The document discusses innovative educational methods for implementing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in tertiary education, emphasizing experiential learning and project-based approaches. It includes examples of successful projects, such as planning games and mathematical modeling, aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and competences related to sustainability. The authors highlight the significance of integrating ESD systematically and engaging students in real-world problem solving to enhance their learning experience.

1. Methods for Education
for Sustainable Development
Innovative Methods for
Tertiary Education for Sustainable Development
International Conference on
Engineering and Business Education
 Ulrich Holzbaur
 Gerrit Jordaan
2
 Monika Bühr
1,2
1
Aalen University of Applied Science, Aalen, Germany
2 Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein, South Africa
1
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

2. Concept
 Innovative
Non-traditional
 Methods
Education
Training
 Tertiary
University
 Education
for
Sustainable
Development
ESD
SD
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

3. Outline
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has been identified by the
UN as the most important measure to reach Sustainable Development.
> Implemented ESD in tertiary education
Why:
 orientation towards the future, shaping competences
 How:
 innovative methods of teaching and learning
 What
examples
 Experiential methods:
Planning Games
Success in Small Business, Eco²
Project Learning
PPM / ESPRESSO
 Mathematical Modelling
Modelling for Insight not for Numbers
Science Education
Explorhino
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

4. Sustainable Development

World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987
 Integration of
 Socioeconomic Development
.. to meet the needs of
 Environmental protection
.. to meet the
the present withoutneeds of
 Integration of
.. to meet
the present without
compromising the the needs of
compromising the
 Intergenerational Justice
chances ofthe present without
future
compromising the
chances meet
generations to of future
 Intragenerational Justice
chances
generations of future
their own needs .. to meet
their generations..to meet
own needs
their own needs ..
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

5. Methods for ESD
Education for Sustainable Development
EcoGames
Planning Games
Experiential
Methods
Projects
Project Method
Modelling
STEM
MINT
Science
Education
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

6. Planning Games
 Learning by playing


Didactics
Situations
 Planning Game:




Initial Conditions = Starting Position
Decisions to be made
Dynamics = Rule
Criteria
 Conceptual Basis:




Dynamics
Decision
Goal
Didactics
 Planning game is more than hard + soft - ware
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

7. Example:
Success in Small Business
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

8. Example:
Success in Small Business
 Development of modular set of planning games
 From basic economic knowledge to the business plan
 Foster entrepreneurship and economic knowledge (pillar of ESD)
 Create employment and safe workplaces (impact on SD)
 Joint project of Aalen University and CUT + VUT South Africa
- faculty of management and economics
- science park, technology transfer, entreprenurship/innovation/ center
- sustainable development teams, communtiy development
- teacher´s education
with partners from industry and business
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

9. Example:
Success in Small Business
 Students will be involved in the

Requirements Analysis and Development of game and manuals
 Testing and training the trainers
 Game can be adapted to tertiary and higher education (university:
economics and general education, industry, administration)
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

10. Project Method (PPM)
 Carry out projects that have

real-life training effect for the students
 excellent chances of success
 positive impact on community development
 Treat projects like planning games
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

11. Project Portfolio
Ecology and Ressources
Quality
Entreprenurship
Science and Statistics
Transdisciplinary Work
Documentation
Literature Survey
Team Work
Communication
Setting Targets
Project Mangement
Project Number
P1
P2
P3
P4
P5
P6
P7
PN
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

12. Experiential aspects of
projects
 Activation and Decision: Students plan and control, decide and act
 Dynamics: as the projects evolves, problems arise and are solved
 Didactics: the supervisor considers didactical aims and principles
 Skills: Soft skills and competences are supported
 Experience: the supervisor considers didactical aims and introduces
activation
 Model orientation: the project can be seen as a real world model of
real problems
 Success: the preparation and control by the supervisor ensures
training success and achievement of project results
 Shaping competences: Project portfolio convers subjects and
competences for ESD
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

13. Project Examples from
Aalen University

Course on Engineering Managemen
 Bachelor
 Project management
 Sustainable development
 Master
 Mathematical Modelling
 Excellence and Sustainability
 Support of projects on
 Green Eel EMS
 Experiential orientation in ESD
 Regional marketing
 Aalen for All / barrier free
 Energy information
 public transportation
 security feeling and crime prevention
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

14. Project Example
Aalen for all – Barrier free
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

15. Project Examples Regional marketing

Aalen 2006 …
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

16. Project Example
EMS for schools
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

17. Education for
Sustainable Development
UNESCO Decade Education for Sustainable Development
Projects (2 years each)
 Integrate ESD systemically via Projects (4)
 Green Eel Environmental Management System (4)
 Experience sustainability in the city of Aalen (3)
 Sustainability@CUT (2)
Contributions
 Day of open University + Sustainable Event Management
 “Sustainability kitchen “format + Manager´s cookbook
 Guide Aalen barrier free
Aalen as a City of the EDS Decade (2)
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

18. ESPRESSO
Experience Science and
Practical RElevance
and learn Sustainably
by means of
Sustainability prOjects
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

19. Mathematical Modelling
as ESD
 Shaping competences are general
 Sustainable development needs also the competence to assess the
consequences of our activities
 The basis for SD was a mathematical model and a simulation
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

20. Modelling and shaping
Competences
 Modelling is essential for perception, communication, knowledge
creation and planning. Hence, modelling supports the following
shaping competences:
 foresighted thinking;
 interdisciplinary work;
 planning and implementation;
 reflection on individual and cultural models.
 Shaping competences and modelling:
 1. ethics as a very abstract level of thinking.
 2. knowledge: competency to acquire and integrate new knowledge
 3. planning as a model of the future
 4. action: competency to implement plans
 5. reflection: competency to analyse and reflect on processes
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

21. Example: Modelling for
Renewable Energy
 The optimal use of renewable energy needs
models on several scales of
 Space
 Time
 Number
 Reliability
 Decisions
 Carriers
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

22. Modelling
Atlas
 Problems in Sustainable Development are too complex to be modeled
with one formal mathematical model (Network, differential equation, …)
 Important aspects need to be modeled:
 Structure and relations
 Dynamics and feedback loops
 Decision and behavior
 Uncertainty
 The Atlas covers all aspects
with
common semantics
and
compatible syntax
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

23. Science Education by Teaching:
Explorhino
 Explorhino has a focus on young learners
 Students learn by contributing to teaching units and classes.
examples:
 Water analysis
 CO2
 Acids
 Paper recycling
 Cooking skills
 Biogas plant
 Brewing beer
 Soap production
 Cleaning
 Energy
 Fire and safety
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM

24. Work supported by a grant from Baden-Württemberg
ministry of science, research and culture within the
programme
„Welcome at Science“
ESPRESSO:
Experience Science and
Practical RElevance
and
learn Sustainably
by means of
Sustainability prOjects
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© Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Holzbaur, AAUAS STZAM