"Work in Progress: Blending Contemporary Research in Sustainability and Fundamental Skills for Graduate Success into a Team-Taught, Introductory Graduate Course"
Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: A team-taught graduate course titled, "EGR501: Topics in Sustainability" is required for all students pursuing a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) degree at Northern Arizona University.In the past, the course tended toward a seminar presentation style, with minimal technical depth and a light work load for the graduate students.This was due in part to the range of academic disciplines represented in the course, with instructors afraid of alienating students outside their own discipline.As with many team-taught courses, EGR501 also suffered from a lack of responsibility or accountability to any one instructor.Several department chairs and EGR501 instructors were dissatisfied with the result.The group therefore designed a new overall course structure, set of learning objectives, and instructional guidelines that would ensure specific skill development and a graduate level of work, while encouraging instructors to be pedagogically creative and to provide contemporary content.Instructors now design and submit potential modules and receive extra workload compensation for participating in the course.In addition, a course coordinator has overall responsibility for the course and tracks students' progress throughout the semester.The result has been an improvement in instructor motivation and attitudes, the quality of student products, and student preparation for successful graduate careers.
Authors: Allison Kipple, Dieter Otte
Institution: Northern Arizona University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4409736809