Promoting active learning in sustainable development: experiences from a 4th year chemical engineering course

Engineering educators in South Africa have to introduce students to a particularly complex set of issues in sustainable development, which can only be achieved through engaged, active learning. In 2003 the Chemical Engineering Programme at the University of Cape Town introduced a mandatory 4th year course on Business, Society and Environment. The course bears a credit rating equivalent to 200 learning hours. The coverage of topics and the set of intended learning outcomes is ambitious, spanning concepts of societal and financial benefits, engineering economic analysis, entrepreneurship, physical risk in terms of health, safety and environment, stakeholder involvement, clean production and clean technology, and engineering ethics. Student success rates have been high in the first two years (100 and 93%), but some concern remains as to the actual learning outcomes, particularly in relation to the depth of learning, and the ability of non-first language speakers of English to fully engage with the course material.