Proposal for the integration of Sustainability in the Systems Engineering Program through Requirements Engineering

Abstract

This study presents a methodology for integrating sustainability into the teaching of the Requirements Engineering course by employing active learning strategies, tools such as BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers), and the conceptual framework of the Karlskrona Manifesto. The proposal was implemented with 60 Systems Engineering students over an academic semester, aiming to strengthen their ability to develop sustainable software and reflect on the social, environmental, technical, economic, and individual impact of their design decisions. The approach comprised three phases: initial analysis, design and implementation of active strategies, and final evaluation. In the initial phase, students' perceptions were assessed, and sustainability metrics were defined, including energy consumption, accessibility, and social relevance. Throughout the semester, students engaged in collaborative projects addressing real-world problems, incorporating environmental impact simulators and the principles of the Karlskrona Manifesto. At the end of the course, progress in knowledge, skills, and perceptions was measured through surveys and interviews. The results indicated a 70% increase in students' ability to apply sustainability metrics and an 85% improvement in their perception of the relevance of these concepts. Additionally, the projects achieved a 20% reduction in energy consumption and an 85% compliance rate with accessibility standards. The methodology proved to be effective and replicable, validating the use of tools such as BERT and integrative frameworks like the Karlskrona Manifesto to train engineers committed to sustainability.