TY - JOUR
T1 - Higher education in turbulent times
T2 - navigating the transition from un-sustainability in a world dominated by technology
AU - Hume, Therese
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.
PY - 2023/1/5
Y1 - 2023/1/5
N2 - Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the implications for higher education of a rapidly changing global context, where technologies play a role in the propagation of unsustainable patterns of change. Drawing from research on science and technology studies as well as existing work on (higher) education for sustainability, it seeks to expose the multidimensional nature of these patterns to raise a series of questions for educators, particularly those in engineering, computer science and other technical disciplines, and inform structured curricular and organisational interventions. Design/methodology/approach: Theoretical perspectives on unsustainable patterns of technological change are explored with the objective of informing how the mitigation of their evolution could be addressed in educational settings. Key themes in the sustainability and higher education literature are then identified with the purpose of informing curricular and organisational intervention. Findings: Countering unsustainable patterns of technological change requires the development of key sustainability competencies within more technical disciplines, informed by concepts in science and technology studies. This requires change at curricular, organisational and institutional levels to enable spaces for inter- and transdisciplinary learning to be created, so that skills may be developed. Originality/value: This paper reflects on unsustainable patterns of technological change, identifying challenges for educators, in particular those in more technical disciplines.
AB - Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the implications for higher education of a rapidly changing global context, where technologies play a role in the propagation of unsustainable patterns of change. Drawing from research on science and technology studies as well as existing work on (higher) education for sustainability, it seeks to expose the multidimensional nature of these patterns to raise a series of questions for educators, particularly those in engineering, computer science and other technical disciplines, and inform structured curricular and organisational interventions. Design/methodology/approach: Theoretical perspectives on unsustainable patterns of technological change are explored with the objective of informing how the mitigation of their evolution could be addressed in educational settings. Key themes in the sustainability and higher education literature are then identified with the purpose of informing curricular and organisational intervention. Findings: Countering unsustainable patterns of technological change requires the development of key sustainability competencies within more technical disciplines, informed by concepts in science and technology studies. This requires change at curricular, organisational and institutional levels to enable spaces for inter- and transdisciplinary learning to be created, so that skills may be developed. Originality/value: This paper reflects on unsustainable patterns of technological change, identifying challenges for educators, in particular those in more technical disciplines.
KW - Education for sustainable development
KW - Engineering education for sustainable development
KW - Higher education
KW - Sustainability
KW - Sustainability transitions
KW - Transdisciplinarity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85136153289&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1108/IJSHE-07-2021-0274
DO - 10.1108/IJSHE-07-2021-0274
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85136153289
SN - 1467-6370
VL - 24
SP - 212
EP - 229
JO - International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
JF - International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
IS - 1
ER -