Empowering Science Education Through Real-World Learning: Co-creation of Knowledge in Small-Scale, Community-Driven Projects

Existing knowledge systems are diverse. They include indigenous worldviews and the Western knowledge system. Indigenous worldviews highlight participation, community engagement, and sustainability. Western approaches to education can be driven by large industries, be top-down (e.g., lecture-based), and rely on solving hypothetical problems. Scholars suggest that decolonizing education involves examining power structures, what is taught, and how it is taught. Research shows that active learning is more effective than passive learning. In this study, the researchers set up a small-scale, collaborative, community-led engineering project in which students co-created knowledge with community members. The researchers investigated students’ perceptions of their learning experiences. 

The researchers revised an engineering design project. They replaced a commercially driven design project with a relevant, small-scale collaborative one with a local community group. The project was community driven. The community group made all final decisions about the project. One hundred and twenty undergraduate students took the one-semester course. Students co-created knowledge with and for the community members. Ten students volunteered to be interviewed about their learning experiences. The researchers constructed themes out of the volunteers’ feedback. 

Most students reported learning benefits. Students were stimulated and motivated by the local context (e.g., “… that sparks my imagination.”). They found it relatable and enjoyable. Students got clearer about the role of engineers within society, power structures, and decision-making (e.g., “We weren’t dealing with just some plant somewhere or this big corporate thing. […] You can’t just go in and design whatever you want and leave it, you need to think about the people you’re impacting.”) Students learned that engineers use their skills in service to others. Students found that textbooks and the internet were sometimes insufficient to inform decisions about the applied, small-scale project. Student learning was enhanced by co-creating knowledge.