Designing Problem-based Learning at a Department Level in Resources and the Environment: An Interdisciplinary Study

Interdisciplinary research, which aims to solve practical issues in the realm of industrial applications, has emerged as a key trend in the current transformation of knowledge production mode, creating a new type of educational strategy to match. Problem-based Learning (PBL) is a teaching paradigm that emphasizes the practical orientation and application qualities of a college education. Northeastern University's Resources and Environment department arose from the need to address complicated environmental challenges. It has inherent interdisciplinary characteristics and bears the social duty of sustainable development. The discipline seeks to link "Practical Cognition" with "Disciplinary Logic," as well as realign the "target-content-method" of education to meet current demands. The teaching-learning practice tries to correspond to the professional training goals and the student's capability output through the reform and practice of a divisional level with the PBL method, integration of multidisciplinary and industrial resources, carrying out teaching-learning activities based on interdisciplinary theory and PBL principles, improving students' transformative skills, and rebuilding sustainable social responsibilities.