Sustainability, as a key concept in the education field, has submitted a relevant change during the last years. Thus, there is a growing debate about its meaning. It has undergone a crucial merging of significances from many fields: Ecology, environmental awareness, but also from politics, ethics or even spiritual approaches. All these fields have been co-involved in the building of such subject concept. In this sense, this article addresses the different ways of understanding sustainability as a polyhedral concept and how sustainability can be understood under the umbrella of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, it is proposed a conceptual framework to teach this UN Program at Higher Education, contributing to the training of undergraduate and postgraduate students from both a professional and a personal point of view. This framework is applied in a case study—in particular, in a course of Primary Teacher Degree called Didactics of Matter and Energy. This article finishes with practical consideration to build a change-maker University.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) constitute a working agenda for the international community with the aim of ensuring a better world for future generations. In this context, the development of competences related to SDGs is a challenge for Higher Education Institutions. Although there are several studies that address the relationship between SDGs and university teaching, the students’ knowledge about this subject has not been set out yet. In order to evaluate students’ knowledge, a questionnaire was designed, validated, and administered to students from different degrees. Statistical analysis showed a high reliability for the constructs (Smallest Cronbach’s Alfa = 0.859). The results showed interesting insights, either with descriptive analysis or inferential ones. For example, a low knowledge, in a general way, of SDGs was identified in the whole sample; significant differences between the scores obtained in professional and personal implications of SDGs were also detected and several differences arose between Health and Education students, the latter being more professionally involved with SDGs than the rest of the students.

There is a growing tendency to incorporate gamification activities with the aim of improving student's motivation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses. One of the strategies to apply gamification in the classroom is the use of the escape room. In this work different experiences of escape room in the context of formal university education are analysed. The analysis of students' opinions shows that such activities are well received regardless of background (engineering or education) or gender. The emotions that arise from the experience are mostly positive and the students state that they have developed both specific and transversal competencies. Finally, practical considerations are proposed based on the lessons learned from the developed experiences.

Innovative teaching strategies are designing a new and promising landscape in education. They fill lessons with creativity and imagination for either the students or teachers. This article addresses an attempt to make the approach to science easier in a nonscientific environment: primary education at university level. Gamification methodologies were combined with a flipped classroom in order to free up in-class time and engage the students with the taught courses. A qualitative study was merged with quantitative measures of emotional and motivational parameters. These results were improved with four semistructured interviews. The results clearly showed a rise in the students’ motivational levels, an acknowledgment of good teaching practices, and an evident enhancement of felt positive emotions toward science teaching and scientific issues.

The unprecedented urban growth of recent years requires improved urban planning and management to make urban spaces more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Additionally, humanity faces the COVID pandemic, which especially complicates the management of Smart Cities. A possible solution to address these two problems (environmental and health) in Smart Cities may be the use of Machine Learning techniques. One of the objectives of our work is to thoroughly analyze the link between the concepts of Smart Cities, Machine Learning techniques and their applicability. In this work, an exhaustive study of the relationship between Smart Cities and the applicability of Machine Learning (ML) techniques is carried out with the aim of optimizing sustainability. For this, the ML models, analyzed from the point of view of the models, techniques and applications, are studied. The areas and dimensions of sustainability addressed are analyzed, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are discussed. The main objective is to propose a model (EARLY) that allows us to tackle these problems in the future. An inclusive perspective on applicability, sustainability scopes and dimensions, SDGs, tools, data types and Machine Learning techniques is provided. Finally, a case study applied to an Andalusian city is presented.