Sustainability Or Green: Challenges And Changes For Educators And The Engineering Curriculum
- Conference
- Location
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Austin, Texas
- Publication Date
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June 14, 2009
- Start Date
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June 14, 2009
- End Date
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June 17, 2009
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Construction
- Page Count
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12
- Page Numbers
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14.1108.1 - 14.1108.12
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--5548
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/5548
- Download Count
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420
Paper Authors
Muge Mukaddes Darwish Texas Tech University T-STEM Center
Muge Mukaddes Darwish is an Associate Professor in the department of Engineering Technology in the College of engineering at Texas Tech University. Her diverse work experience and background in education makes her a valuable asset to teach courses in the areas of general engineering, geotechnical and structural engineering.
Her professional interests include alternative water use in construction, sustainable development, sustainable construction and materials, masonry structures and design, geotechnical engineering, as well as the enhancements of engineering education. She is a core faculty in LITEE team and is currently promoting development of a Green Center at Texas Tech University. She is a member of ASEE, SWE, TMS, TMMOB,
Mary Frances Agnello Texas Tech
Mary Frances Agnello is an Associate Professor in Secondary Education in the
department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education at Texas Tech
University. Her research and teaching interests include secondary education, teacher
education, educational leadership and policy studies, foundations of education,
educational leadership and curriculum and numerous other aspects of curriculum and
instruction. She is a member of the American Educational Research Association, the
Association of Teacher Education, and the Southwest Educational Research Association.
She is on the board of directors for the Journal of Thought and is an editor for the Charter
School Resource Journal.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
Sustainability/GREEN: Challenges and Changes for Educators and the Engineering Curriculum.
Abstract: Education for sustainability in general is a process that develops students’ awareness, competence, attitudes and values, enabling them to be effectively involved in sustainable development at local, national and international levels, and helping them to work towards a more equitable and sustainable future. In particular, it enables students to integrate environmental considerations into economic decision-making. As a result it is imperative that academics in engineering, construction, education, and other disciplines heed the call for sustainable technologies, policies, and practices. Although since the early 1990’s many environmental and professional organizations such as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and accrediting agencies such as the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) and the National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) have appealed to universities to provide education for sustainable development and encouraging students to be involved with matters of the environment, the curricula in many universities sparingly offer classes which provide information and current understanding of sustainable development.
While professional agencies and organizations have taken lead roles in embracing the emerging sustainable trend, universities are still slow to include sustainable development in their curricula. In all probability this gap will steadily grow if universities do not embrace a concerted interdisciplinary effort to change their curricula and take the challenge to change engineering education to include sustainable development in their curricula. Today’s students, as tomorrow’s engineers are the people who are going to build future communities; thus it is imperative that they have an understanding of the impacts of their decisions on the environment and natural resources to allow such positive changes to occur.
This paper will examine to the challenges posed by introducing sustainability into engineering. It offers a model of K-12 curricular changes to include sustainable/GREEN development into the existing curriculum in Engineering and related discipline programs.
Key words: Sustainability, Education, Collaboration, interdisciplinary curricula, green curriculum development
Darwish, M. M., & Agnello, M. F. (2009, June), Sustainability Or Green: Challenges And Changes For Educators And The Engineering Curriculum Paper presented at 2009 Annual Conference & Exposition, Austin, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--5548
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