A team-based activity integrated with comics for introducing the Sustainable Development Goals in classrooms

In the modern world, sustainability is crucial to human existence, and it is essential to introduce students to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. This is regarded as a framework that underpins societal challenges and the benefits of addressing them. Moreover, in the domain of chemical engineering education, introducing SDGs into the curriculum could help students understand how chemical engineers will play a vital role in addressing some of the key global challenges. This study proposes a novel team-based activity that aids the understanding of international relations, and cooperation needed to achieve the SDGs as well as the challenges faced among nations. The team-based activity also introduces the concept of water-waste-energy nexus to help science and engineering students understand the current societal challenges and propose solutions from the lens of an engineer or scientist. The team-based activity including the comics were tested in classrooms with students from universities in Africa and England. The students were grouped into eight countries with distinct resources and challenges. The results revealed an enhanced understanding of the SDGs by the students and the interconnectedness and importance of addressing multiple goals at once by each simulation country. While participants from Africa were more focused on urgent, local sustainable development issues such as zero hunger (SDG2), quality education (SGD4) and clean water (SDG6), participants from the UK were probably more focused on global, policy-oriented issues such as clean energy (SDG7), sustainable cities (SDG11) and climate change (SDG13). The activity significantly enhanced students' understanding of the SDGs, global challenges and the water-energy nexus. However, future studies should focus on comprehensive feedback collection from participants. This will help improve the coherence and effectiveness of the activity, leading to better student comprehension of sustainable development concepts and an increased ability to apply these ideas practically.