Abstract
The creation of future sustainable and efficient energy systems requires a cross-disciplinary approach in engineering education. In order for energy-related engineering students to be prepared for real-world situations after their studies, it is important that, while they are still studying, they obtain the basic skills for handling different concepts, theoretical frameworks and solution types created in the various disciplines involved. At the Tampere University of Technology (TUT), a cross-disciplinary team was formed from four different departments in three different faculties to create a platform for research and education purposes on the university campus. The purpose was to coordinate research and provide students with a wider picture and a concrete implementation of the different layers and aspects that need to be taken into account when creating innovative solutions for future digital energy systems. The creation of the platform started from a successful student ideation competition that produced many viable solutions. This paper describes the bottom-up incremental process by which the cross-disciplinary platform was created. The innovative solutions created in the student ideation competition convinced the university organization that the cross-disciplinary collaboration should have a more permanent platform on the university campus, allowing researchers and students to incorporate more sustainability and systemic aspects into their work, and having a positive impact on the sustainable energy consumption on the campus.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aktas CB (2015) Reflections on interdisciplinary sustainability research with undergraduate students. Int J Sustain High Educ 16(3):354–366
Brundiers K, Wiek A, Redman C (2010) Real-world learning opportunities in sustainability: from classroom into real world. Int J Sustain High Educ 11(4):308–324
Cech EA (2014) Culture of disengagement in engineering education? Sci Technol Hum Values 39(1):42–72
CEN/CENELEC/ETSI (2012) Joint working group on standards for smart grids. CEN-CENELEC-ETSI smart grid coordination group: smart grid information security, Nov, pp 1–107
Guerra A (2017) Integration of sustainability in engineering education: why is PBL an answer? Int J Sustain High Educ 18(3):436–454
Kay MJ, Kay SA, Tuininga AR (2018) Green teams: a collaborative training model. J Clean Prod 176:909–919
Keski-Koukkari A (2018) Architecture of smart grid testing platform and integration of multipower laboratory. Master’s thesis, Tampere University of Technology
Nowotny J, Dodson J, Fiechter S, Gür TM, Kennedy B, Macyk W, Rahman KA (2017) Towards global sustainability: education on environmentally clean energy technologies. Renew Sustain Energy Rev
Prince M (2004) Does active learning work? a review of the research. J Eng Educ 93(3):223–231
Savage RN, Chen KC, Vanasupa L (2007) Integrating project-based learning throughout the undergraduate engineering curriculum. Mater Eng 1
Sharma B, Steward B, Ong SK, Miguez FE (2017) Evaluation of teaching approach and student learning in a multidisciplinary sustainable engineering course. J Clean Prod 142:4032–4040
Steiner G, Posch A (2006) Higher education for sustainability by means of transdisciplinary case studies: an innovative approach for solving complex, real problems. J Clean Prod 14:877–890
Tejedor G, Segalàs J, Rosas-Casals M (2018) Transdisciplinarity in higher education for sustainability: how discourses are approached in engineering education. J Clean Prod 175:29–37
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Saari, U.A. et al. (2019). Engaging Students in Cross-Disciplinary Research and Education—A Processual Approach to Educational Development. In: Leal Filho, W., Bardi, U. (eds) Sustainability on University Campuses: Learning, Skills Building and Best Practices. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15864-4_22
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15864-4_22
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-15863-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-15864-4
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)