Every minute, an average of one rubbish truck of plastic is dumped into the ocean. So we face a huge challenge worldwide to stop plastic pollution. Such 'wicked problems' require innovative solutions that can only come from cross-discipline collaboration.
Despite the fact that professional practice demands it, engineering students do not work together with fellow students from other study programmes on the same learning objectives during their studies, or do so on a very limited scale. In addition, they come into contact with organisations outside the walls of a university of applied sciences only at a late stage. All this leads to a distorted picture of the future working environment. And that while complex social problems, such as the plastic soup, actually require a transdisciplinary approach to achieve innovation.
NHL Stenden is a multi-campus university of applied sciences with locations at home and abroad. Students experience the distance and travel time between locations in the north of the Netherlands as a barrier.
In the new course 'Plastic Soup? Close the Loop!" we create an activating hybrid workshop in which a multidisciplinary student population is challenged to jointly solve plastic waste-related problems within the Northern Netherlands business community. In doing so, they apply the design thinking cycle. This innovation will lead to engaged students who are able to collaborate beyond the boundaries of their own discipline and actively learn by working on issues with companies in the professional context.
From food scarcity and gender inequality to biodiversity loss and increasing plastic pollution. To tackle these challenges, the society of the future needs professionals who can not only master knowledge, but also (co-)create it.
Students benefit from a cross-disciplinary (transdisciplinary) environment in which they can actively develop by working together across the boundaries of their own specialism towards the same goal. Various learning methods, such as problem-based and challenge-based learning, have been developed in higher education in recent decades, with the aim of training students to become innovative, critical, so-called T-shaped professionals. NHL Stenden, an international multi-campus university of applied sciences, has been working with Design-Based Education as an educational concept for several years. This concept is characterised by iterative processes in which the design-thinking cycle is followed and students learn by working on practical questions from the field, in so-called workshops. An impeding factor to create a trans-disciplinary workshop within education is location dependence.
Hybrid education, on the other hand, which alternates online activities with face-to-face interventions, has already shown to increase both the effectiveness and efficiency of meaningful learning experiences among students.
In the new course, we take the next step and create an active and hybrid learning environment in which a diverse student population is encouraged to jointly solve social problems and issues within the regional business community.
To do so, they apply design-thinking and are given a guiding assignment for each cycle step.
The project is continuously evaluated with the stakeholders: students, teachers, researchers, clients. In this, we apply the PDCA (Plan. Do. Check. Act) cycle several times to improve educational development.
To make this project a success, the project team deploys the proven benefits of Design Based Education and Active Blended Learning in the best possible way. In iterations, students design solutions to real problems which they then test, evaluate and communicate using prototypes, all in a hybrid studio.
Phase 1: Development
Phase 2: Pilot
Phase 3: Pilot evaluation & Further development
Phase 4: Full Course
Phase 5: Evaluation & Dissemination
Intended outputs include a trans disciplinary and hybrid workshop for students from all engineering courses at two sites, development of learning outcomes related to cross-disciplinary and online-offline collaboration, and a project poster and conference workshop.
Trans-disciplinary thinking. Cross-discipline collaboration between students with shared learning outcomes. This improves students' problem-solving skills and leads to more inclusive thinking.
Engaged student. Active learning by working on issues with companies and/or institutions in the actual professional context (i.e. the Greenwise Campus). This instead of a forced introduction in the passive setting of an internship market. In other words, context rather than content is leading.
Hybrid learning environment. Greatly reduced travel time between locations by bringing multidisciplinary groups together outside the walls of the classroom (online)
An active learning environment has a positive impact on students' attitudes and results. For example, STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) students are one and a half times less likely to fail when they have learned in an 'active classroom'.
The results such as a module book, symposium flyer, project poster and workshops/poster presentation will be shared with students and staff of NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, all business partners of the Greenwise Campus, province of Friesland and Drenthe, municipality of Emmen, NRO and the ComeniusNetwork.
