GREENING ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION EDUCATION: STRATEGIC ENTRY POINTS FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN EXISTING CURRICULA

  • Annie R. Pearce (Myers-Lawson School of Construction, Virginia Tech) ;
  • Yong Han Ahn (Myers-Lawson School of Construction, Virginia Tech)
  • Published : 2009.05.27

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of six strategic entry points for sustainability in the context of the construction/engineering curriculum. It compares the pedagogical costs and benefits of each approach and shares lessons learned from experiences at two leading public American universities: Georgia Institute of Technology and Virginia Polytechnic Institute. The paper discusses opportunities in terms of two perspectives on the pedagogy of sustainability: Stealthy Sustainability and Flagrant Sustainability, as part of a strategy of diffusion and routinization of this innovation within existing curricula. The paper concludes with a discussion of considerations that should be taken into account when evaluating the potential for sustainability in new educational contexts.

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