This paper describes a teaching innovation project that adopts the project-based learning approach to introduce civil engineering students to their future professional roles and tasks throughout the infrastructure life cycle. The successful development of the whole process and completion of the infrastructure in the best technical and sustainable…

Computing technology is reshaping the way in which professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries conduct their business. The execution of construction tasks is changing from traditional 2D to 3D building information modeling (BIM)-based concepts. The use of BIM is expanded and enriched by the introduction of advanced…

Engineering education is appropriately concerned with technical problem solving. However, the philosophical tradition has periodically asserted that technical rationality is but one mode of rationality. Informed by experience in both design practice and engineering education the authors agree with Donald Schön that professional artistry is an…

This case study from the Civil and Environmental Engineering department of a UK university presents an educational design that uses team-based learning (TBL) to prepare students prior to undertaking a group project. Our aim is to show how the established TBL approach can be used in a novel way as a precursor to a group project to improve the…

In today's industry, employers are looking for civil engineering graduates who have acquired not only substantial technical and scientific knowledge, but who also have good life-long learning skills such as problem-solving, creativity and communication skills. Therefore, it is necessary to leave behind the pedagogical approaches exclusively…

Can you ask students from three different bachelor programmes to help solve planning and routeing problems for hospitals? In the presented case an interdisciplinary approach was shown to be successful after some redesign. Students from Applied Mathematics, Civil Engineering and Industrial & Engineering Management jointly designed solutions for…

This study seeks to explore whether a combination of traditional teaching methods with project-based learning (PBL) activities can improve the student learning experience in an engineering course of soil mechanics. As an alternative to the traditional type of assignment that consisted of several textbook problems, a project-based assignment was…

Our study used a natural experiment to compare a project-based cornerstone course with the traditionally-taught introductory course in civil engineering. During the study, two sections of the course were organized around an overarching project, the design of an event center, and the remaining sections used guest lectures, a textbook, and…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present pedagogical approaches developed and implemented to deliver sustainable design education (SDE) to second-year undergraduate students on civil engineering programmes in the (then) School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences at Newcastle University. In doing so, the work presented offers an example of…

This paper describes the use of project-based learning to teach design skills to civil engineering students at University College Dublin (UCD). The paper first considers the development of problem-based leaning (PBL) as a tool in higher education. The general issues to be considered in the design of the curriculum for a PBL module are reviewed.…

This paper describes the creation and evolution of an undergraduate dynamics and vibrations course for civil engineering students. Incorporating vibrations into the course allows students to see and study "real" civil engineering applications of the course content. This connection of academic principles to real life situations is in…

Second year civil engineering students are given a choice of topics for specialized independent study and problem solving to develop their engineering appreciation and critical thought. (IR)

Geotechnics (which encompasses soil and rock mechanics, engineering geology, foundation design, and ground engineering methods) is a major component of virtually all civil engineering courses. Show how mini-projects are used to teach this subject. Format of projects, development of presentation skills, and assessment considerations are discussed.…

Four projects were assigned to final year civil engineering undergraduates in a course on structural steel design. The projects involved the design, construction, and testing of two columns and two trusses. (TS)

Describes how a fourth-year computing elective was introduced at Monash University in 1995 with the goal of allowing students to pursue their own computing interests in a project-based subject. The course demonstrates student-directed learning and the pride resulting from such ownership. Shows how the subject can use a wide range of resources…