Measuring the Effectiveness of Sustainability-Related Course Towards Strengthening the University’s Sustainability Strategy in Teaching and Learning Programmes

Authors: Theam Foo Ng, Maurice Ian Wee, Fatin Nabilla Ariffin, Ahmad Firdaus Ahmad Shabudin, Mohd Sayuti Hassan

Type of publication: Book chapter

Abstract
Mainstreaming sustainability into the education system is a key strategy for Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) to strengthen its position as one the custodian institutions in the global sustainability agenda. In pursuit of becoming a sustainability-led university, USM has undertaken numerous transformational adaptations, especially in teaching and learning (T&L) programmes that emphasize principles and best practices of sustainable development. Therefore, an undergraduate course, Sustainability: Issues, Challenges and Prospects or code-named WSU 101, was introduced by the Centre for Global Sustainability Studies (CGSS), since 2012. Through multi-research approaches, this paper reviews USM’s strategies in integrating key sustainability drivers into T&L programmes and evaluates the effectiveness of this initiative through the course evaluation. The findings found that several sustainability-related courses have been established and offered to postgraduate and undergraduate in USM. Evidently, the inclusion of sustainability-related courses like WUS 101 into the university curriculum has significantly improved awareness among students. The information garnered is useful for USM to strengthen its institutional strategies, besides it can act as baseline data for the implementation of education for sustainable development (ESD) by institutions worldwide.

Citation
Ng T.F., Wee M.I., Ariffin F.N., Ahmad Shabudin A.F., Hassan M.S. (2020) Measuring the Effectiveness of Sustainability-Related Course Towards Strengthening the University’s Sustainability Strategy in Teaching and Learning Programmes. In: Leal Filho W. et al. (eds) Universities as Living Labs for Sustainable Development. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham
DOI 10.1007/978-3-030-15604-6_33