2026-06-04 17:23:59
Expert Consultations in the SUSTAINABILITY Module – 1 and 8 June 2026
The SUSTAINABILITY phase marked the fourth module of the PROFFORMANCE Upgrade Your Course PLA, encouraging participants to integrate sustainability principles into their own teaching practices and course design. The expert consultations were led by Bárbara Filipa Casqueira Coelho Gabriel, leader of the PROFFORMANCE development group for Sustainability in Teaching and Learning.
The module approached sustainability not simply as a separate topic to be taught, but as a guiding principle for designing learning experiences that connect academic knowledge with real societal challenges. As emphasized during the sessions, while concepts and frameworks are important, it is the educational context that transforms these ideas into meaningful impact.
Session on 1 June – embedding sustainability into course design
The first expert consultation introduced the Sustainability module and provided participants with an overview of the learning activities and practical exercises. The session focused on practical ways of integrating sustainability-oriented thinking into existing courses, regardless of discipline.
The programme included:
- Introduction to the Sustainability module
- Expert presentation by Bárbara Gabriel
- Overview of learning activities and practical exercises
- Questions and answers
- Peer exchange on sustainability-oriented teaching practices
A central message of the session was that sustainability in higher education should be closely connected to authentic learning experiences and real-world challenges. Drawing on examples from the University of Aveiro, Bárbara Gabriel demonstrated how students can engage with local sustainability issues while simultaneously developing professional competences and systems thinking skills.
One practical example presented during the consultation came from a first-year Mechanical Engineering seminar, where students examine how their research contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Participants were encouraged to reflect on where sustainability topics are already present in their own courses and identify opportunities for further integration.
The presentation also highlighted the importance of:
- connecting course content to the SDGs,
- adopting interdisciplinary approaches,
- using real-world case studies,
- strengthening experiential learning,
- promoting reflection and open dialogue,
- and encouraging students to understand the broader social impact of their work.
Session on 8 June – from sustainability concepts to educational transformation
The second Sustainability expert consultation on 8 June focused on supporting participants in the completion of the practical assignments, with particular emphasis on a reflective exercise based on Bloom’s Taxonomy. Rather than treating sustainability as an additional topic, the session encouraged participants to rethink their own courses by aligning sustainability-related learning objectives, activities, and assessment methods with different cognitive levels of learning. Through a detailed presentation of a practical framework and examples from the University of Aveiro, participants explored how they could design course activities that not only develop disciplinary knowledge but also foster critical thinking, problem-solving, systems thinking, and active citizenship. The final part of the session was dedicated to a step-by-step walkthrough of the reflective exercise template, demonstrating how educators can systematically integrate sustainable development principles into their own curricula by defining appropriate learning objectives, designing meaningful learning activities, and selecting assessment methods that support the achievement of these outcomes.
Learning through peer exchange
As in the previous modules of the PROFFORMANCE Upgrade Your Course PLA, peer learning was a key element of the Sustainability phase. The expert consultations provided opportunities for participants to discuss their own teaching practices, exchange ideas across disciplines, and explore how sustainability can become an integral part of everyday learning and teaching.
By the end of the module, participants had gained practical inspiration and concrete tools for embedding sustainability into their courses—not only by addressing environmental topics, but by fostering interdisciplinary thinking, social responsibility, critical reflection, and meaningful engagement with the challenges of an increasingly complex world.
