The Student's Environmental Footprint: A pilot experience of research-based learning in higher education

A pilot project has been designed and implemented in a Master's degree course in engineering, using Research-based learning methodology and grounded in the Life Cycle Assessment framework. The aim was to develop sustainability skills by applying a scientific-technical methodology to the daily habits of the students in order to determine their environmental footprint and subsequently propose measures to reduce their environmental impact. Experience has shown that student engagement has been high. While analysing their individual impact, students also understand how life cycle assessment provides valuable information to assess a product or process. Finally, they see how aggregate changes in individual behaviour can have a significant collective impact.