CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate) is a framework with many different parts, including how to plan and organize engineering education. KTH has contributed to an alternative CDIO standard that focuses on the integration of sustainable development. The standard describes five different levels of sustainability integration and is included as a sub-target in KTH's sustainability objective for education.
CDIO within KTH's sustainability objective for education
KTH's sustainability objective for education have the following sub-target regarding the level of the educational programs and the CDIO level:
1.2 Within KTH, all Teaching, Bachelor and Master of Engineering (Civilingenjör) programmes, as well as the Architecture programme, have reached at least level 3 in the CDIO standards for sustainable development. All Master's and doctoral programs have reached at least level 2 in the CDIO standards for sustainable development.
The CDIO standard as a tool
The CDIO Standard for Sustainable Development is a tool to support programme managers and programme boards in developing and evaluating their education programmes with regards to integrating sustainable development. The standard (see box below) is based on the CDIO principles and ‘education for sustainable development’ as summarised by UNESCO (see references below if interested in a more in-depth look). The standard includes a set of criteria (see table below) that programme managers and programme boards can use to assess the status of the programme and set goals for further development, where level 0 means that sustainable development is not addressed at all and 5 means that sustainable development is integrated to an extent that corresponds to the standard as described below. Note that the term ‘standard’ here does not aim to be uniform, it aims to be a common agreement within the CDIO network that allows for comparison and mutual learning between teachers and programmes, but at the same time allows freedom for different interpretations and implementations in different programmes.
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The CDIO Standard for Sustainable Development
An engineering education program that meets the CDIO Standard for Sustainable Development, emphasizes environmental, social, and economic, sustainability. Sustainability related knowledge, skills, and attitudes are explicitly addressed in program goals and learning outcomes. Aspects of sustainable development are integrated in several mutually supporting disciplinary courses and projects, possibly in combination with specific sustainability courses. Concepts of sustainability, potentials and limitations of science and technology, and related roles and responsibilities of engineers, are established at an early stage of the education. Design-implement experiences provide students with opportunities to apply and contextualize sustainability knowledge, skills, and attitudes, both in the development of new technology and in the reuse, redesign, recycling, and rethinking, of existing technology. Physical and digital learning environments enable interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaborative learning and interaction with various external stakeholders. Sustainability learning experiences are integrated with the learning of disciplinary knowledge, personal and interpersonal skills, and product, process, system, and service, building skills. Active, experiential, and transformative, learning activities develop students’ key competences for sustainability. Enhancement of faculty competences for sustainability and related teaching competences is actively promoted. Approaches appropriate for assessing sustainability related learning outcomes are implemented. The integration of sustainable development is evaluated by students, faculty, industry, and societal stakeholders, and in relation to relevant UN and other frameworks.
CDIO: Level and criteria for program assessment
Level 5 means full compliance with the CDIO standard:
Level
Criteria
Explanation
0
There are no sustainable development learning experiences in the program.
Quite obvious.
1
Minor sustainable development learning experiences are implemented in at least one course and needs and opportunities for extended integration of sustainable development have been identified.
A minor sustainable development (SD) learning experience could typically be a small SD related module, and related learning outcomes and assessment, integrated in a core engineering course or in a program introductory course, corresponding to about one ECTS credit.
2
At least two sustainable development learning experiences, where at least one is substantial, are being implemented and there is a plan for extended integration of sustainable development.
A substantial SD learning experience can either be a course that is more or less completely dedicated to SD, or extensive integration of SD in a core engineering course in terms of several intended learning outcomes, and related learning activities and assessment, corresponding to several ECTS credits.
3
There are explicit program goals and intended learning outcomes considering knowledge as well as skills related to environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability, and students learning towards these goals and outcomes are supported by at least four sustainable development learning experiences, where at least two are substantial, including an introduction early in the program.
In addition to developing students’ knowledge about SD and abilities to talk about and discuss SD, a program on this level also develop students’ abilities and skills to apply and operationalize their SD knowledge in engineering work, evaluate environmental, social and economic impacts, and take action for sustainable development based on such evaluations for example in engineering decision making and engineering design.
4
The integration of sustainable development is pervasive, well adapted to the program context, promoting progression of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and key competencies for sustainability, and there is documented evidence that students have achieved the related intended learning outcomes.
In addition to including several substantial and minor SD learning experiences, the program on this level have a clear vision and strategy, SD is well integrated with the program’s core subject and courses, and there is a clear progression in students’ SD learning including their development of key competencies for sustainability.
5
Sustainable development is fully integrated in accordance with the description in the CDIO Standard for Sustainable Development.
See the description of the CDIO Standard for Sustainable Development in the box here above.
