Sluijs Fieke, Uijl Sabine G, Vogt Eelco T C, Weckhuysen Bert M
Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis Group, Institute for Sustainable and Circular Chemistry (ISCC), Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Alliance of TU/e, WUR, UU, and UMC Utrecht (EWUU), Princetonlaan 6, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands.
J Chem Educ. 2024 Sep 17;101(10):4161-4172. doi: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c00158. eCollection 2024 Oct 8.
Sustainability transitions need professionals with specific skills and attitudes that students often do not develop in their regular chemistry education. To foster sustainability change-maker competencies, we suggest augmenting higher education curricula, e.g., chemical degree programs, with transdisciplinary challenge-based learning combined with design thinking. The Da Vinci Project at Utrecht University (UU) in The Netherlands explores this approach, aiming to cultivate the undergraduates' sustainability change-maker competencies. After five years of experience, we reflected on the students' learning outcomes in this UU honors program. We conclude that transdisciplinary challenge-based education combined with design thinking provides unique opportunities for students to develop valuable skills and attitudes for navigating sustainability transitions, including the transition toward sustainable chemistry. These involve collaboration, communication, creative thinking, integrative problem-solving, stakeholder engagement, openness, empathy, the ability to deal with uncertainty and complexity, self-awareness, critical reflection, courage, and perseverance.
可持续发展转型需要具备特定技能和态度的专业人才，而学生在常规化学教育中往往无法培养这些能力。为了培养可持续发展变革推动者的能力，我们建议通过将跨学科的基于挑战的学习与设计思维相结合，来扩充高等教育课程，例如化学学位课程。荷兰乌得勒支大学（UU）的达·芬奇项目探索了这种方法，旨在培养本科生的可持续发展变革推动者能力。经过五年的实践，我们对该UU荣誉项目中学生的学习成果进行了反思。我们得出结论，跨学科的基于挑战的教育与设计思维相结合，为学生提供了独特的机会，使他们能够培养出在应对可持续发展转型（包括向可持续化学转型）时所需的宝贵技能和态度。这些技能和态度包括协作、沟通、创造性思维、综合问题解决能力、利益相关者参与、开放性、同理心、应对不确定性和复杂性的能力、自我意识、批判性反思、勇气和毅力。
