INTEGRATING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN A COMPUTER SCIENCE PROGRAM: A REVIEW

The Computer Science program of the School of Engineering at the Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción is working to adopt CDIO Optional Standard 1: Sustainable Development and cover sustainable development in an integrated manner in the current study plan. Hence, we wish to know which strategies have been applied to promote sustainable development in Computer Science, both at the curricular and pedagogical levels. To answer this question, we performed a review of relevant peer-reviewed articles and conference papers retrieved from online databases. Even though our focus is Computer Science, we expanded our search to consider Information Technology, Information Systems, Informatics, and other STEM programs, as many strategies for these fields are similar and thus their results are also applicable. Our preliminary results show that, in general, sustainable development in Computer Science has been approached at the curricular level and at the pedagogical level. In the first case, programs define the competences, knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to address sustainable development challenges. However, there is no clear consensus on which specific competences, skills or knowledge should be included in the curriculum, nor when and where they should be addressed. At the pedagogical level, the literature on sustainable development education shows that, while some higher education institutions still favour traditional lecture-based courses, active learning methodologies are the prevailing trends. Among the works reviewed, we find many examples of problem-based learning, project-based learning, game-based learning, challenge-based learning, case studies, and debates being used. The main contribution of this work is to serve as a guide in integrating sustainable development in a Computer Science program by defining program goals and learning outcomes related to environmental, social, and economic sustainability for our Computer Science curriculum reform process. Furthermore, this work can contribute to the selection of appropriate pedagogical approaches to sustainability teaching and learning.