Paying students to pay attention
- and 10 other ways to teach LCA and related issues at Aalborg University
by
Henrik Riisgaard
Assistant Professor
Department of Planning and Development, Aalborg University
Please contact by e-mail: henrik@i4.auc.dk or call (+45) 96 35 84 06
Abstract
At Aalborg University in Denmark, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and connected issues are taught
in 11 different courses or learning situations. This paper elaborates on the different ways of teaching
adapted to the very different situations. It describes how the LCA teaching has developed through
the last decade from one course with 15 students to this year's 11 learning situations introducing
LCA to 330 students at different levels.
The paper sets out by giving a historical background and an overview of the learning activities
involving LCA. After the general overview, three different cases are elaborated on more in detail:
 Using prize awards and competitions in Master of Science in Architecture and Design
 Setting-up a performance using caricatured profession roles to open debate on approaches to
sustainable design involving 3 "actors": a social scientist, an engineer, and a designer
 Student defined problem-based group projects where student groups spend up to 2700 manhours working with LCA.
In a discussion of integration versus specialisation, courses versus problem-based project work,
examination methods and motivation factors, the paper connects to research and ongoing debate
about engineering competencies.
The paper concludes on the need for applying a multitude of different teaching strategies according
to specific students' needs. One of the results of this LCA teaching survey is that only one out of the
11 learning situations has lead students to full time professional LCA positions.
Keywords: LCA, teaching, teamwork, problem-based learning, curriculum development,
engineering competencies
Introduction
This paper's central question is to investigate how the supplied learning situations on Life Cycle
Assessment (LCA) at Aalborg University's engineering educations fit with the demanded
competence of tomorrows engineers. To this end, we must first describe how LCA is taught at
Aalborg University. First part of that description is a general overview. This is then complemented
by a second part with more detailed descriptions of three cases of more unusual learning situations.
This supply focus is then challenged by a demand focus. What are the competencies needed by
future engineers and how does the supply fit the demand?
LCA is understood very broadly in this paper. It is used as a term covering description and
assessment of environmental impacts or impact potentials related to products or services throughout
their life cycle from raw materials and components through production stages, transportation, use
stage to the final disposal or recycle stages.
LCA-related issues mean life cycle management, design guidelines, integrated product policy, and
LCA-based policy instruments like eco-labelling, environmental product declarations, green
procurement. Also life cycle thinking and eco-design are covered.
Background on Aalborg University's learning concept
Aalborg University has now for 28 years been based on a problem-oriented and project-organised
learning concept. The concept has previously been described, analysed and assessed in detail
(Kjaersdam 1994, Kolmos 2002). Therefore, only a short summary will be given here. Problembased means that traditional textbook-knowledge is replaced by the necessary knowledge to solve
problems. The concept moves the perspective from understanding of common knowledge into
ability to develop new knowledge (Enemark 1999). The aim of the project work is "learning by
doing" or "action learning". The core structure is simple: every semester has its own theme. Ten
themes in total constitute the general and professional aim of the curriculum of the different MSc
programs. Each theme provides for studying core elements through courses with exercises as well
as exploring and applying the elements in project work related to real life. The basic semester
structure consists of an equal distribution between project work and pre-defined courses. These
courses are further divided into project-assisting courses and general study courses. The project
work is carried out in small groups of three to six students having at least one teacher connected as
supervisor. All groups have their own rooms at the university with computer access. Formally, the
load on the students measured in ECTS credit points and allocated time is divided on these three
learning situations as follows: project work: 50 per cent, project-assisting courses: 25 per cent and
general study courses: 25 percent. However, due to its built-in motivation accelerators (see later) the
actual load is more likely to be 60, 20 and 30 - meaning a shifting towards project work. The
existence of this shift is supported by earlier evaluations (Kjearsdam 1994). The study time is
dominated by courses in the beginning of each semester and by project at the end.
The exact supervision assignment is dependant on the number of students in the groups and the
precise number of ECTS credit points but somewhere between 60 and 120 hours of supervision per
group is normal. This enables the supervisor to have weekly meetings with a semester total of
approximately 25 hours confrontation with each individual group. The rest of the supervision
assignment is spent on reading working papers, helping with contacts and references, preparing for
and participating in the examination.
A quality system assures that the quality of the education is maintained and enhanced. The quality
system is based on quality culture adapted to the local situation at each study board. This quality
culture is framed and supported by locally developed handbooks, external evaluations, and internal
monitoring. Internally, the theme, the courses and the supervision are assessed and adjusted prior to
the start of semester. This is done by a small group of teachers and students representing the
previous as well as the incoming semester. (Enemark 1999)
All engineering teaching (3.000 students) at Aalborg University can therefore be divided into three
different learning situations: supervision of problem-based project groups, project-assisting
courses, and study courses. This division of learning situations into 3 types is also relevant when it
comes learning situations related to life cycle assessment and related issues.
LCA-related teaching at Aalborg University
All ongoing LCA-related learning at Aalborg University known to the author is listed in table 1.
There might, however, be other occasional learning situations especially for first-year students even
though they are not mentioned in curricula.
Nine of the learning situations are part of six different engineering master degree programs taking
place full time on campus with young students (normally 20 to 25 years).
Two of the learning situations are different, as they are not part of the normal on-campus curricula.
One is a part-time 2-year diploma study in human ecology based on distance learning and weekend
seminars. There are usually 25 participants aged from 25 to 75 with a mean of 45 years. Their
professional backgrounds differ from organic farmers to chemists in research. The catchwords are
involvement and enthusiasm.
The other one is an annual so-called Life Long Learning initiative where all former engineering
students are invited every summer for a free one-week learning programme with 8 parallel sessions.
LCA issues are usually represented every second year filling two days with an overview and
updates on methodology or applications.
Study
Programme
Title of
Course
Lang
uage
Allocated ECTS
credit points
LCA-related
part in ECTS
Star
ted
Number of
attending
students 2001
Cumulated
number of
attending
students
Main
reference
(tools)
Architecture & Design
Life Cycle
Assessment and
Design
(study course)
Life Cycle
Assessment
(project-assisting)
Environmental
Management
(project assisting)
Waste Management
(project assisting)
Project work
DK
1
0,8
1999
65
140
Holleris 2000
ISO 14040
Design for
Environment
Conceptual LCA
Lectures/exercises/guests
Awards/Competition
Written exam
UK
1
1
1998
3
30
BEAT2001
Buildings
Lectures/exercises/guests
DK
2
0,4
1996
12
90
EDIP 1997
ISO14040-43
LCM
Lectures/exercises/guests
UK
2
0,2
1999
10
25
EDIP 1997
LCIA
Lectures + exercises
DK/UK
18-30
0-30
voluntary subject
1999
1
5
Simapro 5
LCI
LCM stakeholders
ECO-design
WEEE/EEE
directives
LCM
Problem
formulation/analysis
Analysis
Supervision
Reporting/presentation/exam
Lectures/exercises/guests
Written Exam
Indoor Environmental
Engineering
Environmental
Engineering
Keywords
on contents
Electronics &
Information technology
(17 specialisations)
Engineering
Responsibilities
(study course)
UK
1
0,4
1995
135
840
EEE Ecodesign 2002
Planning
Sustainable Energy
and Material Flows
(project assisting)
Project work
DK
3
0,6
1992
8
142
ISO 1404014062
DK/UK
20-30
0-30
voluntary subject
1992
11
40
Varies
LCM
IPP
Product
development
Life Cycle
Assessment
(project assisting)
Life Cycle
Assessment
(study course)
UK
1
1
2000
40
65
DK
1
1
1995
22
210
ISO 14040
Simapro5
DEPA 2002
ISO 14040
EDIP 1997
Riisgaard
2002
LCM
ECO-design
Factor X
Distance learning
Differs
DK
0,8
0,8
1994
25
130
332
1717
Environmental
Management
Human Ecology
(Life Long Learning)
Total
Table 1 Returning LCA learning activities at Aalborg University
e.g. Energy
Planning and LCA
Learning
situations
Lectures + exercises
Problem formulation
/analysis
Supervision
Reporting/presentation/e
xam
Lectures/
exercises/guests
Lectures
Assignments
Presentation
Lectures
Discussions
Three cases of learning situations
In the following section three cases of experiences from Aalborg University are elaborated on in
more detail. The choice of the cases is meant to show some of the slightly different experiences that
might be of interest to others.
Edutainment with caricatured stereotypes
In 2000 a somewhat unusual pedagogical approach was used in Lecture 1 of the general study
course in Life Cycle Assessment and Eco-design for 3rd year students in M.Sc. in Architecture and
M.Sc. in Industrial Design. The three course organisers: a social scientist, an industrial designer and
an environmental engineer prepared three introductory speeches exaggerating their own
professional stereotypes.
The social scientist, dressed relaxed and wearing intellectual glasses lectured on the history of
consumption and production, on policy paradigms and the blame and responsibility of future
designers. All based mostly on qualitative research.
The engineer showed computer simulations via the wide screen projector and a few central formulas
on how to calculate acidification potentials. The presentation included lots of numbers (or rather
mean values and standard deviations of the normal distributed data sets). Ideally, the engineer
would wear a shirt with two pens and a red laser pointer in his breast pocket.
The designer wore narrow designer glasses and was dressed in black with a jacket with fashionable
short lapels. He illustrated his speech on products' expression, narratives, and the immediate feeling
of nature to the passer-by depending on material choice by using slides and brought-along objects.
To promote a provocation the shifts from one lecturer to the other was made by interruption. At an
agreed culmination one of the other would simply act offended, interrupt and take over e.g. by
saying "Please! Dear colleague! I do not agree that this is important to learn. I must say…"
After the first contradictory introductions, bridges between stated viewpoints were built in cooperation and discussion with the students.
The point with the "performance" was to introduce to the wide spectrum of ways of approaching
"sustainability and products" for instance reflecting one's original discipline of science and making
the students reflect on how they actually see things and how others would see them differently. A
further point was to show that bridging and transdiciplinary teamwork is possible and can be
beneficial. The evaluation of the course showed a positive assessment, partly due to the
combination of three different "actors". Due to the time consumption, however, this type of
teaching was only repeated once.
Prize competitions
In 2002 a new learning situation connected to sustainability and design took place at the 3rd year of
the M.Sc. in Architecture or M.Sc. in Industrial Design. The students got a chance of earning good
money while studying by trying to win a prize competition.
The prize competition was financially supported by the Danish Energy Agency and arranged by the
Danish Sun1000 project. Sun1000 is a € 2.3 Million project aiming at installing 1000 solar panel
systems with a total effect of 1 MWp within a period of 4 years ending in 2005. The competition
was open for architect and design students from 3 institutions in Copenhagen, Århus and Aalborg.
At these three institutions, the normal timetable changed for the 18 days the competition lasted.
The theme of the competition was to develop the design and architectural value of buildingintegrated solar panels. The purpose of the competition was to provide inspiration for the
development of assembly systems, panel components and building integrated solutions to the
Sun1000 project. Furthermore, it was aimed at disseminating knowledge of, and interest in solar
panels in building. Through courses, guest lectures, internet hotlists, field visits and by consulting
teachers, the students were introduced to eco-design, LCA, solar panels and solar architecture. The
students worked individually or in small groups.
In total, 47 proposals consisting of posters and short reports were received. They were delivered in
sealed envelopes, anonymously, with only a five-digit identification number. They were judged by a
committee of 7 professionals, mainly architects and technical consultants but also officials from the
Energy Agency and Sun1000 secretariat.
The judgement was based on several criteria: that the proposal be implementable within the four
year Sun1000 period, appropriateness for Danish industry, innovation, architectural quality,
originality, good interpretation of the problems, function, economy, utilisation of solar panels
potentials, sustainability and presentation.
The total prizes to be won added up to 100.000 Danish kroner (€ 13.300). This sum was parted into
3 first prizes (2.000 €), 3 second prizes (1.330 €) and 5 third prizes (670 €). If all groups were of
approximately equal size this means thatthere would be a 23 per cent chance that the students were
awarded money and honour, statistically speaking. But of course, creativity and competence
determined the outcome, not statistics.
Besides the competition judgement there was no formal evaluation by the university of the learning.
The students, however, evaluated the competition very positively and worked with great
enthusiasm. For 8 out of the participating 38 students from Aalborg University the efforts were
profitable in financial terms.
In Denmark, prize competitions for students are not usual outside design and architecture circles
and are normally not part of engineering studies.
LCA-related project work
The third and last case of an LCA-related learning situation is the distinctive feature of Aalborg
University: the problem based project work in groups.
The following is an example of an LCA-related project on the sixth semester in Planning. The
project was made by a self-selected group of 4 students - two with civil engineering background and
two with chemistry background (Andersen et al. 2000). This project counts 18 ECTS for each
student meaning that in total the 4 students were expected to spend 2.160 man-hours on the project.
The theme for the semester was "Sustainable Energy and Substance Flows" and one of the 4
project-assisting courses was a 1 ECTS course on LCA . The group started out choosing two project
delimitations - a methodological choice of LCA and a choice of focus on mussels. The reason for
the focus choice was because it was a virgin subject that had not been investigated earlier. The
teacher coordination group appointed a supervisor with LCA experience. Neither the students nor
the supervisor knew anything about the processes related to the life cycle of mussels beforehand.
In the project the students carried out a life cycle screening on 1 kg of Danish frozen mussels. The
students decided that the purpose of the screening was to assess in which of the life cycle stages of
the frozen mussels the largest environmental impact potentials arise. Furthermore the study aimed at
making a comparative study of the two largest mussels manufacturers in Denmark. To the surprise
of the students, the study indicated important impacts related to the catch stage and especially the
use of anti-fouling biocides used by the fishing boats. Furthermore, the production stage had a
significant contribution to the overall impact potentials especially those related to resource
consumption. The comparison between the two manufacturing companies showed large differences
in the environmental impacts of the production stage. The analyses were made focusing on both
qualitative data and quantitative data using a modified EDIP method. For easier overview and
simulation purposes the quantitative data was handled using the PC tool Simapro. Based on these
problem analyses, the students suggested and calculated some changes to lower the largest
environmental impacts. The changes were listed according to the target groups responsible for
carrying out the changes: authorities, fishermen, and manufacturing companies. Based on their
experiences they also suggested minor changes to be made in the LCA software.
The project was documented in a report (in Danish) consisting of 147 page + 104 pages appendices.
For the formal examination, the students, as always, also prepared a 1-hour presentation of their
findings. Based on their presentation and the report, the two examinators asked questions and
discussed the findings with the students ending up with individual marks after 3 hours.
Because of their enthusiasm the 4 students spent far more time than expected, probably some 3.000
hours, counting weekends and spare time. This was due to at least six strong motivating factors
during the project: the thrilling feeling of finding something new (not until page 101 did they know
the nature of the problems), the social side of teamwork including a mussels feast after field
research among fishermen, being carried away by finding errors in acknowledged tools, revealing
and after thorough consideration covering illegal behaviour in the real world, being asked by public
authorities for results, and being able to advice companies in how to save large sums of money by
changing procedures. In summary, the feeling of being an expert in demand seemed to have
intoxicating effects on students.
Since that project, two of the students have chosen to integrate LCA-issues in the rest of their
projects. Their subsequent projects have focussed on Implementation of Environmental
Management Systems, Integrated Product Policy and Green Public Procurement in Danish
Municipalities and LCA-based Product Development in Danish Electronics Companies. In total
these projects credited another 100 ECTS or 6000 man-hours. Both students graduated July 2002
and now hold positions where the LCA competence is part of the reason for their jobs.
Demanded Future Engineering Competencies
To be able to judge how the 11 LCA Learning situations fit with requested competencies of future
engineers, these demanded competencies have to be addressed. The debate on competencies has
been going on in different fora, e.g. the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI) where
the Annual Conference in 2001 in Copenhagen was titled New Engineering Competencies Changing the Paradigm! Here definitions of competencies were given. Among them one by H.J.
Hansen: he defined competencies as containing four elements related to what the student 1)knows,
2)can do, but also 3)will do, and 4) actually does. Competence is thus wider than knowledge, skills
or qualifications. (Hansen 2001) This implies more than can be taught in a lecture hall. Future
engineering competence will include:
Ethical awareness
The "will do" aspect includes an ethical decision based on an ethical awareness regarding e.g.
environmental and social impacts of technology - a development of a critical sense and attitude. The
increasing focus on this issue is related to the image problems of engineers as being "narrowly
educated with a low cultural awareness and little sensitivity for the natural environment they live in
(in German "Fach-Idioten"), engineering education strategies must look towards a new cultural
norm for the technically educated" (SEFI 2002)
Transdiciplinary teamwork and networks
Due to the increasing complexity of tomorrow's tasks involving more disciplines - technical as well
as non-technical, engineers will have to organise and enter into teams with people from nonengineering background (inter- or transdisciplinarity). This is happening already but is expected to
increase. The teamworks will increasingly be based on international co-operation between a
diversity of professions with different cultural backgrounds. This demands good communication
skills.
Flexibility
To match the ever-faster developments of modern society engineers have to be flexible. This is part
of a change from "knowledge society" towards a "learning society", where engineering involves a
life-long process for the upgrading of know-how. Since the framing of environmental regulations,
the prioritisation of environmental problems, the contents of LCAs, and the tools for applications
are changing rapidly, there is no point in loading the students with vast amounts of specific facts as
most of it will be obsolete shortly after the students graduate. One of the most important
competencies is the student's own capability of identifying, retrieving, evaluating and effectively
using any information or knowledge needed to solve a specific task. (Waks, 2001)
Still, however, Traditional engineering competencies like knowledge and creativity are also part of
the competencies needed.
Discussion
When combining the descriptions of the learning situations with future demanded competencies
expected from future engineers, it is clear that the most LCA-competent students from Aalborg
University are those who decided that they would do one or more projects on it. It is also likely, that
these few students will obtain good LCA competencies.
However, they do not get all the competencies requested. They have shown that they know LCAs,
they can do LCAs, they will do LCAs and they do LCAs. But they still have to learn a wider ability
to ethical awareness, they have only worked in teams with other engineering students and most
likely from their own cultural background. Furthermore, evaluations show that when it comes to the
classical virtue of genuine theoretical knowledge, Aalborg students lack behind other technical
universities.
In relation to the teamwork competence it should be noted that this implies that not all need the
same LCA competence. Some can be more experts and other can, if needed, corporate with them.
Today most of the graduating engineering students from Aalborg University attain at least some
basic knowledge of LCA-related issues. This does not mean they are competent. After only 5 or 10
hours (as in two of the study courses) the student do have neither skills, willingness nor experience
in LCA. However, some knowledge is left (as they passed the tests) and as they will achieve some
general teamwork competencies through their project work, there are chances that they will be
further involved in their professional life, hopefully.
It is difficult to measure the importance of this specialisation versus possible integration
Motivation of the students is crucial in the Aalborg learning model. The three cases show the use of
humour, provocation, profit, and dialogue to motivate. In the general study courses part of the
motivation is by threat. Here the students get marks and risk to fail the written examination tests
(around 10 per cent do) and they will have to redo the examination until they pass. It is opposite
with the project-assisting courses as there is no direct examination of the learning from the course
itself. As shown in case 3 above, the major part of learning takes place through the projects and the
students are free to choose more or less any project within the frames of the semester theme. The
teacher's mayor impact on the LCA competence of the Aalborg University students is therefore by
"selling" the idea during the course and facilitate students in selecting or formulating related
projects. With a structure including many small courses and large projects, the application of the
courses' content takes place when the students decide to make LCA-related projects. Only then will
they analyse and synthesise and get a thorough understanding of LCA. To make sure to motivate,
the courses are adapted to each semester so it seems more relevant to the students. Therefore, the
overview showed a multitude of 11 learning situations. At Aalborg University, the introduction to
LCA (the study courses and the project assisting courses) is forced, but the thorough application of
LCA, and thus, the learning and the competence building is optional. Therefore, motivation
becomes crucial.
So far, there exist no feedback mechanisms from graduated students on specific courses or specific
projects. In the case of LCA teaching, feedback from former students will be sought to elaborate
further on the match between supplied and needed LCA competencies. 12 former students from
Aalborg University, all making LCA-related projects were identified as being part of the
professional LCA community defined as people who spend at least 30 per cent of their work on
LCA-related issues. For the purpose of evaluating the competence provided by the university's
learning situations, it is furthermore important to note that they became LCA professionals within
the first year after graduation. Follow-up research will be based on their evaluations of the
demanded and supplied LCA competencies.
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