Engineering graduates should be familiar with real-world problems, practical applications and relevant solutions. Hydraulic engineers are no exception, but the teaching of open channel hydraulics is a major challenge. In open channel flows, the free surface rises and falls in response to perturbations to the flow (e.g., changes in channel slope or width). Field studies complement traditional lectures and laboratory work. Student fieldwork was introduced systematically in a series of hydraulic engineering subjects within undergraduate civil and environmental engineering curricula. Anonymous student feedback demonstrated a strong student interest for the fieldwork. This was associated with greater motivation for the course, leading in turn to lower failure rates. Feedback from former students indicated that fieldwork experience was an important component of their studies and helped their professional development. Employers testified that fieldwork are an essential component of a hydraulic engineering course and that it should be a requirement in all civil/environmental engineering curricula. This pedagogical experience demonstrated the very-significant role of fieldwork in the teaching of hydraulic engineering. Lecturers and professionals should not be complacent with university hierarchy and administration clerks intent on cutting costs by eliminating field studies. Although the preparation of fieldwork with large class sizes is a major effort, the outcome is very rewarding for the students and the lecturer. Yes, fieldwork should be definitely compulsory in each and every hydraulic engineering course 

Chanson, Hubert

University of Queensland eSpace

NewsletterIAHRAIRH
27
Should fieldwork be compulsory in
Hydraulic Engineering courses?
This article derives from a presentation at the
2003 IAHR Biennial Congress in Thessaloniki,
Greece. A fuller version was published in the
ASCE Journal of Professional Issues in
Engineering Education and Practice (2004).
Engineering graduates should be familiar with
real-world problems, practical applications
and relevant solutions. Hydraulic engineers
are no exception, but the teaching of open
channel hydraulics is a major challenge. In
open channel flows, the free surface
rises and falls in response to
perturbations to the flow (e.g., changes
in channel slope or width). The location
of the free surface is unknown
beforehand. The main parameters of a
hydraulic study are the geometry of the
channel, the properties of the flowing
fluid and the flow parameters. Flow
calculations are non linear, often iterative,
and not always intuitive.
In Australia water supply is limited
because of the dry climate, and water
engineering expertise is critical to the
continent’s future developments.
Therefore most undergraduate civil and
environmental engineering curricula in
Australian universities include a
significant hydraulics component. At the
University of Queensland, hydraulics and
water resources engineering are taught
within the civil and environmental
engineering curricula which deliver,
respectively, about 80-140 and 5-20 new
graduates each year. Following a
common first year for all engineering
degrees, the students are taught hydraulic
engineering in a series of compulsory and
elective subjects which are mostly common
to civil and environmental engineering
students. Compulsory subjects include
hydrology in the second year, fluid mechanics
and open channel flows in the third year and
a component of civil design in the fourth year.
Elective subjects are typically taught in the
fourth year. Each subject corresponds to two
units within the engineering curriculum of 64
units over 4 years. With over 33,000 students,
the University of Queensland is the largest
and oldest university in the State of
Queensland. Although perhaps not strictly
characterised as an average university, its
undergraduate civil engineering curriculum is
representative of Australian civil engineering
curricula - with a broad-based course and a
strong focus on water resources.
Pedagogy of the Hydraulic Engineering
Course
In the context of undergraduate subjects,
design applications in the classroom are
restricted to simple flow situations and
boundary conditions for which the basic
equations can be solved analytically or with
simple models. Field work activities are
essential to illustrate real professional
situations, and the complex interactions
between all engineering and non-engineering
constraints. For example, a storm waterway
design requires a hydrological study of the
stream to estimate the design flow rate and to
predict the risks of emergency conditions.
The dimensions are based on hydraulic,
geotechnical and structural considerations,
and the impact of the waterway on the
environment must be taken into account as,
for example, in flooding of the upstream plain,
and tailwater conditions.
Although first introduced to motivate
students’ interest, field studies in
undergraduate hydraulic courses have been
an integral part of the teaching pedagogy for
more than ten years at the University of
Queensland. The field work assessment
component typically ranges from 5 to 30% of
the overall assessment. Importantly, it adds
some personal experience to the teaching.
How many professionals have walked on a
fully-silted reservoir, counted endangered
wildlife species (e.g. koalas, and swamp
wallabies), recorded water quality
parameters and fish habitat
characteristics ? Many will never feel such
real-life context, but this experience can
be enlightening under expert guidance as
part of an undergraduate’s studies.
Selection of field trips
A careful selection of field trip sites is
essential to maximise learning. A proper
balance between successful structures
and failures is important. The writer’s
experience suggests that successful
design sites are as important as failure
sites. Everyone can learn from a failed
structure, although it takes some research
to comprehend all aspects of the causes
of failures. But it takes a well-trained
professional to emphasise the key details
of a successful design. Why was this
design successful ? What could have
been wrong ? How ?
The writer has organised
undergraduate field works in hydraulic
engineering for more than 10 years
involving more than 1,000 undergraduate
students. The adjoining figure shows
Advanced Hydraulics students conducting an
ecological assessment of the estuarine zone
of a small subtropical creek. For 12 hours,
students surveyed hydrodynamics, water
quality parameters, fish populations, bird
behaviours and wildlife sightings at three
sites. They concluded their works with a
group report and an oral presentation in front
of student peers, lecturers, professionals and
local community groups. 
Survey results
Feedback was sought in a survey of the role
of field works in the undergraduate teaching
Fieldwork in 2004 as part of an advanced hydraulics class -
Students conducting fish and water quality sampling in a
subtropical estuarine zone at low tide in Queensland.
NewsletterIAHRAIRH
28
of hydraulic engineering. Advice was sought
from students, recent graduates, senior
professionals and employers in
Civil/Environmental engineering.
Anonymous student feedback was collected
at the end of four field studies performed in
2002 and 2003 in two compulsory subjects:
Open channel flow and Civil Design, and two
elective subjects: Advanced hydraulics and
Mixing in rivers. Although feedback was
anonymous and not compulsory, more than
70% of the classes answered.
The results demonstrate that students
considered field works as an essential
component of the hydraulic engineering
courses and an important aspect of their
civil/environmental engineering curriculum as
shown in the adjoining bar chart. 78% of the
students believed strongly or very-strongly
that “fieldwork was an important component
of the subject”. The survey results showed
that students perceived a clear difference
between a construction site visit, the
investigation of a hydraulic structure in
operation (or disused) and a hands-on field
study. Fieldwork encouraged strong group
bonding as it is well-suited to group work,
allowing students to gain better in-depth
understanding of professional teamwork and
designs. Although the students believed that
field studies did not replace traditional
lectures, a large majority felt that field
experience helped them to think more
critically about hydraulic engineering. 96% of
the students believed that fieldwork plays “a
vital role in comprehending real-world
engineering” 
Anonymous results highlighted that field
studies were not self-learning nor self-paced.
For example, nearly half of the students did
not agree strongly or very-strongly that field
studies were self-paced. Students needed
expert guidance and knowledge to
comprehend all aspects of a prototype
design. For example, 80% of students
welcomed strongly and very-strongly on-site
guidance. In a few instances, some students
conducted field works individually. The
outcome was disappointing. Their reports
indicating that they learnt little and missed
vital issues. The writer interviewed students
who conducted both supervised and
unsupervised fieldwork for the same course.
A general observation was that students
involved in unsupervised studies did not learn
to think more critically. Most students
regarded expert supervision a necessity to
gain first-hand knowledge that may be
emphasised by an enthusiastic lecturer. This
aspect was particularly important during
multi-disciplinary field studies. For example,
during the environmental and ecological
assessment of a creek (see the figure),
academics from the Department of Zoology
at UQ, professionals from the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)and local wildlife
experts were involved and interacted with
the students during the field study. The
same experts were also involved in the
assessment process.
Handwritten and verbal student
comments added some personal feedback
highlighting a strong student motivation for
hydraulic courses associated with fieldwork.
Field trips helped the students to visualise
professional situations. They motivated
them much more than conventional lectures
and audio-visual aids, even laboratory
works. Fieldwork offers students some
professional exposure and involves
prototype dimensions. For example,
students in the Open channel flow course
conduct both field studies and laboratory
works. But the laboratory culvert experiment
does not have the fascination of a prototype
structure: “This is the real stuff”, “nothing
can beat the real-world [experience]”,
“awesome, breathtaking” (Students’
comments). For example, in a real storm
waterway canal, students can walk along the
entire structure. They feel the flood waters
rushing down the canal and can imagine the
consequences of an incorrect design.
Students expressed clearly a greater
motivation for hands-on experience in the
real world under academic supervision.
This increased interest for the course
translated always in higher marks in
coursework and examination papers, and,
more importantly, a lower failure rate in these
subjects. Prior to the introduction of
fieldwork, the failure rate in hydraulics
subjects was about 15 to 30% ,on average,
over a ten year period. Since the
introduction of fieldwork, the failure rate in
the same subjects, has reduced significantly.
This trend was best noted during the two
first years after fieldwork was introduced
because the curriculum remained
unchanged and examinations were similar.
On average, over the first four years
following the introduction of fieldwork, the
failure rate in these hydraulics subjects was
10.6% (standard deviation: 7.2%). Since
then the failure rate has ranged between 5
and 22%.
The impact of fieldwork on students’
performance was mostly noticeable in the
“tail” of the class: i.e., the students with low
grade point averages. Failure rates among
the weakest students were reduced by
nearly 70%. In several instances, individuals
were noted to “switch on” during fieldwork
and students commented included: “I
gained interest for the civil engineering
course thanks to the real stuff (field studies)”,
“fieldwork is great stuff”; “why don’t all
lecturers bring us in the field?” 
Professional feedback
In addition, the writer interviewed a number
of former students: i.e., civil and
environmental engineering graduates with
less than 5 years experience. For a sample
of over 40 young graduates, 95% had a vivid
memory of the field trips in hydraulics; 90%
believed strongly or very-strongly that field
studies were an important part of the
curriculum. Most believed that fieldwork
experience helped them in their career
development.
The writer further interviewed a number
of civil engineering employers, including
government departments, private
consultants, and mining and construction
companies. From a sample of more than 25
senior engineers, managing directors and
CEOs, all stressed that field experience,
including fieldwork under academic
supervision, was a basic requirement for civil
engineering graduates. This was often
associated with strong in-kind support to
assist and facilitate field studies. For
example, during the field study shown in the
figure, the EPA contributed with more than
25 man-hours and launched a boat on the
study day, local communities contributed
more than 50 man-hours, and equipment
was lent by several academic, government
and local institutions.
During discussions with leading engineers,
some employers were shocked to learn that
fieldwork was no longer compulsory in
undergraduate civil engineering curricula.
The response suggested that senior
professionals placed more emphasis on
hands-on experience rather than “virtual”
education.
Discussion
Anonymous feedback and discussions with
students highlighted the importance of
appropriate on-site guidance and expertise,
associated with enthusiastic lecturers.
Students can become thrilled by relevant
NewsletterIAHRAIRH
29
field studies directly relevant to the course
material. For example, a culvert is often
perceived as a “dull” structure in the
classroom, but it may become a fascinating
hydraulic structure in the context of a
hydraulics field work, particularly with large
structures. From experience, the selection of
field study sites must be changed from year
to year. The weak students who failed the
subject in the previous year must be given
the opportunity to learn more and be
involved in a new field activity.
Personal experiences
A key outcome of fieldwork is the personal
experience gained by students. While this
aspect is hardly quantifiable and often
ignored by university management, there is
no doubt that field studies can enhance a
student’s individual experience and personal
development. The writer has experienced
this first-hand, and received considerable
individual feedback. For example, an
international student was very surprised to
see a koala walking right in front of her
during an ecological survey; a former army
personnel involved in fish sampling said : “I
did not believe that I would ever use survival
skills in an engineering course”; a first-class
honours female student discovered the
intricacies of practical works in harsh
subtropical conditions with no freshwater
nor toilets on site; she added “it was more a
matter to mix with the environment than to
study river mixing”. Students are not the only
ones to learn : e.g., a Japanese visiting
academic met face to face a swamp wallaby
(small kangaroo) at sunrise.
Group work contributes to new
friendships and openings: e.g., between civil
and environmental students, between
Australian and international students,
between students and professionals
involved in the study. Such personal
experiences are at least as important as the
academic experience.
While introductory field studies are
simple, advanced fieldwork may sometimes
be feared by students. The writer can
mention cases of students who were
apprehensive about the field experience
prior to the activities. For example, fish
sampling, work in snake-infested areas,
wildlife surveys are not always perceived a
“fun” activity. Yet all the students had the
courage to take on the challenges and the
writer has not experienced a single failure.
Discussions with students after the field
activities demonstrated that some learned to
control their fears and all had a great
experience. Group field works are
particularly well-suited to anxious students.
Summary and conclusions
Field studies complement traditional
lectures and laboratory work. Student
fieldwork was introduced systematically in a
series of hydraulic engineering subjects
within undergraduate civil and environmental
engineering curricula. Anonymous student
feedback demonstrated a strong student
interest for the fieldwork. This was
associated with greater motivation for the
course, leading in turn to lower failure rates.
Feedback from former students indicated
that fieldwork experience was an important
component of their studies and helped their
professional development. Employers 
testified that fieldwork are an essential
component of a hydraulic engineering
course and that it should be a requirement in
all civil/environmental engineering curricula.
This pedagogical experience
demonstrated the very-significant role of
fieldwork in the teaching of hydraulic
engineering. Lecturers and professionals
should not be complacent with university
hierarchy and administration clerks intent on
cutting costs by eliminating field studies.
Although the preparation of fieldwork with
large class sizes is a major effort, the
outcome is very rewarding for the students
and the lecturer. Yes, fieldwork should be
definitely compulsory in each and every
hydraulic engineering course !
Open channel flow (58/84 response rate)
Civil design (51/73 response rate)
Hydraulic design (18/24 response rate)
Mixing in rivers/estuaries (29/39 response rate)
Anonymous student feedback from undergraduate
field studies conducted in 2002-03 
“All things considered, do you think that fieldwork and site visits are an important
component of the (civil/environmental engineering) curriculum ?”
1 = Disagree 
2 = Unsure
3 = Agree moderately
4 = agree strongly
5 = Agree very strongly
NewsletterIAHRAIRH
30
Dr. E.M. Valentine moves to Darwin,
Australia
JHR Associate Editor, Eric Valentine has been
appointed to the post of Power and Water
Foundation Chair in Civil Engineering at the
Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
starting April 7th.
The chair is sponsored by the Power and
Water Corporation of the Northern Territory.
They particulary wish to stimlulate research in
the "top end" on Darwin Harbour
hydrodynamics and on tropical river systems.
They also wish to encourage the
development of a local capacity in civil
engineering.
Prof Valentine will not be losing contact with
his former base at Newcastle upon Tyne, as
People and places
Dr Andreas Müller retires from ETS,
Zurich
Andreas Müller, Vice President of IAHR
1998-2001, has recently retired from ETS,
Zurich. Former Secretary-General, HenkJan 
Overbeek, and former President
Helmut Kobus, represented IAHR at
Andreas’ retirement ceremony.
Article on Paul Duboys in the next issue
of JHR
He was the founder of scientific fluvial
hydraulics, who proposed in 1879 the first
formula for sediment transport in rivers. If
you would like to know more on this
distinguished hydraulician, look out for the
historical paper in the Journal of Hydraulic
Research Vol. 43 (3) (upcoming publication).
References
● CHANSON, H. (2003). “The Importance of
Field Works in the Undergraduate
Teaching of Hydraulic Engineering.” Proc.
30th IAHR Biennial Congress,
Thessaloniki, Greece, J. GANOULIS and
P. PRINOS Ed., Vol. E, pp. 193-200.
● CHANSON, H. (2004). “Environmental
Hydraulics of Open Channel Flows.”
Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford,
UK, 483 pages.
● CHANSON, H. (2004). “The Hydraulics of
Open Channel Flows : An Introduction.”
Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, UK, 2nd
edition, 630 pages.
● CHANSON, H. (2004). “Enhancing
Students’ Motivation in the
Undergraduate Teaching of Hydraulic
Engineering: the Role of Field Works” Jl of
Prof. Issues in Engrg Educ. and Practice,
ASCE, Vol. 130, No. 4, pp. 259-268.
Dr. Hubert Chanson
Dept of Civil Engineering, The University of
Queensland, Australia
h.chanson@uq.edu.au
he will remain a Visiting Professor.
eric.valentine@cdu.edu.au
Newsletter 2
Vo l u m e  2 2  /  2 0 0 5  ( S u p p l e m e n t  t o  J H R  -  Vo l  4 3  -  N o  2 )
IAHR
AIRH
17
This article derives from a presentation given
by Dr. Chanson at the 2003 IAHR Biennial
Congress in Thessaloniki, Greece. A fuller
version was published in the ASCE Journal
of Professional Issues in Engineering
Education and Practice 
See page 27
IAHR Media 
Library Web Site
www.iahrmedialibrary.net
See page 19
Should
Fieldwork be
Compulsory
in Hydraulic
Engineering
Courses?
All IAHR members are cordially invited
to attend the IAHR General Members
Assembly to be held on Friday 16th
September, 2005, Seoul, Korea
Venue: COEX Convention Centre,
Seoul, Korea
Time: 16:30
AGENDA
Opening
Announcements
Minutes of the 2003 General Members
Assembly, Thessaloniki
2004 Financial Report
2004 Annual Report of Association
Activities
IAHR 2005-6 Council Election Results
Closure
Convocation of the 2005
IAHR General Members
Assembly


Should Field Works Be Compulsory in Hydraulic Engineering Courses ?

Chanson, H.

Should fieldwork be compulsory in hydraulic engineering courses?

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Should Field Works Be Compulsory in Hydraulic Engineering Courses ?

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