Alex Dale, Engineers for Sustainable World
Erin Lennox, RPI
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In an effort to improve access to education on both skills and multidisciplinary topics within sustainability Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) has been piloting a series of digital short courses. Departing from the established Massively Open Online Course (MOOC) model, we have focused on small courses taught live and with a high degree of interactivity as part of course content. Topics at the time of this submission include Life-Cycle Assessment, Ecological Economics for Scientists and Engineers, and Introduction to Wicked Problems in Sustainability. Participants include students and professionals from around North America, and registration is open to all.
We plan to present the successes and weaknesses of the course program so far, highlighting differences with the MOOC model as well as areas where our work could be improved. We have found a strong interest in sustainability skills from professionals, and a stronger interest in more abstract concepts from students. Identifying an appropriate technology platform is key, but a minimal approach can be as effective as a robust but hard-to-access system for student engagement. Charging a nominal fee for courses does decrease total registrations, but significantly increases the percentage of registrants that attend the course. We hope to leave participants with an understanding of an alternative model for digital education and prompt discussion of new topics for short courses both within ESW and created by participants.