Creating Sustainable Students Through Project-Based Teaching
DS 30: Proceedings of DESIGN 2002, the 7th International Design Conference, Dubrovnik
Year: 2002
Editor: Marjanovic D.
Author: McAloone, T. C.
Section: ECODESIGN Workshop
Page(s): 1345-1350
Abstract
This paper describes a case study, where a multifunctiaonal group of international students were subject to an intensive two-week course on sustainability and innovation. The case describes a number of interesting points, regarding both the subject of sustainability and innovation and also in terms of the teaching/learning method applied. In this case study sustainability is described as being the driver for innovation, in so much as it is necessary to create radically different solutions, if one is to achieve solutions that have a factor 4, 10 or 20 less impact on the environment. The intensive nature of the course described in the case study allowed for a whole project approach to be applied, where important teaching elements were encapsulated in project tasks, thus making the material and methods learned directly relevant and applicable to the project as it unfolded.
Keywords: Eco-design, sustainability, product life thinking, teaching