Sustainability-focused international PBL project: Rethinking digital education for individuals of low socioeconomic status

Daniel Britze, Mateus H. Torres, Jacob V. Jensen, Luiza C.Q. Melo, Thiago B.O. Lima, Jens M. Pedersen, João M. Da Silva, Simone B.S. Monteiro, Paulo C.R. Gomes

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1 Citationer (Scopus)
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Abstract

Providing access to education for individuals of lower socio-economic status is a significant way to reduce poverty, as it empowers them to grow as professionals and as individuals. Although there is an increasing sense of urgency to promote these changes, notably motivated by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the UN 2030 Agenda, there are still few successful ways to solve this problem on a large-scale. As digital technology develops and affordability increases, new ways to share quality educational content are created. In an exploratory case study, with a qualitative approach, this paper presents the development of a digital application focused on providing quality educational content directed to vulnerable groups that lack access to formal learning experiences, specifically focused on waste pickers in Brasilia, Brazil. The main data collection methods used to make the decisions through the development process were observation, surveys, and interviews. Within the framework of Problem Based Learning (PBL) an international cross-disciplinary collaboration among different universities, the project, denominated “Mobile Education”, involved: (i) the design and implementation of a system consisting of both a web and mobile application; (ii) the research of a viable business model to provide long-term sustainability for the project; (iii) and the creation of a pilot course of financial education for the preliminary target group, i.e., waste pickers from Brasilia, Brazil. Conclusively, the project aims to positively impact social transformation for individuals who work at the Waste Sorting facilities and lack financial knowledge. The Mobile Education project resulted in a functional version of the app (Web and Mobile) as well as the delimitation of a viable business model to keep it providing digital equality in Brazilian education.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
BogserieInternational Symposium on Project Approaches in Engineering Education
Vol/bind11
Sider (fra-til)103-112
Antal sider10
ISSN2183-1378
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2021
Begivenhed13th International Symposium on Project Approaches in Engineering Education and 18th Active Learning in Engineering Education Workshop, PAEE/ALE 2021 - Braga, Portugal
Varighed: 7 jul. 20219 jul. 2021

Konference

Konference13th International Symposium on Project Approaches in Engineering Education and 18th Active Learning in Engineering Education Workshop, PAEE/ALE 2021
Land/OmrådePortugal
ByBraga
Periode07/07/202109/07/2021

Bibliografisk note

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© 2021 University of Minho. All rights reserved.

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