Biodiesel and Biolubricants as Cross-Cutting Topics in Science Education: Design and Evaluation of a Sustainability MOOC

Biodiesel and biolubricants provide valuable real-world examples of renewable resources, circular economy, and sustainable technological innovation, making them particularly suitable contexts for sustainability-oriented STEM education. In this regard, MOOCs offer an accessible and scalable mechanism for disseminating such interdisciplinary knowledge to broad and diverse audiences. Therefore, this study evaluated the educational experience of a university Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) using these bioproducts as cross-cutting contexts for science and sustainability education. The course was delivered through the University of Extremadura Virtual Campus and combined scientific and technological content with sustainability-oriented learning activities. A total of 91 participants enrolled in the MOOC; 60 completed an initial questionnaire and 55 completed the final satisfaction questionnaire. Engagement, course completion, academic performance, and participants’ perceptions were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Fifty-seven participants successfully completed the course, corresponding to a completion rate of 62.64%. Academic achievement was consistently high, with mean scores ranging from 8.497 to 9.487 out of 10 across the six course questionnaires and a final-assessment mean of 9.198. Among final-questionnaire respondents, 89.09% were satisfied or very satisfied, 98.18% reported that the course met or exceeded their expectations, 80.00% considered the acquired knowledge useful, and 92.73% would recommend the course. These findings support the feasibility and positive reception of using biodiesel and biolubricants as interdisciplinary contexts for integrating science education with sustainability in online higher education.