Abstract
The concept of sustainability ethos can be defined as a context enabling an articulated set of educational aims and values to translate into curricula and promote capabilities that empower graduates to create change towards sustainable futures. While emerging as an important factor in developing sustainability-centered design curricula, further research is required to fully comprehend its educational significance, and how it intersects with the prevailing outcome-based approach to higher education curriculum development. This paper draws from interviews with academics and graduate students from three sustainability-centered design programs internationally to explore what enabled sustainability to be integrated in the programs. The findings reveal that a common vision, shared values, and articulated goals and pedagogies are considered essential. Although these factors were clearly conveyed by the interviewees, they were not formalized, pointing to the limitations of the outcome-based approach and the significance of a sustainability ethos in translating sustainability-focused educational goals into pedagogy.
Keywords
design education for sustainability; sustainability ethos; design pedagogy; higher education curriculum development
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2024.740
Citation
Kessler, C., and Rieger, J. (2024) Enacting sustainability-centered design curricula: The role of ethos in translating educational goals into pedagogy., in Gray, C., Ciliotta Chehade, E., Hekkert, P., Forlano, L., Ciuccarelli, P., Lloyd, P. (eds.), DRS2024: Boston, 23–28 June, Boston, USA. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2024.740
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Conference Track
Research Paper
Included in
Enacting sustainability-centered design curricula: The role of ethos in translating educational goals into pedagogy.
The concept of sustainability ethos can be defined as a context enabling an articulated set of educational aims and values to translate into curricula and promote capabilities that empower graduates to create change towards sustainable futures. While emerging as an important factor in developing sustainability-centered design curricula, further research is required to fully comprehend its educational significance, and how it intersects with the prevailing outcome-based approach to higher education curriculum development. This paper draws from interviews with academics and graduate students from three sustainability-centered design programs internationally to explore what enabled sustainability to be integrated in the programs. The findings reveal that a common vision, shared values, and articulated goals and pedagogies are considered essential. Although these factors were clearly conveyed by the interviewees, they were not formalized, pointing to the limitations of the outcome-based approach and the significance of a sustainability ethos in translating sustainability-focused educational goals into pedagogy.