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D. Kattwinkel and B. Bender
effects and the complexity of behavior and decisions in a future oriented and global
perspective of responsibility” (Barth et al. 2007, p. 2).
Within most engineering degree programs, traditional teaching formats (e.g.
teacher-centered lectures) still dominate, although they do not comply with the
current findings of academic didactics (Preißler et al. 2010, p. 1). Because of the
reorientation in the course of the Bologna Process almost 20 years ago, the socalled “shift from teaching to learning” is supposed to be carried out at German
universities. Especially complex and multifaceted subjects such as Ecodesign and
sustainable design, in which products are developed regarding diverse and sometimes
conflicting requirements call for didactically suitable teaching formats, in order to
achieve a long-lasting learning success.
Against this background, the present publication addresses the following research
question: How should a university course be designed that addresses the complexity
of environmentally compatible product development and sensitizes engineering
students effectively and lastingly to the issue of sustainability? In order to answer
this question, the research project “EcoIng” as well as its challenges are summarized
in Sect. 2. In Sect. 3, exemplary content and planned learning scenarios are described
to create a vision of the future learning factory. Afterwards, the approach to develop
this specific university course is outlined in Sect. 4. This publication ends with a
conclusion and a short discussion (Sect. 5).
2 Targets and Challenges of the Ecodesign Learning
Factory
The research project “EcoING – Development and implementation of an Ecodesign Learning Factory for the university engineering education” (sponsored by the
Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt—DBU) pursues the goal of enabling engineering
students, with the help of an appropriate educational concept, to ecologically improve
products without impairing their technical and economical properties. The innovative essence is here the unique transfer of the concept of a learning factory to the field
of environmentally compatible product development. In the learning environment of
the learning factory, students can acquire necessary environmentally relevant skills
and competencies in a problem-oriented manner within realistic work settings. In this
context, operational strategies for reducing the environmental impacts of products in
the usage phase are implemented with corresponding product examples in practical
learning scenarios, which represent the various activities of product development.
Within the project, a new university course for environmentally compatible product
development will be conceived around the Ecodesign learning factory. This course
as well as the physical elements of the learning factory will be implemented at the
Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany.
Due to its already described large ecological significance and the identified educational gap, the project will focus on the environmental impacts caused in the usage
D. Kattwinkel and B. Bender
effects and the complexity of behavior and decisions in a future oriented and global
perspective of responsibility” (Barth et al. 2007, p. 2).
Within most engineering degree programs, traditional teaching formats (e.g.
teacher-centered lectures) still dominate, although they do not comply with the
current findings of academic didactics (Preißler et al. 2010, p. 1). Because of the
reorientation in the course of the Bologna Process almost 20 years ago, the socalled “shift from teaching to learning” is supposed to be carried out at German
universities. Especially complex and multifaceted subjects such as Ecodesign and
sustainable design, in which products are developed regarding diverse and sometimes
conflicting requirements call for didactically suitable teaching formats, in order to
achieve a long-lasting learning success.
Against this background, the present publication addresses the following research
question: How should a university course be designed that addresses the complexity
of environmentally compatible product development and sensitizes engineering
students effectively and lastingly to the issue of sustainability? In order to answer
this question, the research project “EcoIng” as well as its challenges are summarized
in Sect. 2. In Sect. 3, exemplary content and planned learning scenarios are described
to create a vision of the future learning factory. Afterwards, the approach to develop
this specific university course is outlined in Sect. 4. This publication ends with a
conclusion and a short discussion (Sect. 5).
2 Targets and Challenges of the Ecodesign Learning
Factory
The research project “EcoING – Development and implementation of an Ecodesign Learning Factory for the university engineering education” (sponsored by the
Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt—DBU) pursues the goal of enabling engineering
students, with the help of an appropriate educational concept, to ecologically improve
products without impairing their technical and economical properties. The innovative essence is here the unique transfer of the concept of a learning factory to the field
of environmentally compatible product development. In the learning environment of
the learning factory, students can acquire necessary environmentally relevant skills
and competencies in a problem-oriented manner within realistic work settings. In this
context, operational strategies for reducing the environmental impacts of products in
the usage phase are implemented with corresponding product examples in practical
learning scenarios, which represent the various activities of product development.
Within the project, a new university course for environmentally compatible product
development will be conceived around the Ecodesign learning factory. This course
as well as the physical elements of the learning factory will be implemented at the
Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany.
Due to its already described large ecological significance and the identified educational gap, the project will focus on the environmental impacts caused in the usage