Project-based learning in consecutive modules on geotechnics: foundations

Three conditions of effective learning have been reported: active learning by doing, cooperation and teamwork in learning and learning through problem solving, essential to promote creativity and innovative capacity. Project-based learning can help to promote such skills in engineering programs as it allows recreating professional reality and relating fundamental theories and skills of an engineer. High-level thinking and sound judgment is developed through accumulated authentic professional experience by engineers. For engineering students a similar process can be triggered by a teaching environment which enables simulating and stimulating such skills. To prepare better professional and enhance students' employability Civil Engineering students of University of Aveiro, Portugal, have undertaken several modules on Geotechnics where a project based learning model has been used. These group projects included open-ended realistic scenarios tackled using different tools (spread-sheets and software). This paper refers to a module on Foundations. A collaborative project-based learning model was implemented. Students' perceptions on the added value of the project were collected using a questionnaire and are discussed. Most students had attended two modules on Soil Mechanics where a similar learning model was used, but initially they had negative reactions to it. Students report a severe workload; however their estimates match the expected working hours. The model has been evolving in order to optimise the learning and address the students’ feedback

Active, experiential and reflective training in civil engineering: evaluation of a project-based learning proposal

ABSTRAC: In today's industry, employers are looking for civil engineering graduates who have acquired not only substantial technical and scientific knowledge, but who also have good life-long learning skills such as problem solving, creativity and communication skills. Therefore, it is necessary to leave behind the pedagogical approaches exclusively sustained in masterclasses in favour of active, experiential and reflective curricula. Thus, a Project-Based Learning (PjBL) strategy has been developed as part of two geotechnical courses within a civil engineering degree in Spain to promote these skills. A qualitative analysis of the implemented PjBL strategy is performed by means of questionnaires and interviews with the aim of considering the participants' perceptions. The results of the analysis are presented under the following headings: benefits and difficulties of the PjBL, teacher role, traditional teaching methods and measures of improvement. The results suggest a satisfactory implementation, and they have allowed the authors to share the lessons learned from this experience by generating some "tips" for future implementations

Streamlining Case Studies for Education

Recent results of cognitive psychology seem to confirm that post secondary education in civil engineering can be conceived as introduction to the world of models, and to the model selection and application skills. From this perspective, case study analysis turns to be one of the most efficient approaches used worldwide by educators teaching geotechnics. BSc and MSc levels of knowledge and competency are easy to distinguish and characterize plausibly in this conceptual framework. Significance of the MSc level thinking in geotechnics proves to be a consequence. Plenty of case studies, in principle, can be selected to meet the educational purposes, since conference proceedings and periodicals contain a treasury of informative, instructive and illuminating case studies. Nevertheless, there are faults and shortcomings hindering the educators from using these publications effectively. There is some room to improve this situation. Priority aspects can be defined and offered to case study authors ready for considering educational points. Case study treasuries can be evaluated a posteriori with regard to the same priority list. Pilot selection results and informal discussions with prolific case study authors show that it is worth putting some effort into this work

Project-Based Approach in a First-Year Engineering Course to Promote Project Management and Sustainability

To safeguard the environment and satisfy the energy needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same, sustainable energy development is urgently needed. This complex task is riddled with social, political, scientific, technical, and environmental challenges. Education is essential if we are to meet the energy demands of the world in the most sustainable manner available to us. Langara College offers a first-year engineering course that is meant to introduce students to engineering design and case studies, in addition to providing a brief glance on the history, ethics, and the different disciplines of engineering (APSC 1010). Using a project-based learning approach that promotes teamwork and research, this course uses a variety of instructional methods including lectures, class discussions, and guest appearances by experts in their fields. Introductions to technical concepts, such as soldering, 3D printing, and microcontrollers, are also addressed in this course. This paper demonstrates how this, or similar courses, are optimized to raise awareness of the sustainability issues this planet is facing. Learning outcomes are evaluated using an anonymous student survey which demonstrates how the students’ project-management and presentation skills have improved

Integration of a GIS learning system into civil engineering curricula: an evaluation

An evaluation of a web-based e-learning system to facilitate integration of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) into the Civil Engineering curriculum was conducted. The principal goals of the evaluation were to examine the effectiveness of the learning system and to develop a preliminary model to describe how students interact with the learning system. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 80 students who participated in a geotechnical engineering laboratory session, which covered soil borrow sites. Students rated the laboratory session as significantly more effective for learning, a nd more motivational than the class text. They also rated the lab significantly more applicable to real world learning than both their text books and class lecture. Furthermore, students rated their knowledge about the subject area significantly higher after the laboratory session than before. Qualitative analysis indicated that students were motivated to use the system in order to acquire a general understanding of GIS, to develop a better understanding of GIS functionalities, and as a method for ongoing review of GIS --Abstract, page iii

Reinforced soil with geosynthetics - hands-on learning (PBL) using sand and paper

An elective module on geosynthetics was designed and made available to Civil Engineering students (5 years’ integrated masters). This paper reports a hands-on activity using sand and paper, adopted as part of a problem-based learning (PBL) model and the feedback collected in 2011/2012 using questionnaires. The model and its main features are briefly described, particularly the problem on soil reinforcement with geosynthetics. The students’ feedback and some of their outputs are presented to highlight how simple and relatively cheap activities can contribute to learning and create a positive impact on students. The success of the PBL approach is enhanced by managing expectations, as well as giving adequate support and feedback to students

Panel: Influencing Culture and Curriculum Via Revolution

The goal of this panel session is to introduce audience members to the challenges and successes of significant cultural and curricular change as enacted by awardees in the NSF program Revolutionizing Engineering and Computer Science Departments (RED). This panel will explore how organizations go about the process of cultural investigation and how they embark on culture change, using RED awardees of 2016 as the featured panelists (the second cohort). These teams are engaged in high-risk, high-trust-required activities focused on both the organizational and operational structure of their departments, and on re-envisioning engineering and computer science curricula to create professionals able to solve 21st century problems. A panel session allows the wider community to peek into these projects to see from the inside what\u27s happening, even if only a bit. This paper captures short narratives on different themes of interest, developed by the individual teams and aggregated here as a first glimpse into the operations, challenges, and successes of these projects

Active Learning in Transportation Engineering Education

The objectives of this research were (1) to develop experimental active-based-learning curricula for undergraduate courses in transportation engineering and (2) to assess the effectiveness of an active-learning-based traffic engineering curriculum through an educational experiment. The researcher developed a new highway design course as a pilot study to test selected active-learning techniques before employing them in the traffic engineering curriculum. Active-learning techniques, including multiple-choice questions, short problems completed by individual students or small groups, and group discussions, were used as active interludes within lectures. The researcher also collected and analyzed student performance and attitude data from control and experimental classes to evaluate the relative effectiveness of the traditional lecture (control) approach and the active-learning (experimental) approach. The results indicate that the active-learning approach adopted for the experimental class did have a positive impact on student performance as measured by exam scores. The students in the experimental class also indicated slightly more positive attitudes at the end of the course than the control class, although the difference was not significant. The author recommends that active interludes similar to those in the experimental curricula be used in other courses in civil engineering