Developing the sustainability literacy of engineers

A recent teaching innovation in the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (SAMME) of RMIT University has been to introduce Project Based Learning (PBL) as the framework to support development of a range of transferable professional skills in a first year professional practice course, AERO2248. This course aims to develop in students skills and attitudes used by practicing engineers and aviation industry professionals. Development of capabilities in sustainable design are embedded in this course as key learning outcomes. In the first semester of 2010, the 326 students enrolled in this course represented a mix of bachelor degrees in the disciplines of Aerospace, Automotive, Mechanical, Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics Engineering, as well as students from the Bachelor of Applied Science in Aviation. The project framework selected was the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Challenge, in which students worked in teams to identify specific real-world issues and complete a conceptual design of a particular aspect of infrastructure for a developing community. The course schedule introduced areas of study on a “just in time” basis to support students as their design project evolves. The importance of sustainability principles in design was discussed in introductory lectures and then covered formally later in the same semester. Small group tutorials were an important component of the educational process, providing an environment in which individual students could be both challenged and supported. Such tutorials require substantial effort and received unhesitating encouragement and resourcing by the School. Although the practice of engineering and aviation often contends with substantial issues relating to sustainability students in these disciplines within the School are not traditionally identified as having high levels of sustainability literacy, nor are students typically attracted to programs in these disciplines because of a strong preexisting interest in sustainability. This apparent disconnection is perhaps a result of a lag between the current and growing sustainability implications of the practical application of science in engineering and other forms of applied science, and the somewhat dated perceptions within society of what engineering entails. Engineers Australia has aspired for several years to increase the broader understanding with society of the role engineers will increasingly play in managing our future sustainability. Mindfulness of this lag, suggested that it would be necessary to gain some knowledge of the initial, though diverse, sustainability literacy within the cohort in order to enable later assessment of the effectiveness of the course in developing students’ sustainability thinking. Students were required by the end of the first week to complete and submit an “e-form”. This form included a question asking students to describe their understanding of sustainability and how they thought it would influence their behaviour as a professional in their chosen field. This paper analyses and thematically groups the responses to develop an understanding of the initial awareness of sustainability held by of first year engineering students and their perception of relevance to their future profession