Project-based learning as a mode of environmental education towards sustainable development

Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Universiti Technologi Malaysia and Akita International University have been offering a project-based learning (PBL) course, focusing on the green economy in Sabah, Malaysia. The course objectives include intercultural academic exchange, and multi-disciplinary understanding and problem-solving of the real-world green economy issues on the actual sites around Kinabalu Park and Crocker Range Park. Students work in groups with members from three universities. Students evaluate the course’s academic, intercultural and interpersonal experiences highly. We discuss challenges in offering this course in terms of the balance between duration and costs, amount of guidance and students’ discretion, academic and personal experiences, and issues related to risks. We end with a discussion on the value of the PBL for biodiversity conservation in Sabah and potential future improvements.