Measuring the Effectiveness
of Sustainability-Related Course
Towards Strengthening the University’s
Sustainability Strategy in Teaching
and Learning Programmes
Theam Foo Ng, Maurice Ian Wee, Fatin Nabilla Ariffin,
Ahmad Firdaus Ahmad Shabudin and Mohd Sayuti Hassan
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.
T. F. Ng (B) · F. N. Ariffin · M. S. Hassan
Centre for Global Sustainability Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800
Penang, Malaysia
e-mail: tfng@usm.my
F. N. Ariffin
e-mail: fnabillariffin@gmail.com
M. S. Hassan
e-mail: sayuti@usm.my
M. I. Wee
University Uppsala, Box 256, 751 05 Uppsala, Sweden
e-mail: mauriceianwee@gmail.com
A. F. Ahmad Shabudin
National Higher Education Research Institute, Sains@Universiti Sains Malaysia,
Block C, 2nd Floor, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia
e-mail: as_firdaus@usm.my
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
W. Leal Filho et al. (eds.), Universities as Living Labs for Sustainable Development,
World Sustainability Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15604-6_33
533
of Sustainability-Related Course
Towards Strengthening the University’s
Sustainability Strategy in Teaching
and Learning Programmes
Theam Foo Ng, Maurice Ian Wee, Fatin Nabilla Ariffin,
Ahmad Firdaus Ahmad Shabudin and Mohd Sayuti Hassan
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.
T. F. Ng (B) · F. N. Ariffin · M. S. Hassan
Centre for Global Sustainability Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800
Penang, Malaysia
e-mail: tfng@usm.my
F. N. Ariffin
e-mail: fnabillariffin@gmail.com
M. S. Hassan
e-mail: sayuti@usm.my
M. I. Wee
University Uppsala, Box 256, 751 05 Uppsala, Sweden
e-mail: mauriceianwee@gmail.com
A. F. Ahmad Shabudin
National Higher Education Research Institute, Sains@Universiti Sains Malaysia,
Block C, 2nd Floor, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia
e-mail: as_firdaus@usm.my
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
W. Leal Filho et al. (eds.), Universities as Living Labs for Sustainable Development,
World Sustainability Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15604-6_33
533