Abstract: This study examines how integrating the Four-Dimensional Ecology Education (4DEE) Framework into an undergraduate Food–Energy–Water (FEW) nexus case study assignment shaped sustainability learning and systems thinking in an online introductory environmental studies course. Using pre/post surveys (n = 7 matched responses) and content analysis of final projects (n = 21), the study explored patterns in students’ sustainability-related competencies, including ecological understanding, systems reasoning, human–environment interactions, and cross-cutting sustainability themes. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses indicated similar trends, with students reporting increased familiarity across all 4DEE domains, particularly in ecological concepts, human–environment interactions, and sustainability-oriented themes. Content analysis of final projects reflected these same dimensions, including discussion of ecological mechanisms, application of hydrological and climate-related processes, and clearer articulation of relationships between stakeholders and ecosystems. These patterns suggest that explicitly integrating sustainability-oriented ecological framing into assignment design may strengthen students’ conceptual foundations for interpreting FEW nexus challenges. While not designed to establish causality and limited by a small sample size, this course-based reassessment provides descriptive evidence that structured faculty development opportunities can support the design of sustainability-focused assignments that yield conceptually sophisticated student work.
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