A new resource from the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is helping instructors bring global challenges into the classroom by embedding the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into course design. These 17 goals offer a shared framework for addressing urgent issues, from poverty to climate change, while fostering a more inclusive and sustainable future. At Queen鈥檚, they also provide a meaningful way to advance the university鈥檚 Bicentennial Vision, which calls on the Queen鈥檚 community to address global challenges, drive positive change, and prepare students to lead in an increasingly interconnected world. By integrating the SDGs into teaching and learning, instructors can help students connect their studies to real-world issues and contribute to building a more sustainable future.
Now available on the CTL website, Transforming Your Curriculum Through the SDGs was developed by Educational Developer Yunyi Chen. The toolkit offers a hands-on approach to designing globally engaged learning experiences aligned with the Queen鈥檚 SDG Framework. In this Q&A, Chen shares how it was created and how it works.
How have your own experiences shaped the development of this resource?
I came to Canada as an international student and it shaped how I understand teaching and learning. It helped me value diversity not only in cultural and linguistic backgrounds, but also in the lived experiences and perspectives students bring to the classroom.
It鈥檚 important to recognize that the world is already present in classrooms. With students from diverse backgrounds learning together, global engagement isn鈥檛 just something that happens abroad, it鈥檚 embedded in everyday teaching contexts.
The toolkit encourages instructors to leverage diversity in their classrooms and move beyond purely cognitive learning outcomes. It takes a more holistic approach and considers student experiences, perspectives, and prior knowledge as central to learning.
How does your research connect to this work, and what gaps does the resource aim to address?
The resource translates research into practice. There鈥檚 a gap in higher education between theory and implementation. While there are strong conceptual discussions about global learning and internationalization, there鈥檚 less practical guidance on how to design and implement this work in concrete ways.
Having worked in educational development for nearly a decade, my goal has been to help bridge that gap. This resource provides a structured, accessible entry point for instructors who want to engage in SDGs-informed curriculum design. It also supports a shift toward equity, inclusion, and cultural humility by encouraging instructors to value and integrate the diverse perspectives of students.
At the same time, I see this resource as a starting point. I hope to continue collaborating with instructors across disciplines to develop examples of SDGs-informed courses that can inspire others and support ongoing innovation in teaching and learning.
What is a SDGs-informed curriculum, in theory and in practice? What impact do you hope this resource will have on student learning?
In theory, I see a SDGs-informed curriculum as one approach within a broader framework of globally engaged curriculum. It supports our institutional commitment to global impact by preparing students with the skills and habits of mind needed to engage thoughtfully within a complex world.
In practice, it uses the SDGs as a grounding context and purpose for learning. Students apply course knowledge to real-world challenges, such as climate change, poverty, pollution, or health inequities, drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives. This helps situate learning within authentic, problem-based inquiry and makes clear connections between academic work and issues beyond the classroom.
The approach can take many forms depending on the discipline. Students might work with community partners to assess barriers to affordable housing, develop strategies to reduce waste on campus, analyze local food insecurity data, or design solutions to environmental challenges. By connecting course content to real-world issues, the SDGs help students see how their learning can contribute to positive change in their communities and beyond.
In terms of impact, students develop a stronger sense of social responsibility and a clearer sense of purpose in their learning. They build confidence in applying their knowledge to the world and see themselves as active contributors to local and global communities. Ultimately, this approach makes learning more meaningful and relevant.
How can instructors ensure SDGs are integrated meaningfully and not an 鈥渁dd-on鈥?
That concern was central to the design of the resource. It鈥檚 structured as a step-by-step course (re)design process that embeds the SDGs into the foundation of a course, rather than adding them as additional topics. The first step invites instructors to explore the 17 SDGs and identify which align best with their course. The second step focuses on developing course-level learning outcomes informed by those goals. The final step aligns teaching activities, assessments, and content with those outcomes.
Because the learning outcomes guide all subsequent design decisions, the SDGs become integrated throughout the entire course. This creates a more coherent and purposeful learning experience for students.
The key is to approach SDGs-informed curriculum as a design mindset, not a content addition. Starting with clearly articulated learning outcomes helps ensure that engagement with the SDGs is intentional and meaningful.
To explore the toolkit, Transforming Your Curriculum Through the SDGs, visit the CTL website.
