obtained significantly less entrepreneurial and financial knowledge during their studies. However, in case of engineering alumni, entrepreneurship education did not have significant impact on their entrepreneurial activities and assessments of competences, thus indicating that other factors are in play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to evaluate the engineering students' perception regarding sustainability. For this, a survey was developed based on sustainability parameters from a detailed analysis of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Brazilian Institute of Corporate Governance (BICG). The parameters were initially divided into seven groups: Financial and Productivity Aspects (FPA); Concern With Employees (CWE); Support for Local Communities (SLC); Ethical and Corporate Governance Issues (ECI); Environmental Aspects (ENA); Sustainable Aspects in the Operations Network (SON); Customers, Development of New Products and Services (CPS). The survey was conducted with engineering undergraduate students from two Brazilian universities. The data were analyzed through structural equation modeling technique, namely the PLS-SEM algorithm. The collected 162 answers enabled the validation of the model tested, and showed that the students, in general, do not consider SLC and CWE when they are analyzing sustainability. Additionally, the most important construct was the CPS. This is an exploratory study and we believe that these findings may contribute to expand the debate about the sustainability insertion in engineering courses, helping educators in their didactic activities. There were not found similar studies in the literature, which highlight the originality of the research. The statistical validation of the results and the contribution to expand the debate regarding sustainability in engineering education justify the value of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering education aims to help students become active designers, understand design requirements better, and be capable to execute real design projects. Based on CDIO engineering education model, comprehensive practice courses in the authors' university were redesigned and developed to provide students a complete " conceiving, designing, implementing, operating" learning experience. Under the consideration of the pedagogic characteristics, existing problems and cultivation demands, we constructed interdisciplinary teaching mode and CDIO project-based organizational structure; systematically designed teaching activities ( e. g., course curriculum, teaching methods, assessment metrics, etc. ) and continuously improved. A novel teaching method with "inter-specialty, project-based" has been established. After six years of practice, it shows that the students' ability of innovation and practice was widely improved. Student self-report data indicate high satisfaction with their learning experiences. It is also expected that this study may offer a reference to other engineering education reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]