NAME: AREGBESOLA IDOWU AJOKE

MATRIC NO: 2230110086

Author Name: Michaela Schmidt, et al.
Date of Publication: November 2023
SUSTAINABILITY INTEGRATION IN A HIGHER EDUCATION COMPUTER
SCIENCE DEPARTMENT – A CASE STUDY
This case study outlines the challenges and strategies for integrating sustainability into the
teaching practices of a computer science department at a Norwegian university. It emphasizes the
importance of bottom-up approaches, faculty motivation, and institutional support in achieving
sustainability goals. By engaging stakeholders, adopting feedback-based methods, and
implementing structured guidelines, the department aims to enhance its capacity to address
sustainability issues effectively in its curriculum. However, it acknowledges the need for
ongoing efforts and tailored strategies to continuously improve sustainability integration in
higher education. Certainly! The case study presents a comprehensive approach to integrating
sustainability into teaching practices within a computer science department at a Norwegian
university. It highlights the importance of addressing sustainability from both top-down
institutional policies and bottom-up individual contributions. By conducting a literature review,
interviews, and focus group discussions, the study identifies key challenges, strategies, and
solutions for integrating sustainability into the curriculum. The study reveals that while some
faculty members have taken initiatives to incorporate sustainability into their courses, integration
depends on the intrinsic motivation of course coordinators. Challenges such as time constraints,
lack of resources, and limited prior experience with sustainability issues hinder the process.
However, there is a recognition of the importance of defining sustainability competencies and
learning outcomes to guide curriculum development. Based on the findings, the study proposes a
set of guidelines for improving sustainability integration in courses. These guidelines include
defining sustainability objectives, providing training for faculty members, and developing a self-
reporting tool to track the coverage of sustainability goals in the curriculum. The study advocates
for a mixed approach, where sustainability topics are integrated into existing courses while also
introducing dedicated courses or modules focused on sustainability.