2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The Sustainable Systems Engineering Program at the University of [redacted] has been significantly influenced and inspired by the Engineering for One Planet (EOP) framework since its inception. While we have made several efforts to integrate EOP principles throughout the entire curriculum during the first two years of the program, this paper specifically focuses on their integration within second-year Engineering Design course. In this paper, we will describe the curriculum design, highlight insights from the teaching team, and provide a thorough analysis of the learning outcomes associated with this integration.

Parallel to the EOP framework, at the core of our design courses is a foundation in systems thinking, which empowers students to tackle challenges from a holistic perspective. They were not only encouraged to develop solutions to challenges, but also to explore and map the ‘interconnectedness’ among various systems and the ‘dynamic impacts’ among parts of the systems as well as making links to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Collaborative projects were an integral part in our design course, where students work in teams to tackle complex, open-ended, wicked problems framed around key sustainability themes. These projects were co-developed with the Office of Sustainability at the University and require not only technical skills but also creativity, critical thinking, and effective communication. By engaging with real-world challenges, students consider diverse perspectives and develop inclusive solutions that address the needs of various stakeholders, all while learning to apply different sustainability tools and frameworks in their designs, specifically to ‘maximize the positive and minimize the negative environmental and social impacts’. We also leveraged the sustainability design cards to support students in applying ‘specific technical skills’ such as design for repairability, reuse, and disassembly. Reflections from our first iteration showed that integrating EOP principles into our Engineering Design curriculum has created a positive learning environment.