168
D. Fam et al.
also supported to communicate these insights in public, open and iterative platforms.
In sum, the TDLL model was designed to facilitate students to:
(1) reflect critically on their embedded views of, roles in and impact on campus
systems;
(2) develop skills in collaborative research to identify, bound, reflect and intervene
to improve campus systems;
(3) justify the scientific and societal benefits of transdisciplinary outcomes for sustainable development.
The TDLL is systemically transformative in that it integrates undergraduate curriculum, university operations and research, priming the university to practically
meet the SDGs. Utilizing campus infrastructure as a living environment for applied,
collaborative learning not only advances sustainability on campus but prepares students with the skills, knowledge and enthusiasm to be active, engaged citizens, and
to continue this work beyond their life at university.
1 Introduction: Inter-university Collaboration to Develop
Innovative Sustainability Curriculum
This chapter details how two Australian universities have taken SDG 12 as a basis
for developing a Transdisciplinary Living Lab (TDLL) to tackle the challenge of
food waste production and management within the university campus and in the
process, prepare design students to be active, engaged citizens beyond their life at
university. The aim was to facilitate students to learn and practice design in a socially
responsible manner, reflecting the rise of academic debate and teaching in the areas of
social design, sustainable design, ethical design and design futures (Resnick 2016).
The chapter draws on two years of experience by the authors in developing a TDLL
at the University of Technology Sydney and Western Sydney University where the
on-campus food waste management system was used as the context for transdisciplinary learning by third year design students (from Fashion and Textiles, Visual
Communication, and Product Design degrees). The following chapter will first provide a background context for the two universities involved in this project and how
their commitment to the SDGs has resulted in the development of curriculum to
sustainably manage food waste on-campus. We then summarise the problem of food
waste globally, and how the issue is linked to SDG12, before presenting the three
stages of design and delivery of the TDLL.
D. Fam et al.
also supported to communicate these insights in public, open and iterative platforms.
In sum, the TDLL model was designed to facilitate students to:
(1) reflect critically on their embedded views of, roles in and impact on campus
systems;
(2) develop skills in collaborative research to identify, bound, reflect and intervene
to improve campus systems;
(3) justify the scientific and societal benefits of transdisciplinary outcomes for sustainable development.
The TDLL is systemically transformative in that it integrates undergraduate curriculum, university operations and research, priming the university to practically
meet the SDGs. Utilizing campus infrastructure as a living environment for applied,
collaborative learning not only advances sustainability on campus but prepares students with the skills, knowledge and enthusiasm to be active, engaged citizens, and
to continue this work beyond their life at university.
1 Introduction: Inter-university Collaboration to Develop
Innovative Sustainability Curriculum
This chapter details how two Australian universities have taken SDG 12 as a basis
for developing a Transdisciplinary Living Lab (TDLL) to tackle the challenge of
food waste production and management within the university campus and in the
process, prepare design students to be active, engaged citizens beyond their life at
university. The aim was to facilitate students to learn and practice design in a socially
responsible manner, reflecting the rise of academic debate and teaching in the areas of
social design, sustainable design, ethical design and design futures (Resnick 2016).
The chapter draws on two years of experience by the authors in developing a TDLL
at the University of Technology Sydney and Western Sydney University where the
on-campus food waste management system was used as the context for transdisciplinary learning by third year design students (from Fashion and Textiles, Visual
Communication, and Product Design degrees). The following chapter will first provide a background context for the two universities involved in this project and how
their commitment to the SDGs has resulted in the development of curriculum to
sustainably manage food waste on-campus. We then summarise the problem of food
waste globally, and how the issue is linked to SDG12, before presenting the three
stages of design and delivery of the TDLL.