ERIC Number: EJ1135000
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2227-7102
EISSN: N/A
Beyond Interpersonal Competence: Teaching and Learning Professional Skills in Sustainability
Brundiers, Katja; Wiek, Arnim
Education Sciences, v7 Article 39 2017
Successful careers in sustainability are determined by positive real-world change towards sustainability. This success depends heavily on professional skills in effective and compassionate communication, collaborative teamwork, or impactful stakeholder engagement, among others. These professional skills extend beyond content knowledge and methodical expertise. Current sustainability programs do not sufficiently facilitate students' acquisition of such skills. This article presents a brief summary of professional skills, synthesized from the literature, and why they are relevant for sustainability professionals. Second, it presents how these skills have been taught in an undergraduate course in sustainability at Arizona State University, USA. Third, it critically discusses the effectiveness and challenges of that exemplary course. Finally, the article concludes with outlining the lessons learned that should be incorporated into future course offerings.
Descriptors: Interpersonal Competence, Sustainability, Skill Development, Skill Analysis, Professional Development, Teamwork, Communication Skills, Program Administration, Group Dynamics, Course Descriptions, Student Evaluation, Educational Practices, Professional Continuing Education, Undergraduate Students, Program Effectiveness, Barriers, Teaching Methods, Delivery Systems
MDPI AG. Klybeckstrasse 64, 4057 Basel, Switzerland. Tel: e-mail: indexing@mdpi.com; Web site: http://www.mdpi.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive; Information Analyses
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Arizona
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A