General information


Subject type: Mandatory

Coordinator: Julián Horrillo Tello

Trimester: Second term

Credits: 6

Teaching staff: 

Virginia Espinosa Duro

Teaching languages


Both the teaching of the subject and the teaching support material will be given in Catalan. As for the interlocutor, questions may be asked in either of the two co-official languages ​​and answered in the same language as they were asked, in order to facilitate the student's comprehension. 

Some sessions may include audio-visualing of materials in English as well as some exercises based on written material (mainly scientific articles and papers) also in English and Spanish.

Pel que fa a les activitats d'avaluació, es formularan en català, però es podran contestar indistintament, en català o castellà.

Skills


Specific skills
  • CE16: Basic knowledge of environmental technologies and sustainability.

Transversal competences
  • CT2: That students have the ability to work as members of an interdisciplinary team either as one more member, or performing management tasks in order to contribute to developing projects with pragmatism and a sense of responsibility, assuming commitments taking into account count available resources.

Description


The Subject of Sustainability, addresses the social, economic and environmental areas from the Industrial Revolution to the present day from the different disciplines that determine human experience (sociology, economics, politics, technology and philosophy) with the purpose to analyze and diagnose mistakes in this field and provide a basis for discussion in order to propose solutions in each of these three dimensions that encompasses sustainability.

In a second phase, solutions will be crystallized into concrete actions and guidelines framed in a new paradigm to promote and ensure the sustainable development of present and future generations.

Learning outcomes


-RA1: Detect, analyze, model, make decisions and solve problems in the social, economic and environmental fields.

-RA2: Know and use the tools and technologies to intervene in the direction of sustainability.

-RA3: Know and use the most sustainable tools and technologies.

-RA4: Develop an environmentally friendly technology and integrate it into engineering work.

-RA5: Know the different environmental and sustainability technologies and apply them in engineering.

Working methodology


The subject consists of 6 hours a week of a synchronous nature: 4 of theory with the large group and 2 of practices in a more participatory key; the latter will be of compulsory attendance as a necessary condition to be able to choose to be evaluated of the same.

The work in the classroom with the large group will be based on theory classes of an expository nature where the teacher will explain the concepts of theory, accompanied by multiple examples.

The notes delivered in pdf correspond to the set of slides in PPT that are used as a plot line of the theoretical sessions; this reference documentation, although not self-contained, integrates most of the body of theoretical knowledge of the subject.

In the practical sessions with the small group, a more experiential experimentation will be proposed both individually and collectively, with the purpose of contextualizing and deepening, both aspects covered in the theory sessions, as well as other broad spectrum, from the generation of spaces of inter and intragroup debate, where a high number of case studies and exercises will be raised and analyzed.

Additional learning activities will also be proposed, such as guided readings, viewing of audiovisual material and / or making essay-dissertation comments in order to facilitate the achievement of the objectives of the subject.

Each practice-debate will be evaluated by explicitly weighing some of the different parameters susceptible to evaluation (assistance, participation, argumentation, leadership, development of previous and / or later tasks, ...) deploying the 360 degree assessment methodology: assessment, self-assessment, cross-assessment and teacher-student co-assessment.

Contents


1 INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABILITY.

1.1 The three dimensions of Sustainability.

1.2 Sustainable Development.

1.3 Sustainable Development Goals. 

2 THE PARADIGM of the twentieth century. STATE OF THE WORLD.

2.1 Socio-Economic Context:

2.1.1 Industrial Revolution. Technological Development.

2.1.2 Welfare Society. Indicators.

2.1.3 Consumerism: Product-Consumer. Advertising & Marketing. Resources & Waste.

2.1.4 Globalization.

2.1.5 Population.

2.2 Environmental Scenario. Planetary Boundaries.

2.2.1 Loss of Biodiversity.

2.2.2 Pollution: Chemical Agents.

2.2.3 Reduction of the O3 Layer.

2.2.4 Climate Change.

3 s.XXI: SUSTAINABLE PARADIGM

3.1 New Indicators.

3.2 Economic and Social Models.

3.3 Resource Management Model. Circular Economy.

3.4 Green Engineering.

Learning activities


In order to gather evidence of the achievement of the expected learning outcomes, the following evaluative learning activities will be carried out:

ACTIVITY 1: THEMATIC WORK (25%):

[Related to Competences CT2 and CE16; Evidence of Learning Outcomes RA2, RA3 and RA4].

The Work will consist of the elaboration of a group Report and later exhibition and public defense, on a relative subject in the field of the environmental technologies  proposed by the teacher at the beginning of the course.

The work will be defended in front of the colleagues of the class group throughout the fixed sessions of week 9 and attendance will be compulsory for all enrolled students.

Evaluation: The exposition and defense components can be used to nuance the grade of each member of the working group with respect to the group grade of the report, according to the factors [x0,8 x0,9 x1 x1,1 x1,2] (and limiting the resulting grade to 10, in the cases that may occur, if that is the case).

ACTIVITY 2: PRACTICES: DEBATES, CASE STUDIES AND EXERCISES (25%):

[Related to Competences CT2 and CE16; Evidence of Learning Outcomes RA1 and RA5].

Generation of spaces for reflection and case studies that culminate in a set of subsequent debates encouraging critical thinking, on topics to help understand:

  • The complexity and interrelationship between the economic, social, political and environmental phenomena of the welfare society, emerging and developing ones. 
  • The phenomenon of Globalization and its direct and indirect agents.
  • Rationalize and reinterpret technique and technology in a new context of a sustainable nature.

NOTE: The different deliveries corresponding to this activity, they will be conditioned to attend internship sessions.

ACTIVITY 3 and 4: PARTIAL EXAMS 1 and 2 (25% + 25% = 50%):

[Both activities are related to the CE16 Competition; Activity 3 is evidence of Learning Outcomes RA1 and RA5 while activity 4 is evidence of Learning Outcomes RA1 and RA3].

The typology of the two exams consists of two parts:

• A first part that counts the 40% of the exam and that corresponds to a Test that consists of 20 questions of theoretical and / or relational nature and four possible answers with a single possible correct solution.

• The second part counts the 60% of the examination and corresponds to the development of a theoretical-relational question with limited space to answer.

A minimum grade of 3 in the test to be able to choose to be evaluated from the second part of the exam. In the case of not exceeding the stipulated minimum mark of the test, the mark of the global of the corresponding examination, will correspond to the mark of the test obtained.

In case of confinement the following changes will be applied:

  1. Activities 3 and 4 corresponding to the scheduled partial exams of the subject, will be carried out in on-line format.
  2. In case the activation of the recovery mechanism of activities 3 and 4 is required, will be explored and the possibility of making one will be valued short-term online oral exam as an alternative to programming the recovery exam in face-to-face format.

Evaluation system


The final grade will be the weighted average of the grades of the assessable activities mentioned, as specified below:

PARTIAL EXAM 1 (25%) + PARTIAL EXAM 2 (25%) + THEMATIC WORK (25%) + PRACTICES (25%)

You will need to get one minimum grade of 3 in the two written tests, to be able to choose to apply the corresponding weighting.

If the average result of the subject is less than 5, the recovery mechanism of the theory component will be activated, which will consist of solving a Recovery Exam of the theory component and which will account for the 50% of the total calculation of the same as long as a score of this last exam greater than or equal to 3 is reached. In case of surpassing the global of the asignatura under this second supposition, the final note of the asignatura will subtract bounded a 5.

REFERENCES


Basic

ESPINOSA DURÓ, Virginia. Notes Blocks 1 and 2 of Sustainability. Tecnocampus Internal Publication. 2021 edition.

CAVAGNARO Elena and CURIEL George, The Three Levels of Sustainability. Ed. Greehleaf Publishing. 2012. ISBN-13: 978-1906093-68-6.

Complementary

McDONOUGH, William and BRAUNGART, Michael. Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the way we make things. Ed: Rodale Press. 2003. ISBN-13: 978-0865475878.

JONAS, Hans. The Principle of Responsibility. Essay on an Ethics for Technological Civilization. Ed. Herder. 1991.

MacKAY, David JC., Sustainable Energy, Without the Hot Air. ITU Cambridge Ltd .. 2009. ISBN ISBN 978-1-906860-01-1.

TYLER MILLER, G. Jr. Introduction to Environmental Science: Sustainable Earth Development. An integrated approach. 5ª Editing. Ed. International Thomson. 2002. ISBN: 84-9732-053-0.