Fostering interactivity within an instructional system is an effective way to address attainment gaps. However, its use can often be limited to a small number of modules within a course, with many instructors opting for the more familiar research talk style of lecturing. As it is the students of today who will help to address the global challenges of tomorrow, we argue that integration of active leaning techniques is one of the best ways to ensure all can achieve to the best of their ability. This will open up the key enabling disciplines for sustainable development to all who are able to contribute, rather than those few students who happen to learn well in spite of passive learning environments.
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/jacsau.5c00369
Our recent perspective on this, published in the flagship open access journal of the American Chemical Society (ACS) uses the are of Industrial Biotechnology as an exemplar. This field requires different disciplinary backgrounds to work together, namely Chemists, (Molecular) Bioscientists and Chemical Engineers. Through collaboration, these specialists can create tailored enzymes and modified microorganisms to allow greener and cleaner manufacture of chemicals, such as pharmaceuticals and formulation additives. In many areas, a skills gap exists that hinders the enhancement of sustainability in the chemical industry. As climate change, environmental pollution and population growth are ever emerging issues in public discourse, ensuring that all with the potential to innovate in this area are catered for is paramount.
It is hoped that this article will provoke discussion around instructional systems design in Industrial Biotechnology, contributing disciplines and other subject areas primed to address grand challenges and thorny issues in the future.
The Active Learning Network 