Conference Proceedings

Embedding sustainability in IT degree programs: Stakeholder perspectives and curriculum strategies

Sarah Webber, Madeleine Antonellos, Lucy Sparrow, Simon Coghlan, Sarah Schombs

Proceedings of the 2026 ACM SIGCAS/SIGCHI Conference on Computing and Sustainable Societies | ACM | Published : 2026

Open access

Abstract

Despite the importance of the Information Technology (IT) sector for sustainability, there is a lack of guidance for including Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in IT degree programs. This research investigates perspectives of staff, students and industry, and contextual factors, to develop strategies for embedding sustainability in IT curricula. We conducted a case study at an IT department in a major Australian university, through semi-structured interviews and workshops with academic staff (n=10), students (n=28), and industry professionals (n=5), and by analysing documentation such as university plans, handbooks and company reports. A thematic analysis was used to synthesise pe..

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