Exploring sustainability themes in engineering accreditation and curricula
Purpose: This paper aims to present key findings from an inquiry into engineering accreditation and curricula renewal. The research attempted to ascertain conceptions of requisite sustainability themes among engineering academics and professionals. The paper also reflects on the potential role of pr...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.
2013
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/23467 |
| _version_ | 1848751159599169536 |
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| author | Byrne, E. Desha, C. Fitzpatrick, J. Hargroves, Charlie |
| author_facet | Byrne, E. Desha, C. Fitzpatrick, J. Hargroves, Charlie |
| author_sort | Byrne, E. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Purpose: This paper aims to present key findings from an inquiry into engineering accreditation and curricula renewal. The research attempted to ascertain conceptions of requisite sustainability themes among engineering academics and professionals. The paper also reflects on the potential role of professional engineering institutions (PEIs) in embedding sustainability through their programme accreditation guidelines and wider implications in terms of rapid curricula renewal. Design/methodology/approach: This research comprised an International Engineering Academic Workshop held during the 2010 International Symposium on Engineering Education in Ireland, on "accreditation and sustainable engineering". This built on the findings of a literature review that was distributed prior to the workshop. Data collection included individual questionnaires administered during the workshop, and notes scribed by workshop participants. Findings: The literature review highlighted a wide range of perspectives across and within engineering disciplines, regarding what sustainability/sustainable development (SD) themes should be incorporated into engineering curricula, and regarding language and terminology. This was also reflected in the workshop discussions. Notwithstanding this diversity, clusters of sustainability themes and priority considerations were distilled from the literature review and workshop. These related to resources, technology, values, ethics, inter- and intra-generational equity, transdisciplinarity, and systems and complex thinking. Themes related to environmental and economic knowledge and skills received less attention by workshop participants than represented in the literature.Originality/value: This paper provides an appreciation of the diversity of opinion regarding priority sustainability themes for engineering curricula, among a group of self-selected engineering academics who have a common interest in education for SD. It also provides some insights and caveats on how these themes might be rapidly integrated into engineering curricula. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:48:18Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-23467 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:48:18Z |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publisher | Emerald Group Publishing Ltd. |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-234672018-03-29T09:06:49Z Exploring sustainability themes in engineering accreditation and curricula Byrne, E. Desha, C. Fitzpatrick, J. Hargroves, Charlie Rapid curriculum renewal Professional engineering institutions Sustainable development Engineering education Sustainability Purpose: This paper aims to present key findings from an inquiry into engineering accreditation and curricula renewal. The research attempted to ascertain conceptions of requisite sustainability themes among engineering academics and professionals. The paper also reflects on the potential role of professional engineering institutions (PEIs) in embedding sustainability through their programme accreditation guidelines and wider implications in terms of rapid curricula renewal. Design/methodology/approach: This research comprised an International Engineering Academic Workshop held during the 2010 International Symposium on Engineering Education in Ireland, on "accreditation and sustainable engineering". This built on the findings of a literature review that was distributed prior to the workshop. Data collection included individual questionnaires administered during the workshop, and notes scribed by workshop participants. Findings: The literature review highlighted a wide range of perspectives across and within engineering disciplines, regarding what sustainability/sustainable development (SD) themes should be incorporated into engineering curricula, and regarding language and terminology. This was also reflected in the workshop discussions. Notwithstanding this diversity, clusters of sustainability themes and priority considerations were distilled from the literature review and workshop. These related to resources, technology, values, ethics, inter- and intra-generational equity, transdisciplinarity, and systems and complex thinking. Themes related to environmental and economic knowledge and skills received less attention by workshop participants than represented in the literature.Originality/value: This paper provides an appreciation of the diversity of opinion regarding priority sustainability themes for engineering curricula, among a group of self-selected engineering academics who have a common interest in education for SD. It also provides some insights and caveats on how these themes might be rapidly integrated into engineering curricula. 2013 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/23467 10.1108/IJSHE-01-2012-0003 Emerald Group Publishing Ltd. restricted |
| spellingShingle | Rapid curriculum renewal Professional engineering institutions Sustainable development Engineering education Sustainability Byrne, E. Desha, C. Fitzpatrick, J. Hargroves, Charlie Exploring sustainability themes in engineering accreditation and curricula |
| title | Exploring sustainability themes in engineering accreditation and curricula |
| title_full | Exploring sustainability themes in engineering accreditation and curricula |
| title_fullStr | Exploring sustainability themes in engineering accreditation and curricula |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring sustainability themes in engineering accreditation and curricula |
| title_short | Exploring sustainability themes in engineering accreditation and curricula |
| title_sort | exploring sustainability themes in engineering accreditation and curricula |
| topic | Rapid curriculum renewal Professional engineering institutions Sustainable development Engineering education Sustainability |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/23467 |