Knowledge tools are designed to support your awareness and understanding of sustainability topics in general, as well as their connection to engineering education in particular.
In this section of the toolkit, you can enhance your knowledge with the following articles that will also signpost you to additional research and resources:
| Knowledge tool | Topic | Keywords | Disciplines | Sustainability competencies | UN SDGs | Reimagined Degree Map Intervention* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integrating Engineering for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Engineering Education | Pedagogical approaches to integrating sustainability | Education for Sustainable Development Teaching or embedding sustainability Course design AHEP Learning outcomes Active learning Assessment Pedagogy Climate change Bloom’s Taxonomy Project-based learning Environment Interdisciplinary Higher education Curriculum |
Any | Integrated problem-solving | SDG 4 (Quality education)
SDG 13 (Climate action) |
Adapt and repurpose learning outcomes
Active pedagogies and mindset development Authentic assessment Cross-disciplinarity |
| A transdisciplinary approach to engineering for ecological sustainability | Engineering for ecological sustainability | Curriculum Engineering professionals Ecology Ecosystem services Natural resources Interdisciplinary Biodiversity Water and sanitation Climate change AHEP Sustainability Higher education Pedagogy |
Any | Systems thinking
Collaboration Integrated problem-solving Self-awareness Normative |
SDG 4 (Quality education)
SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation) SDG 7 (Affordable and clean energy) SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production) SDG 14 (Life below water) |
Cross-disciplinarity
Active pedagogies and mindset development |
| Nurturing sustainable engineers: balancing economic growth and environmental responsibility | Harmonising economic prosperity with environmental responsibility | Environmental responsibility Pedagogy Economic growth Ethical awareness Interdisciplinary Collaboration AHEP Sustainability Environment Biodiversity Local community Climate change Higher education |
Any | Integrated problem-solving
Strategic Self-awareness Normative |
SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth)
SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) SDG 13 (Climate action) |
More real-world complexity
Active pedagogies and mindset development |
| Education for sustainable development (ESD) through engineering makerspaces | Maker Communities and ESD | Interdisciplinary Education for Sustainable Development Makerspaces Recycling or recycled materials Employability and skills Inclusive learning Local community Climate change Student engagement Responsible consumption Energy efficiency Design Water and sanitation AHEP Sustainability Higher education Pedagogy. |
Any | Collaboration
Integrated problem-solving |
SDG 4 (Quality education)
SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation) SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities) SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production) SDG 13 (Climate action) |
Active pedagogies and mindset development
Cross-disciplinarity |
| Evidencing sustainability competencies in assessment | Assessing sustainability competencies in engineering education. | Assessment Design challenges Global responsibility Learning outcomes Sustainability AHEP Higher education Pedagogy |
Any | Integrated problem-solving
Critical thinking. |
SDG 4 (Quality education)
SDG 13 (Climate action) |
Authentic assessment
Active pedagogies and mindset development |
*The Reimagined Degree Map is a guide to help engineering departments navigate the decisions that are urgently required to ensure degrees
prepare students for 21st century challenges.
Sustainability Resources Library
In developing the resources for the EPC’s Sustainability Toolkit, we took into account recent scholarship and best practices and reviewed existing material available on sustainability in engineering. You can find links to these online resources in our ever-growing library of engineering education resources on sustainability by clicking here (full library / all category types).
To view a page that only lists library links from a specific category type:
- Sustainability Resources Library: Assessment tools
- Sustainability Resources Library: Integration tools
- Sustainability Resources Library: Knowledge tools
- Sustainability Resources Library: Collaboration resources
Check out our other tools that can provide guidance on methods and implementing sustainability concepts, support your teaching practice, and help you collaborate with others. The EPC’s Sustainability Toolkit is supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering and Siemens. If you want to suggest a resource or contribute a tool that has worked for you, find out how on our Get Involved page.
Additional information
To ensure that everyone can use and adapt these articles in a way that best fits their teaching or purpose, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Under this license you are free to share and adapt this material, under terms that you must give appropriate credit and attribution to the original material and indicate if any changes are made.
Any views, thoughts, and opinions expressed herein are solely that of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of the Engineering Professors’ Council or the Toolkit sponsors and supporters.