Abstract:

This paper delves into the pivotal role of universities, specifically Spanish institutions, as active agents in supporting the UN 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Beyond developmental projects, universities are recognized as transversal learning tools. Under the guidance of the Conference of Rectors, Spanish universities commit to promoting SDGs as part of their strategic activities. This commitment aims to enhance the university's social engagement with the community by addressing injustice and inequality in fulfillment of its social responsibility.

The paper explores the opportunity presented by the 17 SDGs to integrate these challenges into university curricula. It reviews actions taken by university institutions, analyzing their diverse missions and levels of involvement. Various integration approaches are discussed, ranging from explicit representation in study plans to innovative methodologies like service learning. The study emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary content, faculty skill improvement, active learning methodologies, and institutional policy support when addressing SDGs.

The iSchools network, focused on the intersection of technology, information, and people, emerges as an ideal framework for supporting SDGs through teaching and research initiatives. The paper underscores the significance of iSchools in addressing sustainability concerns across technology, information management, policies, and literacy/education.

The study focuses on the interdisciplinary framework of an iSchool at Carlos III University of Madrid, specifically in teaching information and communication theory and foundations. It presents the outcomes of a two-year teaching innovation project that combines SDG application with the service-learning methodological approach. The study covers objectives, execution, and results from a student survey. In contributing to the pedagogical discourse, this paper aims to enrich the understanding of service-learning and SDGs within the context of information and communication education.

Keywords:

Service-learning, SDG, educational innovation, iSchools.