Integrating Education for Sustainable Development into the Mechanical Engineering Curriculum

This paper looks at integrating education for sustainable development (ESD) into the Mechanical Engineering curriculum. A total of nearly 200 students were surveyed to obtain their views on integrating sustainability into the curriculum. Key members of staff were interviewed. Using thematic analysis, text responses were coded. The themes that emerged from this were: topics to introduce, concerns that integrating sustainability into the curriculum would increase workload, and a lack of understanding of the subject. There are three ways to integrate ESD into the curriculum discussed in this work: in design modules, intertwined into every module, or as stand-alone modules. Integrating ESD into design modules is the easiest and quickest to deliver effectively. In this paper, additional learning outcomes are detailed, as well as recommendations for a sustainability curriculum vertically integrated through the programme. Key topics of interest were proposed by students, covering areas such as life cycle assessments, the social construct of technology, social sustainability, advocating for sustainable solutions in the workplace and sustainable careers advice.