Developing and Teaching a Course in “Applied Sustainability and Public Health in Civil Engineering Design” at Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada

This paper presents the writer’s pedagogical development and delivery of a new undergraduate course in applied sustainability and public health in civil engineering design in the Department of Civil Engineering at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada. This innovative course introduces undergraduate civil engineering students to methods in sustainability indicators, life-cycle analysis, environmental input-output analysis, and risk analysis to evaluate the environmental impacts and public health impacts of civil engineering design. The paper discusses the learning objectives and course themes of preventive design, multicriteria decision making, and systems-level analysis. The course syllabus and the design project in which students were asked to design a water transmission pipeline and evaluate its environmental impacts are discussed in detail. An overview of the pedagogical methods and student evaluation tools employed in the course is given. An evaluation of learning outcomes and student impressions of the course suggest that topics on design for environment, sustainable development in an international context, and the interface between sustainability, engineering, and policy development should be included in future editions of the course.     

Educating Students via Distance Learning for Civil Engineering Design

Two structural engineering courses were taught using distance-learning technology. One course was a graduate level, steel design course and the other was an undergraduate, elective, timber design course. Two-way live video and audio connections linked classrooms at San Jose State University and San Francisco State University. The interaction between student and teacher is discussed. These courses were the first time the California State University system offered students academic credit at either of two universities for a course taught via distance education from a single location. The challenges of teaching engineering design concepts via distance learning are discussed. Assessment of the teaching method was performed using student surveys and review of student grades. The assessment survey revealed that the students’ overall impression was positive. Grades received by the students at the Remote Site were lower than those at the Home Site, but this discrepancy may not have been a result of the distance-learning environment.     

Project Enhanced Learning: Addressing ABET Outcomes and Linking the Curriculum

This paper discusses the development of project enhanced courses that combine the best of problem-based learning and traditional “topic” focused instruction. This approach addresses the need to ensure that students receive the technical content required while developing critical problem solving skills. This balance between skill development and technical content assurance is a key feature of this approach and a main difference to problem-based learning. It is also different from traditional approaches where a project is simply added to the tasks the students are expected to accomplish, and the impacts on student learning are significantly different. The paper presents a case study of the implementation of the projects into a junior level introductory structural analysis course, including details into the goals of the projects, and the changes made to make room for the projects. Assessment and evaluation of the impact of these projects include an evaluation on how the courses and projects address specific department and accreditation board for engineering and technology learning outcomes. Student perceptions are evaluated immediately at the conclusion of the course and substantially after the conclusion of the course (while in a senior design course), enabling the assessment of knowledge and skill transfer. Performance in this senior design course is also used to assess the impact of these projects by comparing students with: (1) a project enhanced experience; (2) a project added experience; and (3) no project experience in their structural analysis course. Those students with a project enhanced experience perform much better than students in either of the other groups in the follow-on course, and the contrast with a project added experience is particularly striking. The process of balancing the outcomes for this course with the needs of follow-on courses, and the tradeoffs that are needed to accomplish both could be applied to any junior level engineering course.     

Student Learning in a Multidisciplinary Sustainable Engineering Course

An existing multidisciplinary course on sustainable engineering in developing societies was expanded to include sustainability issues and challenges faced in the developed world. The new course consisted of independent modules on general background, sustainability concepts and tools, sustainable water and waste systems, sustainable energy systems, sustainable agricultural and food systems, and sustainable building systems. The course included a semester-long project experience conducted in interdisciplinary teams. Projects were sourced from local businesses and institutions or from organizations involved in international development. Course evaluation included an end-of-semester self-assessment by students and an analysis of project reports. Thirteen out of 18 students surveyed (72%) agreed that their ability to consider techno-economic, environmental, and social aspects of sustainability was improved as a result of the course. An improved student understanding of aspects of sustainability and its measures was also evident in student project reports.     

Lessons Learned from a Design Competition for Structural Engineering Students: The Case of a Pedestrian Walkway at the Université de Sherbrooke

Competence in design is an engineering skill that can only be achieved with appropriate training and through accumulation of relevant experience. While in some fields of engineering there are numerous industry-oriented problems that can be investigated reasonably thoroughly, and for which the pinnacle of formation is attained when a team of university students builds a working prototype, there are unfortunately few genuinely realistic conceive-design-build-test (operate) opportunities in which structural engineering students can participate actively during their formative years. This stems from the very nature of structural engineering itself which, as in the case of most civil engineering designs, usually calls for a unique solution to a problem of relatively large scale. One way to provide a realistic and significant structural engineering design opportunity is through student design competitions. However, the conditions of success for such a competition depend on the appropriate coincidence of interest between program goals, commitment from the owner of the structure to be designed and eventually built, and support, both financial and technical, from professional or research organizations. This case study reports on a recent structural engineering student design competition for a pedestrian walkway in Sherbrooke, Canada. It highlights the key technical features of the competition, the organizational obstacles, and the professional benefits for the participants.     

Capstone Course in an Integrated Engineering Curriculum

The Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the United States Air Force Academy has developed a capstone senior level integration experience that blends technical aspects of an engineering design with construction and realistic issues of modern society. Technical designs accomplished by the students, prior to taking the capstone course, form the technical basis of the capstone design experience. The students review the technical design and prepare the project for construction through incorporating engineering standards and considering realistic issues. Issues considered include economy, constructability, and environmental aspects, as well as ethical, health and safety constraints. The students prepare a final design report and make an oral presentation to an interdisciplinary panel of engineering faculty. This capstone course is the culmination of a total integration experience, which includes a hands-on field engineering course, and two years of a rigorous engineering design curriculum.     

Helicobacter pylori: from bench to bedside

Within occupational therapy education, there has been increased attention to curricula and courses that emphasize problem solving, clinical reasoning, and synthesis of information across traditional discipline-specific boundaries. This article describes the development, implementation, and outcomes of a problem-based learning course entitled Selected Cases in Occupational Therapy. The course was designed to help students to integrate the various elements of a specific occupational therapy curriculum and to enhance their abilities to respond to an ever-changing health care environment. An evaluation of the course by the first 11 students who completed it revealed both strengths and weaknesses. Students responded that the course enhanced their professional behavior, including interpersonal communication skills, team work, and follow-through with professional responsibilities; helped them to integrate the various elements of the total occupational therapy academic program; enhanced their clinical reasoning skills by providing a structure for thinking through clinical issues; and provided personal gain or benefit (i.e., students perceived the course to be a valuable, realistic, and motivating experience). The students also identified several specific course elements that contributed to its integrating function, including content, class session format, and students' role. Identified course weaknesses included the methods of evaluating student performance and the format and content of specific cases.     

Structural Analysis Education through Model Experiments and Computer Simulation

This paper presents two educational experiences as examples of innovation in teaching structural analysis courses. At the University Jaume I de Castellon, Spain, an innovative way was developed to encourage students in the learning of structural analysis and design. The primary objective of the project is to enhance learning through the students’ experimental participation with real structures and computer simulation with commercial software programs. The first educational project combines the use of a plastic toy, called K’NEX, and the utilization of a well-known computer program for structural analysis, SAP2000. The second presents the use of small balsa-wood bars cut and mounted by the students. This paper presents an analysis of both experiences and evaluates the advantages from the engineering education point of view.     

Congruency of student evaluative information collected by three methods.

Investigated the structural corroboration of instructional evaluation information collected from 1 source (students) by 3 different methods: student responses to objective questionnaire items, written student comments to open-ended questions, and group interview results. Pearson product-moment correlations calculated between instructor and course ratings across 14 class sections based on each of the 3 data collection methods revealed a high degree of structural corroboration of overall teaching performance and course quality. Results indicate that the 3 types of evaluative information examined presented a similar general impression of instructor quality. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bridging the Gap between Academics and Practice: A Capstone Design Experience

As part of graduation requirements, the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison requires a minimum of one three credits course in a capstone design experience. The main objective of this course is to allow students the opportunity of undertaking and completing an open-ended design project. Supervision of the projects is performed by practicing engineers and department faculty. The course is a practice oriented design class that integrates several civil engineering areas. Special emphasis is placed on integrating constructability concepts with structural engineering, mechanical systems, electrical systems, and other project details. Student groups not only complete project designs, but also perform feasibility studies, value engineering, and prepare a construction schedule and cost estimate based on the designs they have generated. The objective of this paper is to describe the senior level capstone design experience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.     

Incorporating Inquiry-Based Laboratory Experiment in Undergraduate Environmental Engineering Laboratory

From fall 1999 to spring 2003, an introductory environmental engineering course was revised to include an inquiry-based “open” experiment for enhanced student learning. The students designed and conducted experiments to address a problem of their choice. The students’ experimental topics covered air, water, and soil quality and remediation. At the completion of the experiment each student completed a questionnaire that assessed the efficacy of the open experiments in enhancing student learning; 109 student responses were subjected to statistical analysis. Examination of the survey revealed the students’ belief that the open experiment aided in their understanding of basic and applied environmental concepts. Females in particular indicated that the open experiment enhanced their learning of basic concepts. Neither group size nor selection criteria impacted how well students worked within their groups. By utilizing open-ended questions in the survey, a significant portion of student responses indicated that they enjoyed the experience.     

Teaching Hydraulic Design Using Equation Solvers

Civil engineering graduates need to be competent in hydraulic theory, as well as in the application of that theory to the solution of practical problems. Teachers of hydraulic design are faced with the dilemma that most realistic hydraulics problems are too complex to solve by hand, while most commercially available software packages obscure the theoretical background for program algorithms. Equation solvers provide a valuable tool for bridging these gaps. Students can develop an appropriate linear or nonlinear mathematical model to depict a realistic system, then use an equation solver package to solve that model for any combination of input data desired. Computer-based studio classrooms further enhance the learning experience by allowing students to solve problems under the instructor's supervision during class periods. This paper will describe how effective equation solvers and the studio classroom can be in teaching hydraulic design for water distribution systems and open-channel flow. The theory is developed in class through the use of printed notes. Students then develop the nonlinear mathematical model for a simple example, solve the model using an equation solver, and check the correctness of the solution. Students are able to investigate the dynamic response and the sensitivity of the model by varying the equation solver input variable values. Next they apply the theory and solution methods to a practical applications exercise. The final step is to complete a comprehensive, realistic design problem. Students are required to present their results to the class at all stages of the process. Course-end evaluation scores have risen significantly since the class has been converted to the studio format. Student comments indicate that they think equation solvers are a valuable engineering design tool, not only for learning, but in professional practice as well. The instructor has observed that students learn and retain the theory much better when they can apply it immediately to realistic problems. Much more realistic and sophisticated quizzes can be given when the students have computers available to assist with the analysis.     

Preparation for an online asynchronous university doctoral course. Lessons learned

This article addresses the development of the initial course in the first completely online doctoral program in nursing. Synchronous and asynchronous methods of distance education were assessed. Planning focused at the university, school, and course levels. University planning involved the technical infrastructure, registration, student services, and library services. School planning examined administrative commitment and faculty commitment and willingness. Course planning focused on marketing, precourse information, time frame, modular design, planned interaction, and professor availability and support. Implementation issues centered on getting students connected, learning the software, changing instructional methods, and managing chats. Traditional methods of evaluating student learning and course evaluation were supplemented with the development of qualitative and quantitative tools to gather data for making administrative decisions. The Dean and faculty agreed that the internet was an effective method of delivering content in the initial Health Policy course. The Dean and faculty agreed to continue the PhD program online for one cohort and continue to evaluate student progress and faculty and student satisfaction.     

Restructuring the Undergraduate Laboratory Instructional Process

There is little doubt that a laboratory experience can be a beneficial component of the undergraduate engineering learning process. Observing physical demonstrations of textbook and lecture information can enhance a student’s perception of a concept and produce clarity of key issues. Unfortunately, limitations often exist that constrain the developing laboratories and sometimes reducing the student’s experience to little more than performing “cookbook” experiments and copying previous lab reports; an exercise that benefits neither the instructor nor the student. This paper summarizes an alternative approach for undergraduate laboratory instruction that relies on the undergraduate students working in teams to design and conduct experiments. The instructor acts as mentor to a process that ensures a quality laboratory exercise without being the sole responsible party. The students’ learning is increased and the laboratory experience is enhanced due, in part, to the experiments being designed by students and for students; matching students’ needs, education, and interests with experiments. An additional benefit comes from participants being immersed into the concepts of experimental design and analysis using a team of peers.     

Energy and Environment Undergraduate Course Emphasizing Comparative Metrics

This paper presents the pedagogical development of an undergraduate course in energy and the environment at Rice University and the crucial role of comparative metrics in its curriculum. The course, aimed at undergraduate engineering and science majors, overviews the physical principles that constrain energy use and explores how various sectors and fuels affect Earth’s environment and climate. The curriculum emphasizes the application of objective metrics for comparing the cost, energy intensity, and environmental impacts of various energy sources. Such metrics provide alternate approaches for assessing the relative merits of energy options but are neglected in most undergraduate textbooks. Thus, the course relies on assignments derived from supplemental readings to prompt students to compute comparative metrics and critically assess the approaches taken by energy researchers. A term project engages student teams in designing and evaluating original proposals for improving the use of an energy source from the perspective of a scientist, businessperson, or policymaker.     

Flow over a “Killer” Weir Design Project

Flow over a sharp-crested weir can create dangerous countercurrents downstream under high tailwater conditions. A comprehensive experimental design project in open-channel hydraulics used in a senior∕graduate course and in a freshman exploratory experience is illustrated. This applied problem allows the instructor to demonstrate hydraulic jumps, aerated versus nonaerated nappes, similitude and modeling, and the need for experimentation in hydraulics. A series of experiments requires students to compare their predictions of several parameters to those measured, and asks them to design a supplemental structure for the weir to reduce the power of the frontal vortex such that people are ejected and carried downstream to calmer water. The student designs are then tested in the flume during class. During the course of the project, spontaneous discussions occur about the extent to which engineers should be held liable for designs that may increase the likelihood of death. The experiments have been well received and have even saved the life of one student who was swept over a dam and caught in the roller downstream.     

All together now? College students' preferred project group grading procedures.

Three hundred sixty undergraduate students were randomly assigned to evaluate 1 of 12 versions of a hypothetical college syllabus from a course in which student project groups were used. As hypothesized, students reported the highest course-enrollment intentions and most positive perceptions of the group grading procedure when both individual and group performance on the group project was evaluated. In addition, students with low grade point averages (GPAs) exhibited stronger course-enrollment intentions than students with high GPAs when group work accounted for a high percentage (50%) of students' course grades and when group performance was evaluated. Contrary to hypotheses, students did not prefer courses in which they had input into the grading of their group work. Implications for the use of group grading procedures are discussed, in addition to future research directions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of Multimedia and the World Wide Web in Civil Engineering Learning

The case study method, which has been proven to be a very useful learning tool, can be further enhanced with the use of multimedia and the World Wide Web. This paper demonstrates multimedia and Web-based enhancement with the design and construction of a port, a large-scale civil engineering project. The main purpose was to create an educational tool that brings into the classroom a “real-life” design and construction problem, including the construction field, operation of equipment, and details of construction methods. This enables civil engineering students to better understand the details of the planning, design, and construction of a complicated project. Furthermore, through the use of evaluation tests, feedback on the students’ understanding of the case study can be provided to both the students and the educator. This application can be expanded beyond an academic environment for use as a learning tool in a business environment, which may be especially beneficial for new engineers.     

Incorporation of Writing into a Steel Design Course

The University of Connecticut requires that, after completing the traditional freshmen English courses, students have writing assignments in courses that comprise their major. This paper explains how this requirement has been met in a senior-level, structural steel design course. Students are required to read articles on different types of steel buildings and bridges. They then write a response to specific questions. They also are required to perform “back-of-an-envelope” calculations on different structural components. The assignments enhance the subject matter by providing students with the opportunity to look at entire structures, whereas conventional design assignments generally involve the study of individual members and connections. These assignments provide a format for organizing and communicating information about load paths, framing approaches, different design alternatives, and how design influences and is influenced by construction practice.