To measure the extent students increased their content knowledge To explore the extent students felt they learned content knowledge To examine students’ opinions regarding gains from participating in the World Challenge course
Multimethods case study including pretest-posttests, personal reflections, and final debriefings
14 students, 6 faculty members, and 4 teaching assistants from Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Education, English, Management, Math, Public Health, Nursing, Nutrition, Physical Therapy, Political Science, Social Work, and Sociology
Students Statistically significant difference in mean content knowledge scores between pretest and posttest () Appreciated the team collaboration, research process, progress made, and support from the faculty and TAs 9 of 14 students strongly agreed they were satisfied with the course All students strongly agreed the classes stimulated to intellectual engagement with course material Faculty Strengths of the course were student participation, progress on proposing innovative solutions, and providing a rigorous and fun learning environment Most faculty were engaged with and satisfied with the course and plan to incorporate more problem-based, student-centered learning into their courses
To evaluate the success of the Designing the Sustainable Foodshed course
Multimethods case study including surveys of the students, subjective evaluation of the students’ progress, and comments received by external reviewers about the students’ interim and final products
25 undergraduate students from Design, Environmental Studies, and Liberal arts
Students A majority of students had positive responses to working in groups and working on the design thinking project The grand challenge topic was described as interesting, enlightening, broad enough to tailor it to your interests, and brought up a relevant and pressing contemporary issue that should be taught on a university-wide scale Students expressed an interest in having more knowledge about sustainability and better preparation in design skills Not surprisingly, the design students wanted more instruction in food systems while the liberal arts students felt deficient in design skills Faculty Students were engaged in class throughout the semester, acquired a solid understanding of sustainability and food systems issues, and quickly learned how to integrate visual design techniques into their projects Teaching as a team was rewarding and enriched the class, individual teaching abilities, and professional skills
To explore the potential for authentic, interdisciplinary, collaborative learning to enhance educational and social outcomes for health, architecture, and landscape architecture students
Qualitative study using focus groups for data collection and program/project evaluation
15 nursing students, 10 architecture students, and 12 landscape students
Students favoured authentic, “ real-life” projects and learned about feelings and attitudes as well as knowledge The interdisciplinary learning prepares students for the real world of work and collaboration offered valuable new perspectives, ideas, and knowledge
To explore students perceived strengths and weaknesses of A Growing Concern: Sustaining Soil Resources Through Local Decision Making course
Qualitative study: focus groups with students
35 students across 3 institutions Ecological sciences, agriculture, geology, environmental sciences, and some nonscience majors
Students perceived the strengths of the course to be interactivity/hands-on, learned content, open-ended inquiry, quantifying the complex problems of erosion Students perceived the weaknesses of the course to be ambiguity of learning objectives, unclear structure, lack of personal relevance, fast pace, and lack of concrete solutions
To identify the cognitive interdisciplinary skills that enhance students’ ability to understand complex environmental problems and develop sustainable solutions To explore how education in environmental systems analysis contribute to training these cognitive skills
Qualitative study using students written reflections
Undergraduate students from a broad range of disciplines from Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, Technology, and Economics 2007 (n = 16) 2008 (n = 21) 2010 (n = 24)
Students gained a more holistic understanding of environmental issues Students explored systematic vs. systemic approaches to environmental issues Students gained skills in identifying, understanding, and appraising disciplinary knowledge Students reflected on the role of science in solving environmental problems and learned by doing and through interaction
To identify what effects the combination of challenge-based learning and design thinking can have on hackathon projects
Mixed methods including survey (quantitative data) and group interviews (qualitative data)
22 undergraduate Computer Science students who were enrolled in the Web of Things course
Quantitative analysis shows an agreement about the effectiveness of using design thinking The strict time for intermediate deliveries in each step of the process helped to narrow down ideas and quickly find solutions to be developed Challenge-based learning helped guide students and give purpose to their projects, and guided them to learn more about the target domain and potential users
To learn what was working and what could be improved with the Michigan Initiative for Global Action Through Entrepreneurship
Qualitative study: class focus groups
Multidisciplinary undergraduate students
For some teams, the biggest challenge was that members dropped out part-way through, often due to scheduling conflicts or personal issues The most effective ingredients for building strong teams were students' own efforts to step up and become leaders
To assess student learning related to course goals and student preferences related to course design and pedagogy
Mixed-methods case study: assignments, class discussions, team project, and student surveys
Interdisciplinary undergraduate students from Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and some from non-STEM disciplines
Student assessments that helped bridge the disciplines were outside events, multidiscipline instructors, problem-based learning, and project-based learning The multidisciplinary course created challenges to achieving the learning goals There was a need to incorporate greater systems thinking and fundamental knowledge into the next offering of the course
To gauge student learning outcomes at the conclusion of the project
Qualitative study using written reflections
Upper-level undergraduate Political Science students
The course offered students a unique learning experience by developing their ability to actively apply their understanding of course concepts to formulate creative solutions to real political and social problems
To examine if an interdisciplinary program for engineering undergraduates including soft skills can increase students’ perspective on societal issues
Pre-post tests
1800 first-year undergraduate Engineering students from 12 courses
An interdisciplinary program for engineering undergraduates including soft skills can increase students’ perspective on societal issues as measured by the ESIT, especially when they show a positive attitude towards group work as measured by RIPLS and especially if they have a low ESIT at the start A majority of students appreciated the course and almost 80% found the topic of their group work interesting. Where students have a positive attitude towards group work at the beginning of the course, there are greater gains in postconventional reasoning during the course. This is especially true for students with the lowest levels of postconventional reasoning at the outset
To examine if students’ adaptive learning engagement and perceived confidence for learning changes as a result of their participation in collaboratively taught design thinking project course
Mixed methods: pre-post tests (n = 54) and focus groups (n = 9)
54 first-year undergraduate Engineering students
Students benefited from working in a ‘‘real-world’’ environment that required them to figure out what resources they needed to solve a problem Students expressed confidence in their ability to learn in the course Self-Efficacy test “I can figure out how to do difficult work” () Self-Regulation test “I continue working even if there are better things to do” (), “I concentrate so that I will not miss important points” (), “I do not give up even when the work is difficult” (), and “I keep working until I finish what I am supposed to do” ()
To explore students perceptions of an interdisciplinary sustainable development course
Authors did not indicate how they collected data
Interdisciplinary Engineering students
Students experienced the course as a useful addition to their engineering education The strong points of the course were freedom to define the problem, learning aspects of project-oriented work, teamwork, the multidisciplinary character (learning from other disciplines), and the contact with an external principal Project work was less effective for pure knowledge transfer Contact with students from other departments and the different disciplinary aspects were noted as a positive learning experience, while stimulating interdisciplinary thinking and study
To evaluate the overall Introduction to Global Health course
Qualitative study using written and oral feedback
22 third-year Social Science study abroad students
Midterm evaluations, completed by 21 students, indicated satisfaction with direct instructional guidance Students also indicated that they did not feel prepared for the hackathon and course assignments Final evaluation, completed by 15 students, demonstrated ongoing satisfaction with the course content and had increased confidence in their ability to complete the course assignments Students reported positive reactions to how the course content was delivered
To explore students’ perceptions of how problem-based learning contributes to their understanding of sustainability competencies
Qualitative case study
Masters students in Law, Natural, and Social Science
Students found problem-based learning challenging but appreciated the opportunity to “do something different”; to “engage with law in a way that makes a difference”; to “consider a wide range of issues at once” and to have a tool they could use in their future careers which would enable them to consider a wide range of options Students consideration of cross-sectoral issues and legislative enforcement and effectiveness broadened their thinking about how different parts should interact and how this often fails to happen
To examine student feedback regarding the learning activities used in a course focused on addressing the United Nations Sustainability goals
Mixed methods: surveys and course assignments
357 first-year chemistry undergraduate students
47% of respondents perceived the course activities to support their learning, with 30% believing otherwise and 22% responding neutrally to that statement suggesting that the course assignment had a positive impact on cognitive learning for a large number of students
To assess if students’ in the Challenge Lab self-perceived learning fulfills the required academic learning outcomes for their education To identify additional learning outcomes students perceive they have achieved, which are not developed to the same extent in traditional MSc thesis
Mixed methods: surveys and interviews
37 masters students in Engineering, multidisciplinary: Environmental Studies, Physics, Technology Management, Civil Engineering, Energy, and Maritime Engineering
The perceived academic learning of the students who conducted their MSc thesis at the Challenge Lab was similar to students in general Intended learning outcomes (ILO’s) measured on a 1–5 scale showed an average of 3.3 over all 3 years at the Challenge Lab, in line with all MSc thesis students studying at Chalmers in 2016 at 3.6 (n = 1765) The perceived learning about sustainable development was significantly higher for the Challenge Lab students compared with the Chalmers students in general Some students did not perceive that that had gained specialized knowledge within their main field of study
To evaluate the educational impact of the Design for Global Health: Sustainable Technologies for the Developing World course on students’ perceived abilities in specific engineering design-related areas of interest To measure self-reported professional progress in an interdisciplinary environment with a nontraditional teaching agenda To explore students' perceptions about teaching methodology, general direction of the course, and the impacts on students’ academic and professional growth
Mixed methods: surveys and focus groups
Fifteen Engineering students (one doctoral, 12 Masters and two Bachelor’s degrees) from Mechanical Engineering (n = 9), Biomedical Engineering (n= 5), and the School of Information (n = 1)
Paired t-tests were completed at the start and completion of the course, with statistically significant increases in confidence for 10/15 statements on the survey related to design task confidence Focus group findings report that the style of learning used in the course was a factor involved with increasing self-confidence Students also noted the importance of learning opportunities off-campus, increasing ability to contextualise needs All students agreed that being purpose-driven provided motivation for active engagement in the course
To examine changes in student interest and knowledge about science and engineering when engaged in solving the problem of disease with technology
Cross-sectional survey
60 Science and Engineering
Students had an overall increased interest in science and engineering after participating in the grand challenge Questionnaire asked students to report self-interest in knowledge in Interest in Drones (Air) and (Land), Interest in Biotech Industry, Knowledge of Drones (Air) and (Land), and Knowledge of Biotech Industry. Knowledge of drones (Air) (), Knowledge of Drones (land) (), Knowledge of Biotech Industry () were significant Students felt their knowledge increased significantly by participating in a grand challenge All but one student stated that they would participate again in a grand challenge event if offered again
To examine if the course and assignments encourage students’ self-concepts in design, improve students’ understanding of single subject material, and improve students’ self-concept in integrating concepts from multiple disciplines of study through multidisciplinary problems
Surveys: postsurveys, paired pre- and postsurveys, and paired pre- and postconcept quizzes
136 junior college Engineering students
The mean responses of all 136 respondents identified significant increase in students’ ability to engage successfully in design, foster cooperative team problem-solving skills, and increase interest in learning more about design with an average response of 4.3/5 (95% CI[0.13]) The students exhibited a modest understanding of concepts before the course and a stronger grasp after completing the design project There were no statistically significant shifts in students’ perceived ability to solve thermodynamics problems
To understand how participation in the Grand Challenge Scholars Program may influence first-year engineering students’ development of a systems perspective of engineering To analyze how students understand and describe the relationship between society and technology in their reflections on their experiences in an interdisciplinary course
Qualitative study analyzing students written reflections
59 first-year Engineering students
Students recognized ways in which society influences technology and that technology has significant impacts on society Students recognized the need for multiple disciplines, including but not limited to engineering, to be involved in developing successful solutions to grand challenges Several students recognized connections between areas of application, such as health, sustainability, and security, and described several examples of challenges and solutions overlapping between themes
To evaluate the success of a real-world challenge for biotechnology students
Surveys
25 biotechnology graduate students
The student surveys indicated successful imparting technical and industrial knowledge to participants, while also providing a good balance between social and academic activities 96% of respondents would highly recommend the course, data for the balance are only displayed in a bar graph and can only be estimated ∼ 80 % strongly agree, 20% agree, and the ∼1% are neutral or disagree
To examine students’ understanding of sustainability by measuring geoscience literacy, their understanding of the process of geoscience, and their systems thinking To determine students motivation to contribute to solving grand challenges of environmental sustainability, depletion of natural resources, and natural hazards
Pretest-posttest surveys
27 undergraduate Geoscience students
Student’s scores increased from 7.8 to 8.1 out of 10, on the overall the Geoscience Literacy Exam (GSE) score One-half showed an improvement from the pretest to the posttest on individual GSE questions A higher percentage of students envisioned using what they learned in the course to help society overcome problems of environmental degradation, natural resources limitations, or other environmental issues
To assess motivation for applying to the program; evaluation of the course structure, logistics, and content To explore perspectives on and commitment to social justice To self-assess professional skills, active engagement, confidence, and growth in seeking leadership and academic opportunities
Mixed methods: surveys and focus groups, pre-post tests
35 interdisciplinary undergraduate students
Survey results show that students felt highly engaged in the learning process Individual survey items indicated most or all students agreed or strongly agreed to items indicating a deep sense of engagement in self-directed learning, and satisfaction with the structures supporting self-directed learning 8 questions on engagement showed 100% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed, with the exception of “I received the support I needed to be successful in designing an actionable solution) in which 96.6% agreed/strongly agreed All the students reported that they were active participants, they increased their knowledge and understanding of topics that interested them, and they enjoyed the intensity of immersing themselves in learning and project development 100% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they see the world differently than they did before Students reflected that they see strengths in themselves that they did not previously see, and that they increased strengths they already had, becoming better versions of themselves. 100% of students agreed or strongly agreed with these statements Nearly 40% of students changed their study habits and two-thirds reflected a shift in how they participate in class as a result of this experience More than 60% of respondents changed their behavior in regard to seeking leadership opportunities and engaging in community service Nearly all current participants, and more than 85% of past participants, felt more integrated in their community
To explore student perceptions of an interdisciplinary course about homelessness
Mixed-methods case study including survey data, pre- and postevent surveys, field observations, and artifacts in the form of team pitch presentations
32 multidisciplinary undergraduate and graduate students
Participants reported very high levels of satisfaction on their postcourse surveys A strong majority of participants (91%) agreed or strongly agreed that the course met their expectations, they gained something useful from the course, they enjoyed solving problems creatively, and they enjoyed working as an interdisciplinary team A majority (89%) agreed or strongly agreed that they enjoyed learning about homelessness Paired t-test showed that self-perceived knowledge increased (), change in attitude towards: society working collectively to address homelessness (), a contributing factor to people experiencing homelessness is failure of social systems (), participants should be involved in social system solutions (), and increased students reported participation in civic engagement ()
