Student Perceptions of Sustainability Education in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology
Publication: Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Volume 139, Issue 3
Abstract
For sustainable engineering to contribute to sustainability, curricular reforms are needed to train sustainability-conscious engineers. Examining student perceptions of sustainability education can provide insights for benchmarking the current quality of a curriculum and for identifying strategies for reforming a curriculum. Thus, the goal of this study was to examine student interest in, knowledge of, and experiences related to sustainability in civil and environmental engineering (CEE) at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). A survey was developed and administered to students () enrolled in CEE capstone courses. The results indicated that although students are interested in sustainable development, there is potential for further enhancing sustainability learning. In addition, students reported that CEE courses strongly impacted their learning, which underscores the importance of curricular quality. Finally, although students were generally satisfied with CEE sustainability education, they cited the need for more guidance on integrating sustainability into the design process. Although this case study provides feedback to improve CEE sustainability education at Georgia Tech, it also serves as an example for other programs interested in evaluating their curricula from a student perspective.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Volume 139 • Issue 3 • July 2013
Pages: 235 - 243
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 8, 2012
Accepted: Feb 20, 2013
Published online: Feb 22, 2013
Published in print: Jul 1, 2013
Discussion open until: Jul 22, 2013
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