Advancing Sustainability Education through a Cross-Disciplinary Online Course: Sustainability and Human Rights in the Business World

Abstract

The increasing threats of climate change, resource depletion, and human rights crises have led us to realize the impendent need for advancing sustainable development education and to reevaluate the effectiveness of our current strategies and approaches to sustainability and social responsibility education in higher education. Therefore, the purpose of this study was first, to discuss the importance of sustainability education; second, to propose an effective model for sustainability education through a case study of a cross-disciplinary asynchronous online team-teaching model; and third, to discuss the outcomes of the course based on students’ perceptions of various aspects communicated through course evaluations. The course model created by the authors introduces students to the language and evolving norms of the sustainability, social responsibility, and human rights movements. It further challenges students to integrate the concepts and tools to which they are introduced into projects in which they design a non-governmental organization (NGO) and analyze a business entity. This study will help educators better understand the urgency for advancing sustainability and human rights education and its effective approaches and strategies. Furthermore, it will inspire them to adopt them as viable pedagogical approaches to effectively implement into a curriculum.

1. Introduction

The turn of the twenty-first century ushered in the era of sustainable development, which is both a way of looking at the world with a focus on the interlinkage of economic, social, and environmental change and a way of describing our shared goals for a quality life, combining social inclusion, economic development, and environmental sustainability [1]. In light of these collaborative goals, discussion in the business arena regarding sustainability, the social roles and responsibilities of business, and consumers’ roles in business reform has accelerated. Simultaneously, the human rights community has begun to explore new models and strategies by which it might interact with the private sector [2].

The increasing threats of climate change, resource depletion, and human rights crises have led educators to realize the urgent need for sustainable development education and to reevaluate the effectiveness of their current approaches to integrate sustainability and social responsibility into higher education [3]. The role of university education is to help shape student attitudes and to provide them with the knowledge and critical thinking skills to make decisions as consumers, future professionals, and human rights activists [4]. Recent literature has emphasized the influence of sustainability education on consumption and production systems and its contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [5]; thus, the formal education system is an appropriate arena to promote sustainability, social responsibility, and human-rights-informed business practices because it will influence students’ worldviews and capabilities for being change agents in the future [6].

To respond to this growing need, academic programs have increasingly incorporated sustainability and social responsibility units into courses. However, the content modules are only sporadically incorporated into relevant courses, and few programs offer a full-semester course on these topics. As Setó-Pamies and Papaoikonomou argued [4], universities are multilevel learning environments, so there is a need to look beyond discipline-focused curricular content and educate students as socially responsible citizens and future leaders. Thus, the authors proposed an integrative and holistic approach to guide the integration of environmental sustainability, corporate and consumer social responsibility, and human rights into education that aims to enhance students’ knowledge, attitudes, civic responsibilities, and behaviors.

The purpose of this study was first, to discuss the importance of sustainability education; second, to propose an effective model for sustainability education through a case study of a cross-disciplinary asynchronous online team-teaching model; and third, to discuss the outcomes of the course based on students’ perceptions of various aspects communicated through course evaluations. This study will help educators better understand the urgency for advancing sustainability education and its effective approaches and strategies. Furthermore, it will inspire them to adopt them as viable pedagogical approaches to effectively implement into a curriculum.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Sustainable Development Education

Sachs claimed [1] that the call for SDGs was a historic move to forward a new global agenda engaging the world community, including not only governments but also businesses, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society, scientists, and students. The 193 countries of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly agreed on seventeen SDGs and adopted them with 169 more detailed targets on 25 September 2015. The goals embrace the three pillars of sustainable development: economic development, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion. Sachs emphasized that setting goals will help heighten peer pressure, mobilize epistemic communities, and mobilize stakeholder networks. Epistemic communities, networks of expertise, knowledge, and practice around specific shared challenges, will come together to recommend practical pathways to address issues, and stakeholders, including community leaders, government ministries, leading NGOs, politicians, the scientific community, international organizations, donor organizations, and foundations, will collaborate toward a common goal. That kind of multistakeholder connectivity is critical for the complex, multifaceted challenges of sustainable development. Sachs also saw a fourth dimension, good governance, required in addition to the traditional three—economic development, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. Good governance, encompassing both the public and private sectors, plays a central role in the essential success or failure of the SDGs [1].

Sachs also contended [1] that the role of the university is critical in helping society to identify and solve local problems of sustainable development. Every societal issue such as poverty, disease, climate change, or new information technologies requires locally tailored solutions, and the U.S. has long promoted its universities for this kind of problem solving [1]. In May of 2021, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared at the virtual World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) held in Berlin, that ESD become a core component of all education systems at all levels by 2025 [7]. Participants from government, the business sector, the academic community, civil society, youth, and international, intergovernmental, and non-governmental organizations agreed that urgent action is required to confront the unprecedented, interrelated challenges the world is facing, particularly climate change, pollution, a loss of biodiversity, extreme poverty and inequality, and other environmental, social, and economic challenges [8]. Participants noted the urgency of these challenges and the requirement for a fundamental transformation, and they recognized that “education is a powerful enabler of positive change of mindsets worldviews”, and behaviors and that it can support the integration of all dimensions of sustainable development—economy, society, and the environment (p. 1). The conference outlined policies to transform learning, encompassing teaching, learning, professional training, and civic engagement. It also highlighted the need to implement ESD with a focus on cognitive and non-cognitive skills including critical and creative thinking, problem solving, resilience building, competences for collaboration, and social and emotional learning.

SDGs and the Textile and Apparel Industry

The textile and apparel industry has posed some of the most daunting challenges to the achievement of the SDGs, particularly with respect to its carbon footprint [9,10], irresponsible overproduction resulting in overconsumption [5,11], and labor injustices for the mostly female workforce [12]. The World Resources Industry and the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), using data from Higg, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), and the Textile Exchange, estimated that the apparel sector’s share comprises approximately 2 percent (1.025 gigatons (Gt) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂ e)) of annual global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2019, with most impact in the raw material and processing steps of the supply chain [13]. They projected that unchecked emissions will increase to 1.588 Gt by 2030—well off pace to deliver the 45 percent absolute reduction needed to limit warming to 1.5 °C. They also identified six interventions that deliver over 60 percent of the necessary reductions to align with a 1.5 °C scenario: increasing more sustainable materials and practices, accelerating the development of innovative materials, maximizing material efficiency and energy efficiency, removing coal in manufacturing, and shifting to 100 percent renewable electricity [14].

As a result, Aii, the non-profit organization operationalizing climate action and sustainability solutions, in collaboration with its lead partners (Lululemon, H&M Group, H&M Foundation, and The Schmidt Family Foundation), established the new USD 250 M Fashion Climate Fund to drive collective action to tackle fashion’s supply chain emissions through the H&M Foundation [15]. Lewis Perkins, President of Aii, mentioned, “By aligning industry leaders and climate-focused philanthropists behind scalable solutions, the Fashion Climate Fund opens a pathway for greater collaboration and cross-pollination of solutions, facilitating greater investment and stronger collective action toward the industry goal of halving emissions by 2030, while also seeking climate justice for the citizens and communities where our fashion is made. We are greatly encouraged by the leadership and decisiveness shown today from these lead partners and honored to play this role as we open up this first phase of the project finance” [16] (para. 7).

In addition to the fashion industry’s carbon emission issues, the high levels of resource use and waste from overproduction encourage overconsumption, another significant social issue [11,17,18]. Developed countries’ irresponsible, overflowing waste has caused serious negative impacts on water and land, particularly in the Global South where excess textile and apparel products are frequently discarded. Sustainability education will greatly influence responsible consumption and production systems to achieve SDG 12.

Lastly, gender inequality and labor abuses in the fashion industry have been global challenges requiring social reform [12,19]. Thus, it is important that not only future fashion industry professionals but also consumers be educated as responsible global citizens with sustainability literacy.

2.2. Human Rights and Business

Industry commitments to enhance sustainability have been concurrent with a growing effort on the part of the international human rights community to engage with the private sector more effectively [20]. Historically having focused its efforts on government accountability, the human rights community has increasingly sought ways to impact business practices and even to partner with businesses to foster improved human rights compliance [21]. This means of engagement embodies a “soft law” approach focused not on binding legal mandates but rather on aspirational principles and recommended strategies [20]. A major step forward in this effort occurred with the endorsement by the UN Human Rights Council of “Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights” in 2011 [22]. Designed to implement the UN “Protect, Respect, and Remedy Framework”, the Guiding Principles comprise an effort by the international human rights community to better identify and define the shared responsibility of states and private sector stakeholders for upholding human rights. Chief among the responsibilities of businesses are the duty to create operational policies and procedures conducive to human rights protection (Principle 16, Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights) and the duty to carry out “human rights due diligence” in all of their operations (Principle 17, Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights). Since the issuance of these aspirational principles, the UN has published additional guidelines for the private sector to promote business compliance with human rights norms [2,23].

2.3. Human Rights and University Education

The role that education plays in the international human rights movement has long been recognized [24]. In recent years, scholars and advocates have analyzed the framework and objectives of Human Rights Education (HRE), noting that HRE is not merely informational but most often characterized by a transformational dynamic as well [25]. It is likewise characterized by its ultimate objective of promoting a sense of global citizenship [24]. Recognizing the importance of HRE, the UN designated 1995–2004 as “The International Decade for Human Rights Education” [26]. Building on the achievements of the Decade of Human Rights Education in 2004, the UN established an ongoing World Program for Human Rights Education to advance the implementation of HRE in a variety of global sectors [22]. Phase Two of the World Program from 2010–2014 specifically focused on HRE for higher education [27]. At the turn of the twenty-first century, Harvard Law Professor Henry Steiner identified the particularly critical role that universities play in HRE [28]. There have since been pronounced global efforts to integrate HRE into higher education [29]. Most often, HRE is embedded in medical, legal, and political science curricula [29]; however, there is now a call for human rights to better inform international business research and teaching as well [30].

2.4. The Model for Cross-Disciplinary Online Team Teaching

2.4.1. Cross-Disciplinary Team-Teaching Approach

In recent years, more business schools have integrated sustainability education into their core courses and MBA programs to adapt to the demands of students and recruiters and to embrace social values and sustainability [31]. Sustainability, the complex, real-world problem, requires multifaceted solutions, including the SDGs becoming mainstream across university disciplines [32]. Cortes-Puch argued [32] that academia must establish radical changes and transformational partnerships with stakeholders from different sectors and around the world and co-design complex solutions around shared problems. Since universities are the world’s leading multidisciplinary knowledge centers, they can help assess complex challenges and propose multidimensional solutions [32]. With sustainability education, a cross-disciplinary approach that encompasses multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary approaches is seen as the ideal method to bridge various disciplines [33] and help educators, students, and citizens integrate sustainability issues into real societal decision-making processes [34]. The advantage of a cross-disciplinary approach is that it connects the common problem and shared goal to many disciplines, allowing students to understand the problem much deeper by seeing the connections and comprehending the whole to solve the problem through transdisciplinary thinking and expertise [35].

2.4.2. Online Teaching Approach

With the advent of the information age, human learning has been increasingly digitized, and the recent spread of COVID-19 has inevitably led to an even more drastic transition toward online learning in education. Researchers found that online learning in higher education is greatly relevant to effective sustainability education [36]. According to Leal Filho et al. [36], learner-centered online learning can be especially effective for sustainable development education that requires continuing education and training as a competence for sustainability and to rapidly increase sustainability education across campuses and workplaces.

Numerous studies identified the advantages of online learning environments, such as a student-centered, self-regulated learning process [37], lower educational costs, independence of time and place, better understanding of the course material [38], and a more accurate perception of the effectiveness of their own learning [39]. Azeiteiro et al. specifically found [40] that students taking online courses were highly motivated and satisfied, and reached their learning outcomes.

The disadvantages of online learning include psychological distance between teachers and learners [41], technological challenges, and too little instruction. Additionally, it is time consuming and labor intensive for instructors: new technologies have brought additional challenges and burdens to their course development and delivery.

Islam et al. investigated [42] students’ preferences between two forms of online instructions: prerecorded video lectures (asynchronous) and live Zoom lectures (synchronous). When asked to choose their preferred method, 53.8% of students selected prerecorded video lectures, 7.7% live Zoom lectures, and 30.8% both prerecorded and Zoom lectures. Their preference of prerecorded video lectures was due to flexibility, convenience, and educational effectiveness. Recorded lectures have functions such as “play”, “forward”, and “rewind”, providing students with the convenience of listening to lectures at their own speed. These video courses even received better reviews than live courses in functional areas such as “learning atmosphere” and “acoustic intelligibility” [42]. By contrast, there were concerns such as “using pre-recorded videos for classes is not effective or makes it harder for students to contact professors about any queries” [42]. Furthermore, a student’s motivation to get through those materials on their own is a critical factor for learning through video lectures. A lack of motivation and no clear deadlines to watch those video lectures could lead to an accumulation of workload, which would be difficult to overcome before assignments or examinations [42]. In order to be committed to inclusive learning, it is crucial to make course content accessible to all students. Barriers for disabled users must be removed, so tools such as Blackboard Ally help faculty improve the accessibility of their course [43].

A flipped learning model, which combines the advantages of online teaching’s student-centered, self-regulated learning and classroom teaching’s student-–teacher interaction and class activities, has recently drawn increasing attention from educators due to its effectiveness. In the flipped classroom model, students are first introduced to a new topic outside of class via online course materials (e.g., videos, lecture notes, and other supporting materials) followed by the class meeting in which students apply their knowledge and develop deeper understanding of the topic through discussion and problem-solving activities under the guidance of the instructor [44]. Campillo-Ferrer and Martinez investigated [44] the effectiveness of the flipped classroom on learning outcomes through students’ perceptions of their learning and motivation during the pandemic and found that most students had a positive perception, reasoning that students benefited from practical in-class activities as well as increased self-autonomy in learning. Compared to high achievers, low achievers significantly reported more positively on the use of video as a learning tool, perceiving it as increasing more effective learning.

2.5. Systems Thinking Assessment for Sustainability Education

One of the most widely adopted definitions for systems thinking across disciplines is “a discipline for seeing wholes. It is a framework for seeing interrelationships rather than things, for seeing patterns of change rather than static ‘snapshots.’ It is a set of general principles… It is also a set of specific tools and techniques” [45] (p. 68). The holism mentioned in the definition allows for identifying and analyzing relationships between components, and recognizing changes over time [46].

Capra and Luisi identified [47] eight important characteristics of how systems thinking alters perspectives: (1) from parts to wholes, (2) from structures to processes, (3) from objects to relationships, (4) from single discipline to inherent multidisciplinarity, (5) from quantities to qualities, (6) from measuring to mapping, (7) from objective to epistemic knowledge, and (8) from Cartesian certainty to approximate knowledge. Cachelin et al. argued [48] that systems thinking should be recognized as a more foundational and necessary outcome of higher education, akin to critical thinking, adding that students need more complete and integrated understandings. David Orr, Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics, famously suggested that “all education is environmental education based on what is included and excluded” [48] (p. 307). As an example, he noted an economist who “fails to connect our economic life with that of ecosystems and the biosphere”. Orr indicated, “our goal as educators ought to be to help students understand their implicatedness in the world… to see systems and patterns” [48] (p. 307). As Orr’s example suggests, students should engage in this type of thinking throughout their college experiences rather than designating learning to a single required sustainability course within an academic discipline [46].

The emergence of complex global challenges demands that our students be prepared for the reality of a world threatened by unstable climate change and profound inequity [45]. In response, the University of Utah has developed a systems thinking rubric modeled after those created by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), which illustrates the interdependence of sustainability and equity. The indicators employ systems thinking as a tool to understand the importance of relations and context and the fact that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and they also make the link between sustainability and equity more comprehensible, measurable, and explicit [48].

3. The Course: Implementation of a Cross-Disciplinary, Asynchronous Online Team-Teaching Model

3.1. Course Development

3.1.1. Course Idea, Participants, and Learning Objectives

To respond to the need for sustainability, social responsibility, and human rights education, the authors developed a new semester-long cross-disciplinary online course at a large university in the U.S.: “Sustainability and Human Rights in the Business World”. The course provides an overview of social responsibility, human rights, and sustainability, and it identifies strategies and frameworks to apply to socially responsible and sustainable businesses. It also explores the role of the consumer, corporation, and government and non-governmental organizations. The course is offered every semester—spring, summer, and fall—in a variety of ways: first, at the undergraduate level without prerequisites to university seniors in all majors, as a required course for Product Development majors, and as an elective for other majors within the college. It is also offered at the graduate level to all majors, and as an elective to students in the four master’s programs within the college. The course is team taught by the authors: the first author is a professor in entrepreneurship, and the second author is a practicing human rights attorney and the director of a university-based human rights center. The authors’ idea to teach collaboratively resulted from the first author’s procurement of sustainability research grants from the center. The first author teaches weeks 1 and 2 and week 6 through 16 of the course; the second author teaches weeks 3 through 5 concerning human rights topics. Thus, students contact the first author for questions or issues regarding topics relevant to weeks 1 and 2 and 6 through 16. whereas they contact the second author for questions or issues regarding human rights topics.

Student learning objectives are as follows: first, define terminologies associated with sustainability, human rights, and social responsibility; second, explain the evolution of sustainability, human rights, and social responsibility in various industries; third, examine the factors at the individual level (e.g., ethical consumers) and the organizational level (e.g., corporate social responsibility, and human rights) that contribute to socially responsible business; fourth, analyze various environmental factors influencing sustainability, including renewable resources (air, climate, and water; forests, wildlife, and biodiversity; agriculture and food; and alternative clean energy and fuels); fifth, apply sustainability strategies and frameworks for socially responsible businesses; sixth, examine the role of the consumer, corporation, and government and non-governmental organizations for sustainable businesses; seventh, recognize current trends in human trafficking and child labor and how they impact the business operations of the private sector; eighth, evaluate evolving strategies by NGOs and corporations to promote human rights compliance in the private sector; ninth, analyze the human rights consequences of personal consumer choices and assess the means available to individuals to impact corporate behavior; tenth, develop skills for sustainable supply chain management including sustainable materials, design, production, and retailing; eleventh, identify the role of technology to enhance sustainability; twelfth, evaluate best practices and exemplary cases for socially responsible and sustainable businesses; and thirteenth, develop strategies for a sustainable future using creative and critical thinking. There are additional learning objectives for the graduate course: explain the role of social entrepreneurship and how social enterprises can address social problems around the world; differentiate various types and business models of social enterprises; and analyze the sustainability practices of social enterprises and assess the value of social inclusion globally within social entrepreneurship.

3.1.2. Course Contents, Requirements, and Grading

The course consists of two parts: Part 1—Social Responsibility and Part 2—Sustainability. Part 1 is divided into the following units: ethical consumers at the individual level and corporate social responsibility; labor issues and fair trade; and human rights issues at the organizational/cultural level. Part 2 is divided into the following units: sustainability: essentials for business; renewable resources (air, climate, and water; forests, wildlife, and biodiversity; agriculture and food; and alternative clean energy and fuels); stakeholder interests and choices (sustainability strategies and frameworks; role of the consumer; role of corporation; role of governments and non-governmental organizations); strategies for a sustainable future (transparent reporting, measurement, and metrics; carbon markets: offsets and standards; designing sustainable cities and communities; and green marketing); and social entrepreneurship. The detailed course content and outlines are listed in

Table 1. Course contents and outline.

Week	Topic	Readings	Due
1	Introduction to Social Responsibility and Sustainability in the Business World	Reading List	* Q, D
	1. Overview of Social Responsibility: Individual and Organizational/Cultural Level
	2. Overview of Sustainability
2	PART I: SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY	Reading List	Q, J
	1. Ethical Consumers: Individual Level
	2. Corporate Social Responsibility: Organizational Level
	3. Labor Issues & Fair Trade: Organizational/Cultural Level
3	Human Rights: Organizational/Cultural Level	Reading List	Q, D
	1. The Human Rights Revolution: Introduction and Overview
4	Human Rights: Organizational/Cultural Level	Reading List	Q, J
	2. Human Rights & the Apparel Industry
5	Human Rights: Organizational/Cultural Level	Reading List	Q, D
	3. Human Rights Tactics for Impacting Corporate Behavior
6	PART II: SUSTAINABILITY	Introduction and ** Ch. 1	Q, J
	Sustainability: Essentials for Business
	1. Introduction
	2. Renewable Resources: Air and Climate Issues
7	Renewable Resources	Ch. 2 and 3	Q, D
	1. Water Issues
	2. Sustainable Agriculture and Food
8	Renewable Resources	Ch. 4 and 5	Project 1
	1. Forests, Wildlife, and Biodiversity
	2. Alternate Clean Energy and Fuel
9	Stakeholder Interests and Choices	Ch. 6	Q, J
	1. Sustainability Strategies and Frameworks
10	Stakeholder Interests and Choices	Ch. 7	Q, D
	2. Role of the Consumer
11	Stakeholder Interests and Choices	Ch. 8	Q, J
	3. Role of the Corporation
12	Stakeholder Interests and Choices:	Ch. 9	Q, D
	4. Role of Governments and Non-Governmental Organizations
13	Strategies for a Sustainable Future	Ch. 10 and 11	Q, J
	1. Transparent Reporting, Measurement, and Metrics
	2. Carbon Markets: Offsets and Standards
14	Strategies for a Sustainable Future	Ch. 12 and 13	Q, D
	3. Designing Sustainable Cities and Communities
	4. Green Marketing
15	Social Entrepreneurship	Reading List	Project 2
16			*** Project 3

Note. * “Q” refers to quiz; “D” refers to discussion posts; and “J” refers to a journal entry. ** Chapter numbers in the “Reading” column refer to those in the required text. *** Project 3 submission in week 16 is only relevant to the graduate course.

below.

To complete the course, two paper projects are required for the undergraduate students and three for the graduate students in addition to weekly quizzes, discussion posts, and journals entries. Discussion posts and journal entries rotate every week. Each discussion post consists of two parts: an original thread and a personal response to a peer’s original thread. Since the course is offered to all majors (e.g., entrepreneurship, management, marketing, psychology, economics, political science, communication, urban planning, and environmental science) as a dual-numbered course using a cohort Canvas course site for both undergraduate and graduate students, the weekly discussion posts yield an extremely rich, enthusiastic exchange of ideas in discussion threads and journal entries from undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students with multidisciplinary perspectives. The criteria for grading are originality, depth, completeness, and writing quality (e.g., grammar). Journal entries are similar to discussion board posts but are meant only for a student and the instructor.

The purpose of the first project “Human Rights in the Business World” is to conceptually design a non-governmental organization (NGO) that addresses a particular human rights issue in the business field. Students first identify a human rights issue (e.g., labor trafficking) then draw on the human rights framework introduced in the course and the examples of how NGOs function in the larger human rights field. Next, they provide an overview of the relationship of the issue to global markets and identify their NGO’s strategic objectives. They then identify key tactics that the group utilizes describing how such tactics correspond to their larger strategic objectives. Finally, they explain the criteria for success.

The purpose of the second project “Sustainable Products/Practices in the Global Market” is to identify a successful socially-responsible business that focuses on sustainable practices and analyze the sustainable practices involved in various aspects of its products in the global market. Students first select a for-profit business or a non-profit organization and describe its target market, successful sustainable products, and strategic elements of materials, design, product development, production, retailing, and post-use. They also examine the role of technology and sustainability practices employed during the entire product cycle.

The purpose of the third project “Social Enterprise and Sustainability Practices” only for graduate students is first, to explore the role of social enterprise and its different types and business models; second, to examine the sustainability practices of a chosen social entrepreneur in the global world; and third, to assess the value and impact of global social inclusion within social enterprises and predict the future of social enterprise.

A two-part subject-specific library workshop was recorded by a university subject librarian for business, entrepreneurship, and economics specifically for this course via Zoom, and the video recordings were posted on the Canvas course site to help students find quality sources tailored to their projects.

Assessment of student performance is based on weekly quizzes, discussion posts, and journal entries, and the two paper projects (three for the graduate course). The following denotes the breakdown of each component for the undergraduate and graduate courses as shown in

Table 2. Grading method for undergraduate and graduate courses.

Assignments (Graduate)	Points (Undergraduate)	Points
Weekly Quizzes	66	66
	(13/semester; 6 points/quiz; 2 lowest)
Weekly Discussion/Journals	66 points	66
	(13/semester; 6 points each; drop 2 lowest)
Project 1	100	100
Project 2	168	168
Project 3		200
Total	400	600

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3.1.3. Course Materials and Canvas Site Development

The uniqueness of the course is the cross-disciplinary aspects of business, law (human rights issues), and environmental science. As described in the previous section, in Part 1: Social Responsibility, ethical consumers, corporate social responsibility, labor issues, and fair trade are discussed from a business perspective, whereas human rights issues are approached from the perspective of law, and air, climate, and water issues, forests, wildlife, and biodiversity, agriculture, food, alternative clean energy, and fuels are approached from the perspective of environmental science. By introducing these topics before starting on those in the business field, the authors provide an important foundation for student learning on sustainability and business and expand their views on the topics. To yield the most effective complex problem solving using a systems-thinking approach and critical thinking skills, sustainability issues should be explored through the cross-disciplinary approach. The course also provides practical perspectives from numerous industry practices and case studies. This has been identified as an effective approach for sustainability education by other educators. Importantly, the course is now an integral part of the university’s newly introduced interdisciplinary human rights major.

As an asynchronous online course, the course Canvas site serves as its classroom for lectures and meetings. The site lists ten tabs on the left-hand side of each screen: Home, Announcements, Syllabus, Modules, Discussion, Quizzes, Assignments, Grades, People, Zoom, My Media, Course Media, Pages, Files, Library Tools, Office 365, Ally Course Report, and Settings. Under the Modules tab, office hours of the instructors and mentor and course introduction videos at the undergraduate and graduate levels are posted above the list of links for each week’s content.

When a weekly link is accessed, a module overview page appears, consistently listing five sections: I. Learning Objectives, II. Readings, III. Lecture Notes (Slides), IV. Lecture Videos, and V. Supporting Materials (Optional). The learning objectives for each week’s module are listed, followed by the required readings; if the reading is not in the text, the ancillary materials (e.g., book chapters, articles) are placed here. Class lecture notes in the form of PowerPoint slides and videos serve as the lecture for the week and present important material from the assigned readings. Lastly, links to any supporting materials such as articles, websites, or videos particularly relevant to that week’s content are listed as optional reading/viewing.

All course videos are professionally created, captioned, and edited by the professional staff in the Office of Distance Learning. Other support from the office includes online course development guidance, accessibility training, document conversion to meet the accessibility standard of the Ali software (e.g., pdf files of scanned book chapters from outside the required text), and funding for student mentors. Each week’s video lecture is intended to be a shorter version of the PowerPoint lecture, expanding only on selective slides. In consideration of the students’ attention spans, four videos roughly ten to fifteen minutes long are posted for each module. The overall course Ally score for accessibility was 99%.

Weekly quizzes and discussion/journal prompts are posted under the Quizzes tab and Discussion tab, respectively. For the graduate course, students are strongly encouraged to attend two synchronous Zoom meetings to discuss and provide guidance on the additional readings and final project; one meeting is held in the beginning of the semester and the other after mid-term when students have made some progress on the project. Their attendance is not mandatory because the course is asynchronous and all students from the online Hospitality Entrepreneurship Master’s Program are full-time employees, so it is difficult to find a mutually available time for everyone.

3.2. Student Course Evaluations and Digital Footprints and Course Revisions

3.2.1. Students’ Perceptions of the Course and Experience

Both informal mid-term and formal end-of-semester course evaluations were regularly administered every semester from the fall of 2019 to the fall of 2022. Seven open-ended questions were asked for the mid-term evaluation, whereas three open-ended questions were asked at the end of the semester. The questions are listed in

Table 3. Questions for the mid-term and end-of-semester evaluations.

Question	Mid-Term	End-of-Semester
#1	Which aspect of the class is most helpful to you? Why?	What aspects of the course and/or instructor’s instructional methods have you found the most useful or valuable for learning? Please give examples.
#2	Which aspect of the class do you most enjoy? Why?	What aspects of the course and/or instructor’s instructional methods could be improved that would enhance your learning? Please give examples.
#3	What improvements could be made to this course?	Please list additional comments and/or suggestions.
#4	How is the instructor most helpful to you?
#5	What could the instructor improve on?
#6	How is the mentor most helpful to you?
#7	What could the mentor improve on?
#8	Other comments?

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For the analysis of the students’ evaluations, open coding and the constant comparative method [49] were employed. First, mid-term and final evaluations were separated; then, answers to each question were compiled together. One answer to one question became one unit of analysis; long answers were shortened by eliminating phrases that did not influence meaning. Next, certain words, phrases, clauses, or sentences that generated units of meaning were coded to identify themes and sub-themes. After coding all units for one question, relationships between themes and subthemes were analyzed across units. The same process was repeated for the other questions.

Students’ perceptions and experiences are organized by five categories: course contents and organization; course requirements and grading; course materials; course site and usability; and instructor’s rapport with students and teaching style.

Course Contents and Organization

Students frequently reported their interest in the course content and their enjoyment and excitement of “learning about sustainability and examples of sustainable companies/products”, which reflected Generation Z’s enthusiasm for environmental and social sustainability, i.e., protecting the earth and pursuing social justice.

One student mentioned,

I really enjoyed this class, especially the part of human rights in the business world. I could relate to what was being taught because I live in Honduras where there are a lot of textile factories and this course helped me open my eyes and see how unjust things are for the people who work there.

Students also thought the course changed their world views, empowering them. Another student commented,

This class has been very eye opening… This class has changed my outlook on the world and the things I purchase every time I go to a store. I wish that everyone could take this class. It has made me feel empowered, and I have encouraged many of my friends (any who would listen) to do more research on where the products that they buy come from.

As illustrated above, this course changed students’ worldviews, behaviors, and capabilities for being change agents, which was in line with Dobson’s findings [6]. Several students saw the need and benefit of the course for everyone: “I think everybody in the world needs to take this course because it would benefit us all”. One student expressed their appreciation of leaning from the course: “This class has been very eye opening. Usually, when I fill out these course evaluations, I do not actually ‘strongly agree’ that a class has encouraged me to think critically, or that I learned a lot in the class. For this class, I truly ‘strongly agree’ with both statements!” Additionally, students thought that the organization of the course with weekly assignments and required readings was effective for their learning. One student commented: “Class has good structure with weekly readings and assignments”. A summary of students’ perceptions and experience with the course contents and organization is listed in

Table 4. Themes from course contents and organization.

Theme	Quotes from Students
Interest	“I have been so interested in it all around”
Enjoyment	“I really enjoyed this class” “Loved this course and its content”
Enhancing learning	“learning a lot”
Critical thinking	“encouraged me to think critically”
New world view	“open my eyes” “changed my outlook on the world”
Empowered	“made me feel empowered”
Broad benefit	“benefit us all” “I think everybody in the world needs to take this course”
Advocating for awareness	“encouraged many of my friends (any who would listen) to do more research on where the products that they buy come from”
Good organization	“Good structure with weekly readings and assignments”

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Course Requirements and Grading

Students mentioned that the projects were enjoyable and found that they were relevant and enhanced their learning of the subject matter and their critical thinking skills. Their comments include: “I think both the projects are good and help in learning the subject matter as they involve a lot of time and research as well as critical thinking”, “I enjoyed the projects, they helped reinforce the course learnings and objectives”, “provides assignments and projects that are reasonable and help with content understanding”, “… the assignments and projects consistently work hand in hand to provide a seamless online experience for students”.

Several students particularly emphasized the effectiveness of assigning paper projects rather than exams, which validated the instructor’s mission to craft assessments that yield higher-order thinking. According to students, “I definitely appreciate that there were projects instead of exams… For this course, I think papers are a much better way for students to learn. We actually have to put forth effort and research topics instead of just memorizing facts for the sake of a grade”, “I like that we only have 2 projects and no finals/tests; this creates a much less stressful environment”. However, one student did not feel comfortable with writing and preferred exams for the sake of higher grades, which reflected the diversity of students’ skills and preferences.

In terms of the workload, most students felt it was optimal. One student mentioned, “provides assignments and projects that are reasonable and help with content understanding”. In contrast, one student commented, they wanted “a little bit less weekly work”. Several students also felt that “the required paper project lengths were too long”. Based on these comments, the required minimum lengths of the papers were reduced a couple of times over the semesters.

Additionally, students reported that it was helpful for the instructor to provide a detailed description of the project with step-by-step instructions. Students’ comments included: “in depth explanations for assignments” “provide an outline of things you want us to cover”.

In terms of grading, the following were important to students: fairness; positive, constructive feedback; and thorough, insightful comments. Their comments included: “graded fairly”, “With each assignment, I received positive, constructive feedback that made my work feel rewarding and complete”, “provided thorough and insightful feedback for all assignments”. Students also enjoyed a feature of the grading policy to drop the two lowest quiz and discussion/journal scores: “I enjoyed the course, and I appreciated that the two lowest quizzes were dropped. It helped me to focus on the content and not stress about having so few questions”.

Several students requested a sample paper project created by the instructor or from students in previous semesters: “A few mock essays to use as a template would have been very helpful. It could show us how it should look overall, the writing quality, style of writing, and parts that are desired by you”. The instructor believed that offering a sample paper would limit the development of students’ critical thinking skills and creativity; thus, those comments were purposely not addressed. Students’ perceptions and experience with the course requirements are summarized in

Table 5. Themes from course requirements.

Theme	Quotes from Students
Enjoyment	“I enjoyed the projects”
Reinforced content	“help with content understanding” “helped reinforce the course learnings and objectives” “enhancing learning, reinforcing course objectives, critical thinking skills”
Higher-order thinking	“For this course, I think papers are a much better way for students to learn” “We actually have to put forth effort and research topics instead of just memorizing facts for the sake of a grade”
Critical thinking	“involved a lot of time and research as well as critical thinking”
Problem solving	“solve a real-world problem”
Reduced stress	“I like that we only have 2 projects and no finals/tests, this creates a much less stressful environment”
Appropriateness	“the assignments and projects consistently work hand in hand to provide a seamless online experience for students” “the projects are good and help in learning the subject matter”
Detailed instructions	“in depth explanations for assignments” “provide an outline of things you want us to cover”
Reasonable workload	“the workload is reasonable”
Reduced workload	“a little bit less weekly work” “the required paper project lengths were too long” “The final PowerPoint is a little excessive when considering that we are already writing a 15 page paper on the subject”

and those with grading are in

Table 6. Themes from grading.

Theme	Quotes from Students
Fairness	“graded fairly”
Positive/Constructive feedback	“received positive, constructive feedback”
Thorough feedback	“provided thorough feedback”
Reduced stress	“I appreciated that the two lowest quizzes were dropped. It helped me to focus on the content and not stress about having so few questions”
Sample project requests	“A few mock essays to read and use as a template would have been very helpful”

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Course Materials

Many students commented on various course materials, yielding the most comments following course requirements. Students felt that the syllabus was effective with a clearly laid out schedule: “I enjoyed the schedule of the course. I always knew when to expect assignments, when they’d be due, and how they’d be graded. Consistency definitely helped me succeed in this course”, “… breaks down the course and expectations in a very clear and concise way”, “The clear schedule and outline of the course has helped me stay on track”.

In terms of required readings, students indicated that they were optimal: “I think the reading assignments and their corresponding assignments every week are the most helpful to me. I learn most efficiently when given text to read and take notes on, therefore I prefer this method of learning material”, “… readings and lectures were very well designed and not too time consuming”.

Students also commented on the effectiveness of incorporating multimedia technology into the course materials. One student said, “I liked the mixed media method for providing notes via slides, videos, and readings. I am a visual learner and I found the slides very helpful”.

Students further reported that the video lectures were thorough and engaging and greatly helped with the assignments: “Lectures because it’s actually engaging rather than reading from a book”, “The videos for the week because they cover everything important”, “The lecture videos because I learn much better from hearing rather than reading”. As reflected in these comments, lecture videos played an effective role to accommodate their different learning styles. One student mentioned that they appreciated that the instructor “provided interesting and engaging lectures in the virtual format. I thought the videos contained a lot of information and were very useful”.

Considering student attention spans, comments validated that providing multiple short videos roughly ten to fifteen minutes was more effective than offering one long video. One student found it “helpful when the videos were split up to watch in segments”. Another said, “The brief lecture videos have helped me a great deal in this course. I was able to pay attention throughout the duration of the videos because they were short”. Additionally, one student pointed out the benefit of subtitles: “The videos with subtitles were a very big help!”

Students also found the lecture slides effective: “The lecture slides have been the most useful”. The possible improvements were “more information on lecture slides”. However, the instructor intended that students use the slides with the lecture videos, so those who used only the lecture slides without viewing the videos might have felt the need for more detailed information.

Many students particularly liked the weekly discussion posts and journal entries. One comment was

I enjoy both the discussion posts and journal entries every week. These always efficiently review the material assigned to us during the week in a more condensed, relatable format and allow me to truly showcase my digestion of course material. It also ensures that I keep up with the class and its materials. I like the fact that the class is fairly interactive even though it’s an online class.

Weekly discussion and journal posts with a peer response component were crucial for students to keep up with the course materials, think deeply about course concepts, apply their knowledge to actual businesses, and exchange various perspectives, opinions, and information among themselves. Students’ comments included: “I like the journal/discussion/quiz based assignments. It causes me to think a lot about the topic and helps me generate my own ideas about these issues/solutions”, “I enjoy getting to see all of the different perspectives through the discussion boards and gaining knowledge from my peers”, “I like that in journals/discussions we get to do outside research on specific companies. It helps me apply what we are learning”. This feature allows the asynchronous online course to yield more benefits similar to the flipped classroom model. Students learn the content through the course materials posted on the course site, then participate in the discussion as a group. Although they do not meet in the classroom, this exchange for application and problem solving is quite interactive and significantly deepens and broadens their learning.

Students also believed that quizzes were a good tool for checking their knowledge: “The quizzes are a good summary of what we learned”. Students did feel pressured by the quizzes’ time limits and by their short length, their grade being greatly affected by missing one question: “I might recommend having 8–10 questions for the weekly quizzes, just because 6 might strongly affect a student’s grade”, “I think we should be given more time on quizzes. I often felt very rushed to complete them in the 10 min given”.

Finally, students found the weekly Supporting Materials that included relevant videos and articles for each week’s topics useful. Students’ comments included: “I found the additional or extra reading interesting and helpful for projects”, “The most helpful aspect of this class has been becoming more aware of resources available to continue to be updated on current sustainability issues around the world”. A summary of students’ perceptions and experience with the course materials is illustrated in

Table 7. Themes from course materials.

Category	Theme	Quotes from Students
Syllabus	Clear schedule/outline	“The clear schedule and outline of the course has helped me stay on track”
	Expectable assignments/grading	“I always knew when to expect assignments, when they’d be due, and how they’d be graded”
	Clear expectation	“breaks down the course and expectations in a very and concise way”
Readings	Helpfulness	“the most helpful to me”
	Efficiency	“I learn most efficiently when given text to read and take notes on”
	Well designed	“very well designed”
	Optimal load	“not too time consuming”
Lecture videos	Effective use of multimedia	“I liked the mixed media method” “I learn much better from hearing rather than reading”
	Interesting/Engaging	“it’s actually engaging rather than reading from a book” “interesting and engaging lectures in the virtual format”
	Easy to understand	“presents the information in a way that is easy to understand and interesting”
	Thoroughness	“they cover everything important”
	Usefulness	“were very useful”
	Effectiveness of short lengths	“helpful when the videos were split up to watch in segments”
	Helpful subtitles	“The videos with subtitles were a very big help!”
Lecture slides	Helpfulness/Usefulness	“very helpful” “the most useful”
	Details needed	“more information on lecture slides”
Discussions/Journals	Enjoyment	“I enjoy both the discussion posts and journal entries”
	Exchanging ideas	“enjoy getting to see all of the different perspectives through the discussion boards”
	Interactivity	“the class is fairly interactive even though it’s an online class”
	Increasing knowledge	“gaining knowledge from my peers”
	Critical thinking	“they made me critically think about topics”
	Problem solving/ Creative thinking	“helps me generate my own ideas about these issues/solutions”
	Application	“It helps me apply what we are learning” “allow me to truly showcase my digestion of course material”
	Research	“we get to do outside research on specific companies”
	Efficient review	“efficiently review the material assigned to us during the week in a more condensed, relatable format”
	Keep up with class	“ensures that I keep up with the class and its materials”
Quizzes	Good summary	“a good summary of what we learned”
	More questions	“I might recommend having 8–10 questions”
	Longer time	“I think we should be given more time”
Supporting materials	Interesting	“additional or extra reading interesting”
	Helpfulness	“helpful for projects”
	Resource availability	“becoming more aware of resources available”

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Course Site and Usability

The convenience of the asynchronous online course format allowed for student autonomy and student-centered learning, which was in line with other researchers’ findings [37]: “I enjoyed we had time to complete assignments on our own accord, not a set hour window for quizzes but having it open all week was definitely helpful”. However, a couple of students felt that an in-person class would be more beneficial considering the importance of the course.

In terms of usability of the site, many students responded that the layout of the Canvas site was helpful. The following reasons were mentioned: “It is very easy to navigate while learning a lot”, “Although this was an online class, the information felt like an in-person class and was efficiently laid out”, “great at laying out the expectations for the week and what we can take away from each lecture/module week by week”, “knows how to set up an online class with content and assignments that help the student learn as well as test the student on knowledge fairly”. Students’ perceptions and experiences with the course site are summarized in

Table 8. Themes from course site.

Theme	Quotes from Students
Enjoyment	“I really enjoyed it”
Easy to navigate	“It is very easy to navigate while learning a lot”
Efficient layout	“was efficiently laid out” “great at laying out the expectations for the week and what we can take away from each lecture/module week by week” ”knows how to setup an online class”
Interactivity	“the information felt like an in-person class”
Autonomy	“I enjoyed we had time to complete assignments on our own accord”
Face-to-face class	“This being an in-person class would help”

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Instructor’s Rapport with Students and Teaching Style

It is particularly important in an online course for an instructor to show they care and have an interest in students, giving them personal attention. Students appreciated that the instructor made them aware of their “readiness for guidance and welcomed questions”. These comments well reflected the instructor’s intentional efforts to build good rapport with students. This aspect of an asynchronous format is crucial to create close teacher–student relationships that positively affect student learning as one of the documented disadvantages of online learning is the psychological distance between teachers and learners [41]. Students commented, “I appreciate how much you care and how available you have made yourself to us!” Other comments were “quick response”, “always offers help if we need it”, and “always attentive to the students”. ”Students also found the instructors’ and mentor’s frequent announcements helpful: “posts announcements frequently to keep the class updated”, “always make sure to update us on our status in the class and interact in a manner that isn’t overbearing”, “mentor’s helpful reminders about assignments due”. Responses also validated the instructor’s belief that the passion and enthusiasm of the instructors is a positive factor for student learning: “is passionate about the subject and about her students”, “I haven’t ever had a more interactive and caring professor for an online class. She really cares about the course content and is passionate”. Students’ perception of the instructor’s communication skills and knowledge level was also important: “She is very knowledgeable on the subject matter and presents the information in a way that is easy to understand and interesting”, “great at communicating and makes sure students are aware they can come to her with any problem”. Students’ perceptions and experiences with the instructor’s rapport with students and teaching style are summarized in

Table 9. Themes from instructor’s rapport with students and teaching style.

Theme	Quotes from Students
Care/Attentiveness	“always attentive to the students” “I haven’t ever had a more interactive and caring professor for an online class. She really cares about the course content and is passionate”
Availability	“always offers help if we need it” “how available you have made yourself to us” “readiness for guidance and welcomed questions”
Interactivity	“I haven’t ever had a more interactive and caring professor for an online class”
Knowledgeability	“She is very knowledgeable on the subject matter”
Passion	“is passionate about the subject and about her students”
Good communication	“great at communicating and makes sure students are aware they can come to her with any problem”
Frequent updates	“posts announcements frequently to keep the class updated” “always make sure to update us on our status in the class and interacts in a manner that isn’t overbearing”
Quick response	“quick response”
Due reminder	“mentor’s helpful reminders about assignment due”

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3.2.2. Students’ Digital Footprints

Students’ digital footprints in the online course were traced in order to examine their interaction and engagement in the context of learning analytics. Based on various analytics generated by the Canvas learning management system over all semesters, patterns in students’ digital footprints emerged. Overall, students were highly engaged in the course and actively participated. The total number of views for the module overview page of each week was approximately four times the total student number on average, and the total number viewing the weekly assignments’ pages (Discussions/Journals and Quizzes) was three times the student number. Lecture note slides yielded about three times the student number on average, and lecture videos twice the student number, which means they used the slides more frequently than the videos. The project sites showed the most traffic, about twenty to thirty times the student number, followed by the announcement site. The lowest views yielded was by the optional Supporting Materials page with about the same views as the same student number. There was a tendency that students with higher performance in the class had a higher number of page views, and the participation numbers were similar among them.

3.2.3. Previous Course Revisions and Plans for Improvement

In order to best meet student learning outcomes, the instructor made several revisions to the course. First, the course project lengths were adjusted several times throughout past semesters, and the due date for weekly assignments was changed from Friday to Sunday at 11:59 p.m. at the request of several graduate students with full-time employment.

Major plans for future revision include the incorporation of a problem-based service-learning (PBSL) project with a social enterprise along with required student reflections. Initially, the instructor was concerned that including a PBSL project in an asynchronous online format might be challenging; however, growing research shows that online PBSL projects can be fruitful. Frequent updating of materials and business cases is also important as the course discusses time-sensitive, real-world issues. Adding weekly introduction videos and inviting guest speakers are also planned. Lastly, student learning outcomes are mainly concerned with content knowledge of the course and critical thinking. The authors would like to include more systems thinking and attitude that enable successful task performance and problem solving with respect to real-world sustainability problems, challenges, and opportunities.

3.3. A Model for a Cross-Disciplinary Asynchronous Online Course in Sustainability Education

Based on the effectiveness of the course, a Model for a Cross-Disciplinary Asynchronous Online Course in Sustainability Education is proposed (see Figure 1). The cross-disciplinary course concepts are environmental science, law, and business. The components of an environmental science—air, climate, water, forest, biodiversity, wildlife, agriculture, food, alternative clean energy, and fuel—and law curriculum—human rights—are transformed and integrated through the lens of business, relating specifically to social responsibility; the roles of corporations, consumers, government, and NGOs; and sustainability practices for sustainability education in the entrepreneurship curriculum. In terms of the online delivery, students integrate the knowledge and course contents with the support of the instructor; this frequently follows a circular system through discussion posts and journal feedback in which questions are asked and students return to their original thinking. They then apply these concepts to solve complex problems concerning sustainability. The instructor plays a role as a facilitator in the online course to maximize student learning.

4. Discussion and Conclusions

In this study, the authors explored an asynchronous online course that meets the need to develop a more holistic and integrative model for sustainability education, a course that guides the incorporation of ethics, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability into higher education, specifically in business education, employing a cross-disciplinary approach to contribute to a more profound and lasting change in students’ attitudes, knowledge, and behavior. Universities have an important role in educating a new generation of leaders who are aware of the complex challenges facing businesses and the global community [50]. Universities must guide society’s future leaders by teaching them how to think critically and creatively to solve global problems in collaboration with all stakeholders, including governments, policymakers, civil society, and industries, through innovation and cooperation. As the world’s leading multidisciplinary knowledge and skill centers, universities are well-positioned to shape leaders who can propose multidimensional solutions using transdisciplinary thinking.

In order to advance sustainability education, the continued development of effective approaches and strategies yielding the highest impact is required, and universities must expand sustainability education to more curriculums across campuses, disciplines, and nations. To scale up sustainability education at an unprecedented speed, leveraging digital technologies, for example, creating transdisciplinary platforms and utilizing cost-effective online education, will be indispensable. The cross-disciplinary online model can transform and increase university sustainability education and contribute to the achievement of the UN SDGs by 2030.

In addition to the proposed model, there are numerous factors that may accelerate the effective implementation of sustainability education: cultivating highly effective faculty through support programs (e.g., fellowships and faculty learning communities); funding faculty development through training, workshops, and events; providing incentives for course redesigns; developing strong networking groups to share resources; developing frameworks and learning outcomes, including the SDGs; and creating teaching databases [51]. Additionally, sustainability competence education should be required for all faculty and staff and considered during the hiring process [51]. To help reach the SDGs, universities might also create a sustainability general education requirement for all students, change accreditation requirements, foster cross-disciplinary teaching, incorporate experiential education experiences on campus, identify and promote sustainability courses to students, adopt a systems-thinking rubric, and engage the community. Strategically, making students aware of how sustainability will be an integral part of their future will be a useful approach in steering students toward sustainability education [51]. ESD is about life-long learning through a holistic approach. Cross-disciplinarity and online learning bring new dimensions to traditional education, which creates new ways of exploring and solving environmental and social problems. These new dimensions can increase motivation to lean about sustainability issues and create multifaceted solutions.

It is imperative that collaboration and communication about sustainability become a part of the fabric of a university. Although the ideal scenario for this integration is both top-down and bottom-up, administrators’ support and prioritization of sustainability in all aspects of the institutions including operations, teaching, and research are important in influencing a culture change. For example, a commitment to sustainability should be incorporated into the institution’s strategic plan and a President’s Council or Workforce for Sustainability created. In order to build a strong network, all stakeholders must be brought together to foster dialogue and play their part by using the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS). Instilling these habits in everyday academic life will be very significant in fostering long term pro-environmental behavior and sustainability [40].

In conclusion, the authors emphasize the urgent need for wide adoption of sustainability and human rights education across disciplinary-specific programs at universities and suggest that cross-disciplinary courses be implemented. The hope is that this paper will inspire other instructors to develop innovative cross-disciplinary, online courses and effectively implement them into their curricula. Furthermore, it will motivate them to adopt these pedagogical approaches to help reach the SDGs and provide viable solutions to complex real-world problems. This study used students’ comprehensive evaluations of the course in general; however, it is recommended that future studies evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed cross-disciplinary online course model using student surveys specifically designed to test the model.