Abstract:

The imperative need to reduce, among others, energy and raw material consumption in the construction industry assigns a crucial role to this sector in achieving sustainable development goals. Hence, the curriculum of the Master's program in Construction Engineering includes a dedicated course on sustainability. However, sustainability is a broad concept and, at times, difficult for students to grasp and evaluate. This complexity has been evident among students in recent years, as they face the challenging task of relating or evaluating technical aspects of construction from a primarily social perspective, largely because many of these social aspects are difficult to quantify.

In order to assist students in identifying and evaluating sustainability concepts (economic, environmental, and social) within the context of the teaching-learning process, a methodology is proposed that involves a role change, allowing students to participate as part of an expert panel. This expert panel consists of individuals with extensive experience in the construction industry and is used in decision-making methodologies in pre-doctoral research to evaluate the technical aspects of construction from a sustainable perspective. Therefore, the proposed methodology is initially developed individually in the classroom, with each student assuming the role of an expert. Once individual solutions have been obtained, students gather in groups to discuss the results, with the need to reach a consensus, thereby forming a collective expert panel. Finally, each group presents its results, which are compared with those previously obtained through an expert panel composed of researchers. To assess involvement in the process and acquired knowledge, students complete a survey. A high percentage of students agree that the methodology used helps them understand and evaluate technical aspects from a sustainability standpoint, particularly in its social dimension.

Keywords:

Post-graduate education, role change, expert panel, sustainability.