Cultivating Research and Information Skills in Civil Engineering Undergraduate Students |
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Authors: | Adjo A. Amekudzi Lisha Li Michael Meyer |
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Affiliation: | 1Associate Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0355 (corresponding author). E-mail: adjo.amekudzi@ce.gatech.edu 2Civil and Environmental Engineering Librarian, Georgia Tech Library and Information Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0900. E-mail: lisha.li@library.gatech.edu 3Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0355. E-mail: mike.meyer@ce.gatech.edu
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Abstract: | The ASCE’s body of knowledge for the 21st century and vision for civil engineering in 2025 outline skills and capabilities necessary for civil engineers to create a sustainable world. An undergraduate course at Georgia Institute of Technology introduces undergraduates to a systems-sustainability approach to civil and environmental engineering, applying systems methods to analyze decisions over the life cycle of large-scale civil-engineered facilities. This paper discusses voluntary and systematic improvements introduced in the course over a 2-year period to develop research and information skills in the students. A workshop on information sources and skills was developed, offered and assessed over multiple semesters using a team-based course project. The term project requires students to select one or two large-scale civil-engineered facilities, evaluate them using the integrated systems-sustainability framework presented in the course, and develop a written report and oral presentation to present their work to their peers at the end of the semester. The paper discusses integration of the information and library skills workshops with the course and presents results that underscore the importance of formally cultivating research and information skills in civil engineering undergraduate students. |
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Keywords: | Undergraduate study Students Engineering education Research Information management |
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