Longitudinal evaluation of the impact of holistic learning on students' attitude to the environment

Transdisciplinary/multidisciplinary approaches to environmental problem solving are expected to provide the best results in relation to climate change. Professional education in the design and construction/manufacturing sectors should develop students to recognise that other professions bring alternatives to the design process, thereby minimising the environmental impact of their designs. A "design and the environment" course delivered at the University of Newcastle incorporates these principles, delivering content to mixed cohorts. Using problem based learning principles that empowers students to take ownership of their learning it requires them to evaluate the consequences of their designs by performing a life cycle analysis/environmental audit of their solution. Previous evaluation of the course revealed its effectiveness in raising the students‟ environmental awareness. This paper confirms its impact using pre- and post-intervention content analysis of students‟ work to quantify the effect. The study develops an evaluation mechanism based on the New Ecological Paradigm, which yields interesting results, prompting a discussion of the implications for course design and the responsibility of the educator in global society