Towards an Understanding of the Social Aspects of Sustainability in Product Design - Teaching HE students in the UK and Ireland through reflection and peer learning

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dhado

Findings from a doctoral study investigate effective teaching methods for social sustainability within product design courses in British and Irish universities. The research examines workshop approaches designed to promote deep learning through collaboration, discovery, and critical reflection on the social dimensions of sustainable product design. Three “Rethinking Design” workshops were developed and tested with 150 undergraduate and postgraduate students across five universities, supporting learning through peer learning, creativity, and design thinking.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Deep Learning

Motivational factors affecting deep learning

Towards an Understanding of the Social Aspects of Sustainability in Product Design: Teaching HE students in the UK and Ireland through reflection and peer learning Matthew Watkins, Nottingham Trent University, UK RESEARCH Abstract This paper presents findings from a doctoral study, which investigated effective methods for teaching social sustainability within product design courses in British and Irish universities. This paper explores approaches for encouraging students to explore the social aspects of sustainable product design through workshops specifically designed to foster deep learning through collaboration, discovery and critical reflection. The importance of deep learning is reflected in both the sustainable design education (O’Rafferty et al., 2008, Griffith and Bamford, 2007) and education for sustainability literature (Warburton, 2003) as important to an understanding of the holistic and complex nature of sustainability. Three 'Rethinking Design' workshops were designed and developed as part of the doctoral main study to introduce students to the wider social aspects of sustainability and these were conducted in five universities in Britain and Ireland. The workshops were developed to foster principles that encourage students to adopt deep learning methods, taking into account the specific learning preferences of the current generation of students to enhance motivational factors such as relevance, appropriate teaching materials and opportunities for collaborative learning. The workshops were tested amongst 150 undergraduate and postgraduate students and found to be successful in fostering deep learning by facilitating learning through discovery, critical reflection, peer learning and creativity leading to an exploration of design thinking solutions. Key words social sustainability, product design, design education, deep learning, net-generation learners, reflective learning Introduction This paper presents findings from a doctoral study, which explored effective methods for the teaching of the social aspects of sustainability in sustainable product design (SPD) (Author Forthcoming) . Specifically describing how deep learning approaches were fostered through the careful design of learning materials in the ‘Rethinking Design’ workshops, which were conducted at 5 universities within the UK and Ireland. The paper begins with the understanding that in order for students to fully grasp the complex, interdisciplinary and holistic nature of sustainability they need to adopt a deeper understanding of the subject (Warburton 2003) . A multidisciplinary literature review was conducted into deep learning and how deep learning can be fostered. Key recommendations related to the enhancement of motivational factors including the student’s perceived relevance of the teaching and the real world nature of the taught content. Therefore the learning preferences of the current (‘Net-Generation’) learners were considered, to enhance relevance. This paper outlines how the findings relating to deep learning and the learning preferences of students informed the design of the ‘Rethinking Design’workshops. The design and content of these workshops are described and the findings from the study are explored in relation to deep learning including evidence of critical reflection and design thinking approaches are explored and conclusions drawn. Deep Learning Warburton (2003) suggests that deep learning is particularly relevant to education for sustainability, because of the interdisciplinary nature and holistic insight, but warns that the effectiveness of deep learning can be inhibited if the backgrounds of the students have a strong disciplinary focus. “Deep learning involves paying attention to underlying meaning. It is associated with the use of analytical skills, cross-referencing, imaginative reconstruction and independent thinking (Warburton 2003)” The search to understand and extract meaning is recognised as

FAQs

What teaching methods does the doctoral study examine for social sustainability in product design?

The study explores workshop-based approaches that encourage students to investigate the social aspects of sustainable product design through collaboration, discovery, and critical reflection.

How were the “Rethinking Design” workshops implemented and tested?

Three workshops were designed for the main doctoral study and delivered in five universities in Britain and Ireland, then tested among 150 undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Why is deep learning considered important for education for sustainability in this paper?

Deep learning supports understanding of sustainability’s interdisciplinary and holistic nature, and is suggested to be more effective than surface learning for real-world application.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dhado