Sustainable Technologies Supported by Project-Based Learning in the Education of Engineers: A Case Study from Poland

Abstract

The aim of the article is to examine technological innovations developed by engineers as part of Project-Based Learning at one of the Polish technical universities. We examined whether the innovations being developed meet the goals of sustainable development and whether they provide the basis for the introduction of sustainable business models. We analyzed reports from 49 projects implemented in the years 2018–2020 in which 146 scientists, 282 students of the Silesian University of Technology, and 126 experts from the university’s business environment were involved. We performed the analysis using content analysis and visualization techniques. The results show that the studied innovations implement the goals of sustainable development and most of them may become the basis of sustainable business models. The most frequently pursued goals are Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure and Good Health and Well-Being. Most of the studied innovations can become the basis of the archetype of a sustainable business model called “maximize material and energy efficacy”. We also provide the characteristics of projects that implement the diagnosed goals of sustainable development.

Interdisciplinary collaboration in higher education towards sustainable development

“…Moreover, the research shows that the interdisciplinary PBL approach at the Polish technical university focuses on pursuing SDG 9, SDG 3, and SDG 12. Similar conclusions were reached in a previous study Podgórska and Zdonek (2022) on 49 PBL student projects, which identified the main educational focus as SDG 9, SDG 3, SDG 11, SDG 12, and similar goals. The results can be attributed to the profile of the university and its highly industrial environment.…”

“…It also emphasises the fact that realisation of SDGs in universities should involve experts in diverse domains and representatives of the socioeconomic environment of the university, which is consistent with reports by other researchers, for example, Chaleta et al (2021); Sonetti et al (2021), who emphasise that apart from involving teachers, the educational process should engage other industries and institutions to produce more coordinated and interdisciplinary collaboration.Moreover, the research shows that the interdisciplinary PBL approach at the Polish technical university focuses on pursuing SDG 9, SDG 3, and SDG 12. Similar conclusions were reached in a previous study Podg orskaand Zdonek (2022) on 49 PBL student projects, which identified the main educational focus as SDG 9, SDG 3, SDG 11, SDG 12, and similar goals. The results can be attributed to the profile of the university and its highly industrial environment.…”

“…In our study, we conducted a content analysis of reports for 108 innovative project based–learning student projects under the scheme ‘Silesian University of Technology as a Centre for Modern Education Based on Research and Innovation’ co‐financed by the EU under the European Social Fund, in which the authors of this study were involved. The study is a continuation of our previous research: Podgórska and Zdonek (2022). The characteristic feature of the present study is that it focuses mostly on interdisciplinarity in PBL teams and their links to pursued SDGs in addition to a wider time frame.…”

“…Podg orska and Zdonek (2022). The characteristic feature of the present study is that it focuses mostly on interdisciplinarity in PBL teams and their links to pursued SDGs in addition to a wider time frame.…”

The STEAM learning performance and sustainable inquiry behavior of college students in China

“…As sustainable development (SD) issues continue to have an impact in various organizational areas of people’s lives, they are also accompanied by changes in people’s behavior patterns ( Podgórska and Zdonek, 2022 ). Related studies have shown that information technology not only improves students’ learning performance and motivation, but also continuously influences students’ active learning behaviors ( Hwang et al, 2018 ).…”