Abstract:

Despite the growing recognition of sustainability's importance in STEM education, its integration remains inconsistent across institutions, with limited empirical evidence on effective pedagogical approaches. This study addresses this gap through a dual contribution:
(1) a synthesis of recent sustainability interventions in STEM higher education, identifying effective strategies and implementation challenges, and
(2) the design, implementation, and evaluation of energy-focused active learning activities within our engineering and technology programs.

A review of recent studies on sustainability integration in STEM undergraduate education identified three particularly effective pedagogical approaches. Cooperative learning engages students in collaborative problem-solving on environmental challenges such as renewable energy systems, sustainable agriculture, and life cycle assessment (LCA), fostering both technical and teamwork skills. Service-learning (SL) connects STEM knowledge with community impact, enabling students to address real environmental needs while developing civic responsibility. Project-based learning (PBL) promotes the co-creation of sustainable technological solutions, including energy monitoring systems and green technology start-ups. Despite these successes, barriers remain—such as institutional fragmentation, insufficient faculty training, and the difficulty of aligning sustainability with traditional disciplinary frameworks. Nonetheless, evidence suggests that targeted, short-term interventions can effectively influence student attitudes without requiring comprehensive curriculum redesign.

Building on these insights, we designed and tested three project-based activities focused on energy sustainability and digital responsibility:
(1) the Digital Green Start-Up Simulation, where teams design technology solutions to minimize energy impact;
(2) energy audits of IoT devices and AI systems; and
(3) sustainability assessment workshops for emerging technologies.

A mixed-methods evaluation combining pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys with focus groups revealed significant improvements in students' awareness of ICT energy consumption, their intention to integrate sustainability into professional practice, and their confidence in designing energy-efficient solutions.

By combining evidence synthesis with empirical implementation, this work offers actionable guidance for STEM educators seeking to integrate sustainability through evidence-based, active learning interventions that enhance impact without requiring major curricular restructuring.

Keywords:

Sustainability education, STEM higher education, active learning, energy awareness, digital responsibility.