Sustainability Team Challenge
In the course "Corporate Sustainability", students acquire essential knowledge about corporate sustainability and develop practical skills for implementation in real-world scenarios (case study "Coop"), preparing them for making well-informed sustainability decisions in their future careers. The course is designed for between 100 and 200 students.
Assessment consists of two team assignments within a six-week sustainability team challenge phase (16 to 20 students per subject area / 2 to 5 per team). A third assignment takes place during the two‑week board session phase and includes individual preparation for the board session as well as participation in the session itself. Together, the three assignments account for 50% of the final grade.
After the semester, students take a final exam (50%).
Assessment consists of two team assignments within a six-week sustainability team challenge phase (16 to 20 students per subject area / 2 to 5 per team). A third assignment takes place during the two‑week board session phase and includes individual preparation for the board session as well as participation in the session itself. Together, the three assignments account for 50% of the final grade.
After the semester, students take a final exam (50%).
All Course Assessments
Overview of the Course
What is the subject context of the course?
In this course, students learn about key concepts in corporate sustainability and develop skills to implement them in the real world (case study «Coop»). The course prepares students for making well-informed sustainability decisions in their future careers.
What should students learn and be able to do at the end of the course?
After the course, students are able to
- describe the role, potential, and limits of corporate sustainability for sustainable development.
- assess and critically evaluate the sustainability framework conditions of a specific company, identifying key fields of action.
- design and present concrete, actionable solutions for addressing a sustainability challenge of a specific company.
- make informed decisions and develop strategic recommendations in collaboration with peers.
Why was the specific assessment format chosen?
Over the years, the course has become increasingly interactive. This gave rise to the idea of team challenges, as the aim is to evaluate and recognize the students efforts. The guided intermediate steps during team phase and board session phase (assingment 1-3) are intended to increase commitment.
How are students prepared for the assessment?
The course content and accompanying videos are available as preparation material for the end-of-semester examination.
For the Sustainability team challenge, 16-20 students are attributed to one subject area (such as biodiversity, scope 1+2 emissions, human rights etc.), during which they are supervised by a coach. The content of this groupwork in the different subject areas is graded through assignments and is not part of the end-of-semester examination, as not all students come into contact with all the content and the coaches prepare the group individually for the assignments.
Course Fact Sheet
Master Students
Master in Energy Science and Technology; Eligible for credits
D-ARCH: Master Integrated Building Systems; Eligible for credits
D-HEST: Food Science and Nutrition bachelor; Eligible for credits
D-MTEC: Master of Science in Management, Technology, and Economics; Eligible for credits and recommended
D-MTEC: MAS in Management, Technology, and Economics; Eligible for credits and recommended
D-USYS: Bachelor in Environmental Sciences; Eligible for credits
D-GESS: Science in Perspective; Eligible for credits
Competencies Fact Sheet
Concepts and Theories (assessed)
Analytical Competencies (assessed)
Decision-making (fostered)
Problem-solving (assessed)
Cooperation and Teamwork (fostered)
Assessment Fact Sheet
Performance assessments at the end of a learning segment (summative)
(Feasible for 100 - 200)
Presentation
Professional simulation
Submission
Team Challenge Phase: 6 Weeks; including two assignments (graded) and a 90 minutes pitching with feedback session (ungraded)
Board Sessions Phase: 2 Weeks; including one assignment and 90 minutes supervised board session (both graded)
Semester-end exam (50%)
Duration of 60 Minutes; multiple choice questions in Moodle
Participation
Students must attend four mandatory sessions of the team challenge phase incl. pitching and supervised board sessions (scheduled and communicated prior the course)
End-of-semester examination
Team challenge assignments 1 + 2
Instructions via template that students must complete as a team. Team challenge assignment 1: Challenge solutions and analyses; Team challenge assignment 2: Board proposal
Preparation for supervised board session: Assessment of ten board proposals based on an online survey.
Individual board session assignment (= attendance at board session).
Resources
Lecture hall (=HG F3), Seminar rooms and PBLabs
Moodle
- as database
- as communication tool
- for submissions
- to follow and assess the students’ progress in developing
Grading and Feedback
Individual performance
End-of-Semester exam is graded by the lecturers.
Lecturer
Postdoctoral teaching assistant
Team challenge assignments 1 + 2 were graded 40% each (for the 50% overall grade).
Successful completion of individual board session preparation assignment and the supervised board session itself is graded with 10% each (for the 50% overall grade). More specific, the students are required to “pass” (grade 6) the assignment, i.e., failure of either section leads to an overall “fail” for the assignment (grade 1).
There are grading guidelines provided for coaches.
Staff Workload (149 Candidates)
| Time | Staff | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Course | 2 - 3 d per Week | 1 Lecture Coordinator and Designer |
| Course Preparation in Moodle | 0.5 - 1 d per week | 1 Student Teaching Assistant |
| Intro and Reflection Phase | 6 x 1.5 h | 2 Lecturers |
| Team Challenge Phase: Preparation | 4 x 1 h | 1 Lecture Coordinator and Course Designer, 1 Post-Doctoral Teaching Assistant and 12 Coaches |
| Team Challenge Phase: Coaching | 6 x 1.5 h | 12 Coaches |
| max. 1 h per week | 1 Post-Doctoral Teaching Assistant | |
| Team Challenge Phase: Grading | 2.5 h | 12 Coaches |
| Supervised Board Session | 6 x 1.5h | 1 Lecturer and 12 Coaches |
| End-of-Semester Examination: Preparation | 5 d | 1 Lecturer |
| 4 d | 1 Post-Doctoral Teaching Assistant | |
| End-of-Semester Examination: Exam | 3 h | 1 Lecturer and 4 Doctoral Teaching Assistants |
Overall Course
Course Preparation in Moodle
Intro and Reflection Phase
Team Challenge Phase: Preparation
Team Challenge Phase: Coaching
Team Challenge Phase: Grading
Supervised Board Session
End-of-Semester Examination: Preparation
End-of-Semester Examination: Exam
Extra Information
- Coach
Coaches are post-doctoral and doctoral teaching assistants.
Shared Experience
How many times has the assessment been conducted in this format?
Every Autumn Semester since 2021. Preliminary forms already existed before that.
What contributed to the success?
On the one hand, diversity, i.e. gathering experience and knowledge at different levels; the different roles that are involved and that students are expected to take on; and the varied formats, which alternate between frontal, self-paced and interactive teaching as well as individual and group work.
On the other hand, the tangibility of the topic with the «Coop-Case-Study for the Group Challenge».
What were the challenges and how were they overcome?
On the one hand, the complexity of the course with different phases and formats, which have a high workload and thus high resource requirements.
On the other hand, the group is graded as a group. This enables freeriding. At the moment, attempts are being made to counteract this with social control; i.e., the individual group members state at the beginning what their contribution to the group challenge is. In both group assignments, this is asked again afterwards.
Are there any further developments planned?
In the age of AI, tasks are to be increasingly integrated into on-site sessions again, with more focus on discussion and interaction.
Measures are already being implemented for HS25 to reduce the workload outside class , support the creative process more actively and to reduce coordination efforts among the team.
What tips would you give lecturers who are planning a similar assessment?
Good planning and forward thinking are an essential condition. During the team and individual phases, when students are being supervised by coaches, there is not much room for adjustment. This also requires a good introduction for the coaches.
Moodle as an LMS, including information, assignments and communication with students, is an important basis for the success of the entire course.
We ensure a rounded learning experience by emphasizing diversity - that means different roles and varied teaching formats within the sustainability team challenges and the individual board sessions.
Examiners
-
-
Dr. Catharina Bening
-
Dr. Lucas Miehé
-
Dr. Bastien Girod
-
Dr. Barbara Dankwa-Egli
