Abstract:

This paper examines the ability of combining site visits and other educational material from both home-country and international experiences to enhance the study of sustainability engineering. In particular, the development of a program that combines experiences from the United States and Australia are examined. The main focus in terms of material is that of "green building" principles. In the US, this encompasses the study and review of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building rating system. In Australia, the Green Star rating system was investigated. Through the initial implementation of the program, both of these systems were studied by participants through a mix of site visits, lectures, and independent study. Proposals were then developed by the participants regarding implementations of green building principals in their home country (in this case, the US). The effectiveness of incorporating the study abroad experiences is expressed in terms of the quality of the proposals in addressing green building issues and results of surveys of the participants regarding their experiences and the program objectives with regard to green building principles.

Keywords:

Sustainability, study abroad, LEED, green building.