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Presents the science projects by engineering students recognized in the 1997 Daniel W. Mead Student Paper Contest in the United States. Participation of three universities; Projects presented; Scientific relevance.

Construction firms face challenges in sourcing qualified candidates for enhancing project outcomes through sensor data analytics. There are limited tools for teaching students from construction-related disciplines how to analyze sensor data. By harnessing the potential of block-based programming, this study designed a pedagogical tool, InerSens, to support construction engineering students with no prior programming experience to analyze sensor data and address real-world construction challenges, such as ergonomic risks. Altogether 20 students participated in an experiment comparing InerSens and a traditional platform, Microsoft Excel, for data analytics. Evaluations involved usability, perceived workload, visual attention, verbal feedback using the System Usability Scale, NASA TLX, eye-tracking metrics, and interviews. InerSens was rated as 8.89% more user-friendly than the traditional tool, with a significantly reduced perceived cognitive load by 46.11%, and a more balanced distribution of visual attention during data analytics tasks. Through the evaluation of cognitive and usability factors, this paper extends the applications of the Learning-for-Use and the Cognitive Load theories, emphasizing their applicability in instructional design, revealing learner needs, and the potential to advance the development of pedagogical tools for data analytics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering graduates require high-level cognitive abilities such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation to fulfill their obligations to society. But universities have not always been successful in developing such abilities. This paper questions whether engineering students in a civil engineering degree program at a university in South Africa are being adequately prepared to engage in higher-order cognitive activities such as reasoning, predicting, analyzing, and problem solving. The paper deploys the structure of the observed learning outcome (SOLO) taxonomy to classify assessment questions according to cognitive demand and compares first- and second-year students' abilities to deal with questions of varying cognitive complexity. The results show that the second-year cohort performed substantively better on questions requiring mathematical calculation but not in other question types. In fact, they performed slightly worse on high-cognitive-demand questions and substantially worse on questions requiring visual identification of problems. This may imply that the additional year of higher education serves to equip students with improved mathematical abilities but does little to enhance their ability to engage in high-cognitive-demand activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accelerating pace of technological innovation, coupled with social, cultural, political, and economic forces, have rapidly transformed the practice of engineering with unique implications for civil engineers in 2020 and beyond. Envisioning this momentum, the National Academy of Engineering in 2004 proposed ten key attributes that engineers by the year 2020 must possess to embrace the transformations. Although previous research found engineering undergraduates accruing The Engineer of 2020 (E2020) attributes from various pathways, including learning activities taking place outside of the college classroom, fewer studies have examined disciplinary outcomes and underrepresented populations. This paper explores how civil engineering undergraduates accrued E2020 attributes from out-of-class activities and examined the findings through the lens of diversity by disaggregating by gender, race/ethnicity, first-generation college status, disability status, and sexual orientation. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze a sample of 320 US civil engineering undergraduates who are graduating in the year 2020 and beyond. The results indicated that students from underrepresented groups (female; African American, Hispanic, American Indian, and multiracial; and first-generation college) indicated stronger agreement that they accrued E2020 attributes in out-of-class activities than students from overrepresented groups (male; White and Asian; and continuing generation in college). Students in overrepresented populations accrued most outcomes from their participation in jobs and sports. In addition to jobs, female and first-generation college students indicated that the design competition team was the setting in which they perceived the most outcomes. Professional experience and music/dance were frequently cited as impactful by subsamples of African American, Hispanic, American Indian, multiracial, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ)+ students, respectively. The results highlight the importance of out-of-class activities for undergraduates in civil engineering, especially for students belonging to underrepresented populations. This paper contributes to workforce diversity by illuminating learning pathways and outcomes that can broaden the quantity and quality of future civil engineers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning ability is one of the most distinctive characteristics that make humans social creatures. Numerous research has found that individuals learn in different ways, so every student has a different, individual learning style. The more instructors understand the learning differences of their students, the better their chances of success in civil engineering education. Therefore, determining the learning styles of civil engineering students is an important factor in their academic success. The research reported in this paper aims to explore the learning styles of civil engineering students in Turkey, and correlate their learning styles with success in construction management courses, gender, age, type of university, and year of engineering study. Data were collected using the Kolb Learning Style Inventory II, from civil engineering students in undergraduate programs at four different universities. The questionnaire was administered to students by direct contact, and 227 items of data were collected. At the end of the research reported in this paper, it was revealed that there is a correlation between learning styles and management success, age, year of civil engineering education, and type of university, but not gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a teaching approach aiming to give students the chance of applying theoretical concepts in virtual environments, thereby overcoming limitations in overcrowded classes or in large groups of engineering undergraduates using available testing equipment. The proposed approach deals with enhancing self-learning of one of the most common tests used in materials engineering and/or civil engineering, namely, the compression test of concrete samples. To achieve this goal, two didactic-propose computational tools were developed: a virtual laboratory (VL) and video tutorials (VTs). Furthermore, two different teaching/learning experiences are compared in this paper: (1) using actual laboratory after using both virtual environments (VL and VTs); and (2) using only virtual environments. In both cases the use of these virtual tools improves the student learning outcomes, especially when these resources fulfill a lack of real equipment. Besides, the results of survey questions show the high motivation that virtual environments awake, and the assessment results reflect an increase in the students' marks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely recognized that sustainability should be incorporated into engineering education. To prepare students with sustainability knowledge and techniques, engineering educators need to develop appropriate class contents and effective teaching techniques. Based on experience from developing and teaching a sustainability course within the construction management program in the civil engineering department, this paper discusses the process of identifying sustainability knowledge areas, course planning, and lessons learned from the class. The paper also includes main class topics as well as students’ feedbacks, both of which may serve as a starting point for continuous improvement of sustainability education in construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of today’s civil engineering students are unaware of the potential use of smart structures technology in the design, construction, and maintenance of civil infrastructure systems. This paper presents recent education development in the area of smart structures technology at Lehigh University. The goal of this education development is to prepare the future engineer of society for this cutting-edge technology, for which they may see broad application in their professional practice. An overview of the smart structures technology in civil engineering applications, from a systems perspective, is first given in the paper. Educational activities incorporating smart structures technology into civil engineering curriculum are next presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building information modeling (BIM) and mobile technology have become an important aspect of managing successful construction companies. In order to ensure that students graduating from construction programs are prepared to serve the industry, it is necessary for universities to include construction technology in their curricula. These curricula have to serve both the industry's needs and the students' expectations in preparing students for the workforce. This paper outlines the processes taken to identify learning objectives that would support both. The research was conducted in three parts: a literature analysis to identify relevant BIM competencies and teaching practices, interviews with industry BIM experts to identify their needs in new hires, and surveys to students to document their expectations for BIM in the classroom. With the exception of a few additions, the competencies of BIM identified within the literature align with the topics identified through the industry interviews and student surveys. Finally, the paper discusses specific learning objectives identified to support students in the construction science and management curriculum in learning the validated competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teamwork is an essential part of engineering practice. The Geo-Challenge is a teambuilding competition for civil engineering students, and both teambuilding and competition are useful for preparing students for engineering practice. while university education focuses on technical skills taught in the classroom environment, very little emphasis is placed on teamwork, even though the need to foster teamwork skills within the future engineering work force is recognized. Extramural student competitions can supplement classroom teaching and are effective in providing these essential skills. This paper describes three Geo-Challenge competitions and their effectiveness in building student teamwork. The background and competition details are provided. Competing students were given postcompetition surveys, and a statistical review of the results shows the goals of the Geo-Challenge were met. Those goals, along with other lessons learned, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities are under continual pressure to reduce the expense associated with the laboratory education of undergraduate engineering students. Many alternatives to traditional laboratory instruction have been tested to improve educational benefits and to reduce academic input. This paper describes the benefits of laboratory classes run in an interactive competitive framework to enhance the teaching of structural engineering and construction materials. A creative framework that defines limits and quantifies performance encourages student engagement and allows reasonable control without stifling creativity. Two examples are presented in this paper: a wood bridge competition as part of an introductory structural engineering design course and a concrete technology competition within a structural concrete course. The educational benefits of this broad-based approach are compared with other laboratory methods. Course surveys suggest that students view this method of laboratory education positively when it is well integrated within an engineering degree course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrastructure is the backbone of nations. A society's inventory of systems and facilities allows it to function properly and smoothly. This paper summarizes the content of a course for engineering students and students from other disciplines that was developed to explore the progress humanity has achieved in developing infrastructure facilities and the present move toward sustainability. The course describes methods, materials, processes, technologies, practices, and operations required for maintaining a healthy environment and efficient infrastructure, all essential components of management. Aspiring engineering leaders must comprehend the intersection between the policies necessary for sustainable infrastructure and political, economical, social, societal, and cultural factors. This paper presents the issues that both engineers and nonengineers should be aware of and familiar with to successfully operate under the paradigm of the 'new economy' in which the public takes excellent services for granted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the organization and conduct of a 4th year capstone project for civil engineering students at the University of Calgary that embodied a very significant international component and the difficulties inherent to that component. The project design education process results in numerous contributions to university, industry, and society by permitting students to develop innovative design solutions that reflect multicultural influences, while also recognizing that Civil Engineering design is universal. This paper explains the novel approach adopted for the final-year civil engineering design course in 2002–2003 using the largest urban renewal project currently underway in Europe, for which the students had the opportunity to develop designs. The concept, structure, challenges, and contributions as well as the successful outcome of the civil engineering design course are also explained in the paper. Overall, this design project provided the students with valuable experience in communication, design, professional practice, and organizational skills that will be useful in their future careers, in addition to the challenges of dealing with a real and international client of a complex project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) has adopted a revised set of criteria for accrediting engineering programs. Nevertheless, as in the past, civil engineering departments will be required to demonstrate proficiency in specific subject areas which are included in the ABET program criteria. This paper investigates, according to civil engineering students, the level at which their understanding of various subjects required by ABET and listed in the Program Criteria for Civil and Similarly Named Engineering Programs and the General Criteria (Professional Component) has been enhanced by being involved with projects associated with the steel bridge and concrete canoe competitions. The results are also compared with students who have practical civil engineering experience. In particular, the findings suggest that students who are directly involved with project work believe that four areas have been greatly enhanced. They include: structural engineering, project management/scheduling and estimating, constructability, and teamwork. Understanding of engineering codes and standards, health and safety issues, materials engineering, and ethical considerations are also perceived to be enhanced. Furthermore, the results complement documentation from the American Institute of Steel Construction including comments from students participating in the steel bridge competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the country, there is a call for instructional innovations that will increase the practical problem solving ability of college graduates. To meet this need, instructors are inundated with prescriptions on how to change teaching, the classroom, and assessments. To effectively employ these innovations, instructors need knowledge of more than just how to change instruction; instructors also need to understand the learning processes of the students in the classroom. In this paper, three of the most powerful principles of learning are presented in an effort to help classroom instructors better understand not only the ”how” of instructional innovation but also the ”why.” The three principles, student attention, knowledge organization, and problem solving processes, are covered in separate sections of this paper. In each section, the principle is explained and specific links to instructional practice are provided. The paper closes with an explanation of how the three principles operate jointly and how these should be understood in relation to other instructional recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of globalization and the rapid advancement of technology, researchers and employers agree that the 21st-century engineer must have a set of skills (e.g., teamwork, communication, and management) that were not emphasized in the past. In response, many universities have started to implement program changes in order to graduate well-rounded engineers. As an attempt to assess the gap between what universities are exposing their engineering students to and the requirements of the industry, this paper examines the perceptions of a sample of engineering students about the importance of various soft skills and how well their universities have prepared them in gaining the associated abilities. Students were also surveyed about their career aspirations in an attempt to determine whether these aspirations affect their perceptions. The results revealed that, although the students showed a significant understanding of the importance of soft skills, some of these perceptions can be attributed to their career aspirations. This finding implies that universities need to play a stronger role in strengthening students' nontechnical skills in specific areas such as oral communication skill [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Washington Accord known as a mutual recognition agreement between national engineering regulatory bodies was signed in 1989 by six founding signatories. Through this mutual recognition agreement the signatories recognize that the formal educational programs accredited by the respective signatories are substantially equivalent. The stated objective of the Washington Accord is to ease the path of engineering graduates to professional registration or licensing in different jurisdictions. Since 1989, the signatories to theWashington Accord has increased threefold with an additional five countries as currently provisional signatories. This rapid expansion is a reflection of the need for international recognition of educational qualifications and competency across borders in an increasingly globalized world. Engineering accreditation bodies, particularly in developing countries, are proactively seeking recognition and mobility of their graduates. Within this context, theWashington Accord celebrates 25 years and charts a course for the next 25 years. This paper examines in detail the position of the U.S. licensing boards on the Washington Accord. It is concluded that with respect to the U.S. licensing boards, the Washington Accord has made only modest inroads in its first 25 years and needs to set a much more ambitious path for the next 25 to achieve truly reciprocal mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forum papers are thought-provoking opinion pieces or essays founded in fact, sometimes containing speculation, on a civil engineering topic of general interest and relevance to the readership of the journal. The views expressed in this Forum article do not necessarily reflect the views of ASCE or the Editorial Board of the journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When structural engineering is taught as a design discipline, engineering and architecture students can understand the open-ended potential of structural engineering solutions and gain a better understanding of the opportunities for structure to shape and reinforce architectural concepts. By formalizing the iterative aspect of design processes common in architecture design studios, structural engineering courses can integrate design without requiring a radical configuration of the conventional lecture class structure. This paper outlines models that include design and analysis iterations in structures lecture courses. Developed for undergraduate and graduate architecture students, this model could be applied to engineering education as well. Student work from these exercises demonstrates integration of architecture and structural engineering. Three examples of iterations are presented to highlight a range of applications, including (1) iteration of method of spanning (e.g., truss, arch, and cable beam) in a structural fundamentals course, (2) iteration of structural configuration within lectures for an advanced structures class for architects, and (3) iteration of structural solutions from engineering and architectural perspectives. Each example is presented as a case study that includes a statement of learning objectives, a description of the projects and teaching methods used, and an assessment of the outcomes. Breaking from the traditional problem-set coursework where sizing a beam is considered structural design helps students to focus on the distinct tasks of analysis and assessment and enables informed design decision making. Students develop understanding of the relationship between structural form and force, recognize the variety of structural design options for a specific architectural proposal, and evaluate the effectiveness of a specific structural scheme, helping students to understand that there is more than one right answer to a structural design problem with the goal of encouraging students to attempt and rigorously evaluate unconventional structural solutions both within the structures curriculum and within the studio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently published professional learning outcomes require future engineers to think of the impacts that engineering decisions have on society. History shows that construction and civil engineering projects can exacerbate inequality by ignoring community concerns and failing to consider the impacts on marginalized and vulnerable stakeholders, among other factors. How might construction engineering professors help students meet these standards, and how do construction and civil engineering students respond when construction engineering is framed as inextricably linked to these obligations? We designed and evaluated curriculum modules aimed at helping develop a critical consciousness with construction and civil engineering students (N=177) in three construction and civil engineering courses at two universities in the midwestern region between 2020 and 2021. The curriculum builds on a three-phase framework aimed at encouraging students to see social inequities and their impacts, finding social inequities unjust, and enhancing reflective self-awareness. Post-implementation responses to the case study designed to make clear the need for a critical consciousness in engineering found that students responded positively to both the instructional approach of a case study and the content connected to critical consciousness. We discuss implications for the development of further curriculum and the implementation of such an approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leadership development has become increasingly important in engineering education as companies look for engineers with leadership, communication, and teamwork skills. To embed these competencies into engineering curricula, a competency-based educational model has been implemented in which 4th-year engineering students led design project teams made up of 1st-year students. The study described in this paper had two aims. The first was to determine which leadership competencies were exhibited by the 4th-year students. The second was to assess their perceived leadership effectiveness. We identified leadership competencies using the behavioral event interview technique and measured leadership effectiveness using a 360-degree assessment. The results demonstrate that the student leaders exhibited the following competencies most frequently: commitment to learning, interpersonal communication, teamwork, and results orientation. The results also indicate that the 1st-year students perceived the student leaders' leadership effectiveness as satisfactory. The educational model described in this paper can easily be implemented in other institutions to encourage and nurture leadership talent in students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of students' construction and technology background is an important input to the process of designing technology-enhanced instruction. Current literature in student background is either not specific for the construction/civil engineering student population or lacks direct implications for pedagogical design. This paper presents a survey study that assesses students' self-reported technology skills and attitude, learning preferences, and baseline construction knowledge. The survey is designed as a questionnaire with three sections: demographic and background information, technology attitude and exposure, and construction-related knowledge. From the 280 data points collected, it was found that today's students are exposed to a wide range of technology applications. They had a positive attitude toward technology, were enthusiastic video-game players, and strongly preferred learning activities that involved interactions, whether these interactions were face-to-face or mediated by technology. These findings suggest that technology-assisted learning would excite and engage students. The paper also provides a discussion on specific pedagogical design implications of the findings and ways in which these could be incorporated in the design of technology-enhanced learning tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a study that sought to identify constructs that engineers in academia and industry use to describe attributes they consider important for undergraduate engineering students to possess. We explicitly targeted the attributes of leadership, recognizing and managing change, and synthesizing engineering, business, and social perspectives. Our findings indicate ways that engineering students can engage in technical and nontechnical activities that enhance their undergraduate engineering experiences. The final goal of this ongoing effort is to develop, validate, and implement a tool that examines undergraduate students' embodiment of the three targeted attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ASCE's Vision 2025 is a broad, challenging, and bold strategy that is producing a high sense of expectation among civil engineers. Together with the Body of Knowledge, the Vision 2025 seeks to broaden the knowledge base of civil engineers and stimulate a holistic view of the way civil engineers do business, including routine incorporation of risk assessment and management into projects, ethical handling of contracts and procurement, and involvement in public policy. One of the challenges in moving forward is the training of civil engineering students. This training must go beyond the confines of the classroom, and project-oriented activities have been incorporated in engineering education programs to provide much-needed real-life experiences. As we look toward 2025, service learning activities, basic research projects, and outreach programs will continue to play an important role in engineering education and training. This paper presents case studies of a service learning activity, two basic research projects, and outreach program activities that have worked in enhancing engineering education. Finally, the potential for such training activities to influence the global community is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ernest Shackleton, an early twentieth century Antarctic explorer, was best known for his leadership skills in the face of extreme hardship. After his ship, Endurance, was trapped in the icy waters of the Weddell Sea, he kept his entire crew alive for nearly two years. Many of his leadership principles can be applied to project management in our present time. In this paper we explore the leadership traits that Shackleton embraced and will present a case study of junior-level civil engineering students’ responses to a video of the Shackleton saga. The paper will contrast Shackleton’s leadership with that of another explorer of his time, Vilhjalmur Stefansson. Finally, two present-day engineering case studies will be reviewed which show the complexity and results of being a leader—specifically a project manager—taking responsibility and doing the right thing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an illustration of using a problem-centered approach in an undergraduate course in numerical methods. The problem used in the course was first encountered in a research project that related to the assembly procedure of the fulcrum of bascule bridges. It involved the study of the fulcrum assembly procedure where a trunnion cooled in a dry-ice/alcohol mixture for shrink fitting became stuck halfway in the hub before full insertion could take place. The solution of the problem and its implementation involved numerical solutions of mathematical procedures taught in a typical numerical methods course. The effect of the problem-centered approach in the classroom was quantitatively and qualitatively surveyed over a two-semester period. The results indicate very high student satisfaction in helping them: acquire basic knowledge and skills; reinforce information presented in class, reading assignments, and problem sets; learn to clearly formulate a specific problem and then work it through to completion; develop generic higher-order thinking and problem solving skills; and develop a sense of competence and confidence and see the relevance of the course material to their major. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) 2000 requires that students participate in a major design experience prior to graduation. A well-planned senior design capstone program will satisfy this criterion while meeting the Criterion 3 (a–k) program outcomes. Seattle University has an industrially sponsored, year-long, senior design program that has been in existence for the past 20 years. In addition to applying the knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering to solve a real-life engineering problem, students develop the soft skills such as project management, leadership, team work, written and oral communication, and professional networking which are important for a successful career. This paper describes the program within the Civil and Environmental Engineering department, lists the various tools used to assess the program outcomes, and includes assessment of the program by sponsoring agencies, alumni, and reflection by faculty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes initial research on a project designed to understand the experiences of past generations of constructors and make that knowledge accessible to future generations of engineering students and construction practitioners. Much in the same way as medical students can trace their lineage back to Hippocrates, this project aims to provide architecture, engineering, and construction students, and professionals alike, a sense of their professional history. The project was developed around five time epochs, four geographic regions, and three different project types. We investigated issues such as the flow of money, training of workers, sharing of design knowledge, and nature of contracts and agreements. The central question posed by this work is how should knowledge of the history and evolution of construction practices be incorporated in the dialog that educators have with students and with the larger professional community? This research has led to multifaceted results. On the one hand, the message to students should be pride in their professional heritage because throughout time constructors and designers have used knowledge, perseverance, and innovation to accomplish remarkable projects. On the other hand, we have shown that much of what is considered new in the industry (alternative project delivery methods, worker safety programs, public private partnerships, and globalization) have historical antecedents and are not new at all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need arises to equip engineering students with a wider horizon of concepts in terms of environmental, economic, and social attributes, for decision making of sensitive to sustainability issues. Pedagogic frameworks have to address a multidisciplinary analysis of sustainability. This paper addresses the rationale behind the recent integration of sustainability concepts into an undergraduate civil engineering curriculum in Hong Kong. Incentives and barriers for implementation of the curriculum are addressed. A team-based design project with a problem-based learning approach is highlighted. The initial results of stakeholder evaluations suggested that multidisciplinary skills developed during the learning process might contribute significantly to pertinent knowledge on sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on the design and construction of the longest rope-stayed newspaper foot-bridge by participants in the annual technical festival at the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, India. Characterization of the material used by the students; Conceptual design of the newspaper foot-bridge; Details on rope properties.

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an experiment with problem-based learning (PBL), an instructional methodology used in response to the challenges posed by today’s professional education. Contrary to the conventional model that places an application problem after concepts or topics have been introduced, PBL uses the problem to initiate learning. Besides promoting the construction of knowledge, it may also contribute to the development of some skills and attitudes deemed important for engineers’ professional practice. This research, of a qualitative nature, intended to investigate how students evaluate this methodology and its potential to attain the educational goals set for the course. In order to answer the research question, the methodology was implemented in the civil engineering curriculum of a Brazilian public university. The results herein presented, deriving mainly from classroom observations and an end-of-course questionnaire, show that most of the students evaluate the methodology positively. Even considering the short duration of the course and its small number of credits, it may also have promoted the development of some skills and attitudes besides knowledge acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is common to hear students in today’s engineering programs remark, “Theory is useless... . Please get past it and give practical instruction.” This complaint seems odd, given that these same students aspire to be the masters of technology in our complex twenty-first century culture. But the complaint is not new. Most engineering schools appeared in America in the mid-nineteenth century, directly in response to the growth of engineering science. But then, interestingly enough, it was the established engineer, not the student, who disdained theory. The self-styled nineteenth century engineer whose knowledge base was his experience tended to take a dim view of the university graduate and regarded theoretical education as “not being very practical.” In contrast to these two extremes, this paper argues that theory promotes understanding, and understanding enables engineers to develop the practical expression of judgment and intuition vital to the engineering profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineers that are actively engaged with both the social and technical dimensions of engineering work--socially engaged engineers--offer diversity in skill sets, values, and characteristics to the engineering workforce. This diversity can help the engineering profession better address complex global challenges. Despite the value of socially engaged engineers, the field lacks understanding about the career interests and experiences of these engineers. This study investigates EWB-USA members as a case of socially engaged engineers to explore engineering students' career interests and practicing engineers' career intentions and experiences. Using mixed-methods and a lens of meaningful work, this study compares differences between EWB-USA members and nonmembers. Findings indicated two main trends among EWB-USA members: females' disillusionment with community development engineering work and practitioners' strategies to find more personally meaningful work. This paper discusses why and how these findings should serve as a miner's canary--a warning to the engineering field about the dangers of socially engaged engineers' potential misalignment with current engineering careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conceptual questions can be used to improve student's understanding through interactive engagement and formative assessment; however, there is a lack of developed conceptual questions in transportation engineering. This paper reports on the development, implementation, refinement, and evaluation of conceptual questions about traffic signals that include students rating of confidence in their solution. Based on student and practicing engineer traffic signal misconceptions, 94 conceptual questions were developed and implemented by 10 public university instructors. Five patterns of student responses were identified in terms of correctness and student confidence: all correct, all confident, all lack confidence, correct-confident combined with incorrect-lacks confidence, and correct-lacks confidence combined with incorrect-confident. Furthermore, the experiences of instructors using conceptual questions with students were considered through semi-structured interviews. Conceptual questions about fundamental aspects of traffic engineering were most frequently selected, conventional multiple choice questions were the most popular type of questions, and enriching exam materials or creating challenging discussions were the primary goals of implementation. While every participant expressed that they will use the material again in the future, potential barriers to adoption remain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is the beginning of a handbook geared toward engineering students who want to work in developing countries in a socially responsible manner. The paper discusses socially responsible engineering in the field of development assistance. It suggests that actual contributions to the development process of a country happen when the engineer truly listens to the desires of those he/she is attempting to serve. Included in the paper are examples of development projects that have been successful and ones that have failed to reach their intended goals. The reasons for these successes and failures are examined. As well, examples of engineers combining social responsibility and their engineering skills in developing countries are given. Issues such as policy, appropriate technology, working conditions in developing countries culture, participation, women engineers, education, and ethics are also explored. This paper is intended to stimulate a discussion about the role of engineers from industrialized countries in the Third World. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance students' learning of construction practice, instructors use videos as multimedia pedagogical tools to bring practical experience into the classroom. However, cognitive load levels, individual differences, and multimedia design principles are important considerations in the effective use of videos for instruction. Therefore, this study investigates the effectiveness of an artificial intelligence (AI)–annotated video in guiding students' attention to important construction practice concepts. Students were exposed to both annotated and unannotated videos illustrating construction safety practices. Eye tracking metrics and self-reported cognitive load were collected as students interacted with both learning environments. The effectiveness of the videos in drawing students' attention were compared. The AI-annotated video was considered effective and the variations across individual differences were reported. No significant difference was observed in the cognitive loads of both learning environments. This study provides an understanding of the extent to which learners of different demographic characteristics allocate attention to signaled practice concepts. This study also illustrates the impact of the signaled concepts on learners' cognitive loads. This study contributes to existing theories by elucidating how practice knowledge could be adapted to meet construction engineering students' learning needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooperative education (co-op) is a program in which participating students typically alternate between full-time study and paid full-time employment. Choosing to participate in a co-op program usually delays the student's graduation by up to one year, but may increase the student's job market prospects. This paper attempts to estimate the response of co-op participation to the engineering field-specific average wage for recent graduates. A relationship between wage growth, student ability, and co-op participation is investigated. Predictive modeling was performed using data obtained from the Multiple-Institution Database for Investigating Engineering Longitudinal Development (MIDFIELD), as well as the American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES) Annual Report of Engineering Salaries. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with industry co-op representatives to address supply and demand related questions. The authors found that a $10,000 real increase in the average initial wage causes a 5.4% decrease in co-op program participation. In addition, there is hetero- geneity in the response by student ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry has been facing a paradigm shift to integrate new construction requirements, most notably the development of advanced technologies, such as environmental management, information technology, and building information modeling. Timely curriculum reform is therefore necessary for construction education to adapt quickly to the paradigm shift. The aim of this paper is to investigate the gaps between educational attainment and job requirements in the Australian construction industry, based on which further curriculum reform can be conducted. A survey is administered to 252 construction graduates. The results suggest that the most significant gaps are related to technical skills for construction and problem-solving skills. The gaps can be categorized into eight groups based on an exploratory factor analysis. The eight groups are construction technology, information technology, problem-solving skills, construction economics, risk management, basic theories, business management, and sustainability science. It is therefore recommended that curriculum reform be conducted to bridge the gaps between educational attainment and job requirements to prepare construction graduates for the competitive and fast-changing construction environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a study of the effects of guided inquiry module instruction on undergraduate construction engineering students' understanding of course concepts and attitudes toward module instruction. Eighty-one students from two sections of the same Construction Materials engineering course participated in the study. Both sections received guided inquiry module instruction (treatment) for three of the six course topics. Participants completed pre- and posttests for each topic, exams (midterm and final), and a questionnaire to assess attitudes and perceptions. Results of the study show students perceived module instruction to be more effective than the traditional lecture. Students across both sections indicated that they participated more during module instruction and that this approach was more effective in encouraging participation and providing opportunities for discussion, activities, and teamwork. Additionally, students performed better on certain topic posttests under the treatment condition. This study contributes to the growing research on the effectiveness of active instructional approaches in engineering education to improve student learning gains. Future research should consider instructor teaching style and class composition in the design of experimental comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid changes in the worldwide engineering enterprise are creating a compelling rationale to rethink how future generations of engineers should be educated. In this paper, we identify the most central knowledge in engineering and architecture jobs by analyzing the characteristics of the weighted jobs-knowledge network for all occupations in the Architecture and Engineering job family of the O*NET (Occupational Information Network) system. Engineering and design constitute the most central knowledge. Strengthening education in the identified central knowledge themes can lead to better transport of knowledge to engineering jobs to address the challenges of the 21st century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous sustainability engineering education studies have suggested the importance of problem-based learning, project-based learning, team-based learning, and interdisciplinary learning. Place-based learning, interacting with outdoors, and building sustainable communities are also important aspects of sustainability education, yet relatively little has been published on how to use these pedagogical approaches in engineering education. The goal of this paper was to illustrate the implementation of all these pedagogical approaches in a graduate-level sustainability engineering education class. Fink's taxonomy of significant learning and the University of Toledo's Outdoor Classroom Garden provided the framework for this implementation. Throughout the semester, sustainability engineering students worked toward an engineering solution for how to water the University of Toledo's outdoor classroom garden. They also estimated the life-cycle cost and environmental impacts of their proposed solutions. The garden project and the design of the course provided many different learning opportunities that might be absent in a traditional civil engineering class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today's engineers must be more than just technically competent. To be successful in our increasingly global economy in which teamwork and interdisciplinary interaction are the norm, engineers must have excellent communication skills. In recognition of industry needs, the San José State University College of Engineering redesigned its technical communication course to ensure that students graduate with writing and speaking skills that will transfer readily to their career needs and the global arena. The course aims to motivate students through exploring topics that are meaningful to them and using communication formats that they will see in the workplace. Combining technical communication with study of the environment broadens the course to meet multiple Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology outcomes. This paper describes the course goals, organization, management, selected assignments, and assessment. Assessment data indicate that at the end of the semester students, on average, have gained between 0.8 and 1.1 points on a 12-point evaluation rubric and have gained an appreciation of the unique characteristics of and need for technical writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on an interactive computer-aided-learning (CAL) tool that was developed for the education of construction engineering students: the excavation game. It builds on the large potential of using CAL in education. CAL tools could offer a better learning environment for students, as they provide an excellent opportunity for applying and testing the management skills learned in classroom, but are difficult to implement in reality. In this research, the CAL tool focuses on improving students' decision-making skills in the aspects of excavation and related activities. These are excavation equipment, dewatering, and soil-support methods. It also covers mobilization, surveying, safety, overtime shifts, and reporting. Students compete with regard to time, cost, and quality of construction of a given project. The game flow is nonlinear as it depends on students' decisions. Wrong decisions deviate the construction flow to a path that costs money and time, while reducing quality. This must be corrected costing extra money and time. The game was tested by senior practicing engineering and university professors. Then, it was tested by senior undergraduate construction students. Both groups agreed that the game responds, to a great extent, to the characteristics of effective CAL software, and that the information provided could not be easily assimilated or practiced through the usual tutorial or demonstration educational format. 18% of the professionals and 72% of students indicated the usefulness of the game in applying management and decision-making skills. 60-70% of students believed that it improved their technical skills in dewatering, soil-support, and excavation activities. In addition, 80% of the professionals found the game presenting realistic soil-support and excavation situations, while 72% of students became more appreciative of the interdependencies between activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultivation of professional ability for undergraduate civil and construction engineering students is very important to help them meet the challenges that await them in the fast changing world. This paper presents a thorough study of practical training in the field of civil and construction engineering. Based upon an extensive literature review of the practical training curriculum worldwide, questionnaires were provided to contractors, educators and students in Taiwan to assess problems in traditional summer practical training courses for civil and construction engineering in Taiwan. At the outset of the study, it was thought that the lack of available jobs for students might be related solely to the economy but the findings indicated that the reasons were more complex ranging from concerns about liability for students working in construction sites to traditional cultural concerns about whether apprentices should be paid. The Delphi method was used to study the problems that were identified, relating to planning, execution, evaluation, and development of the existing practical training programs. A refined and improved summer practical training curriculum is proposed for civil and construction engineering education in Taiwan based upon the findings. Although the survey related to practical training programs for engineering students was conducted in Taiwan, the results might vary in other countries. The procedures used, and results obtained may be valuable resources and have a potential use for other countries. What is certain is that practical training can play an important role in readying engineering students for the work place in any location and making the practical training as effective and as safe as possible should be a universal goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing awareness of sustainability has affected civil engineering education, making it more complex and demonstrating the connections to economic, social, and technological problems. Environmental consciousness in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries is growing, but in Greece the subject still tends to remain a marginalized and compartmentalized corner of educational systems. Environmental education means more than transmitting knowledge about the environment; it is also about educating for sustainable development. One of the main issues involved is changing people’s attitudes, values, behavior, and consumption patterns. University education in Greece aims to educate engineers so that besides acquiring theoretical knowledge they also learn to show personal responsibility and are motivated to act sustainably. Educating for sustainable development also entails the development of critical capacities and the necessary skills to be able to identify and formulate problems. This paper outlines the way in which a multidisciplinary approach to teaching sustainability has been embodied in the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Thessaly, Greece. More specifically, it describes a course to develop a comprehensive information technology-based learning resource comprising a set of multidisciplinary case studies and support material in order to aid engineering students in understanding the sustainability concepts and how solutions can be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a time when European university systems are facing changes and opportunities for convergence, civil engineering teachers are also engaging in new methods of teaching that foster active learning, creativity, and leadership by students. This paper presents the most relevant results of a study on a first-year course, Introduction to Civil Engineering, that has been evolving from a merely knowledge-based course to a competence-oriented course, focusing on both technical competences as well as soft skills. The course was associated to other courses, in which similar practices were implemented to increase the responsibility of the student for his or her own learning process. Peer and self-assessment were instrumental key features in the courses and pedagogical support from the Council of Engineering Courses was used to facilitate the successful introduction of these assessment methods. The findings show a positive correlation between student and teacher marks as well as increased motivation and accountability that justified the extra time effort of the teacher. Based on these experiences, the authors recommend a continuous effort to move away from the traditional educational teaching system, in which assessment does not stimulate the development of soft skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education is a systematic teaching-learning process involving four main components (teachers, students, knowledge, and the environment) and three main subprocesses (teaching, learning, and evaluation). Throughout the education process, students’ learning is considered as the core subprocess, though various interactions are involved among the variables in the components. The surface-achieving learning approach (achieving motive and surface strategy) is not generally recommended by educational psychologists, but it is the most popular learning approach used by construction engineering students in Hong Kong. In order to investigate the reasons for this phenomenon, a structural surface-achieving learning model is established that includes key learning factors. In this paper, teaching approach, learning approach (achieving motive and surface strategy), year of study, gender, performance, and satisfaction are all considered as major elements of the teaching-learning process. Using the LISREL program, three optimized structural equation models were established separately for the three teaching approaches (transferring, shaping, and traveling). The study confirmed a partial causal relationship among the hypothetical variables and revealed six interesting points: (1) shaping is an exogenous variable that has the least effect on the surface-achieving learning approach among the three teaching approaches; (2) the traveling teaching approach, like the transferring and shaping teaching approaches, causes students to adopt the surface strategy in the learning process; (3) good performance can be obtained even though the surface strategy is adopted by construction students in Hong Kong; (4) students’ performance is a factor encouraging or discouraging educators to use the traveling teaching approach in construction education; (5) satisfaction is an essential variable that induces students to learn with an achieving motive; and (6) female construction students often perform better than their male counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]