Tradition and Innovation in Teaching Structural Design in Civil Engineering (original) (raw)
Related papers
Teaching Structural Design in Civil Engineering Technology
1995
This paper is a description of a college course in structural design, which in this case serves as the capstone of the program in Civil Engineering Technology at the College of Staten Island (New York). Fourteen weeks of class lecture topics, activities, and assignments are delineated. Coverage includes building codes, loads calculation, structural behavior, and design of beams and columns. The course description also provides the purposes and requirements of a term project in structural design. The course received highly positive evaluations from participants, many of whom remarked on the success of course materials and the term project progressing in parallel throughout the semester. (BEW)
Field project-based learning to enhance structural design abilities for civil engineering students
2018
Design courses need to embrace the exemplary nature of the civil engineering profession and to address the concerns of employers that engineering graduates are unprepared and poorly trained to face the engineering profession. The introduction of project-based learning is important because as a constructivist learning pedagogy, project-based approach emphasizes learning by doing via direct students’ engagement in projects, performed either individually or in groups. The objective of this research is to investigate the extent to which the students’ design abilities are enhanced through field project-based learning in structural reinforced concrete design course. The research was carried out on groups of student who were assigned design tasks at a local design firm. The data were collected through interviews, journal entries, direct observations and document analysis. These data were analysed using content analysis method and the results were later triangulated to increase the reliabil...
Innovative industry engaged project-based learning for civil engineering structural design
2014
Context: An innovative shift undertaken in a third year structural design unit (concrete and steel design) was implemented in 2013. This shift aligned with a University-wide transformation of learning to reduce or replace lecture contact time and move learning to active, student-centred workshops. Coupled with the transformation was the introduction of two industry-engaged design projects for team-based learning and assessment tasks. The initiative required the commitment of staff to re-align teaching and redevelop teaching materials, and design and implement new learning activities, feedback and assessments. This paper reflects on the initial and subsequent current iteration. Purpose or goal: The introduction of student-centred workshops and projects for team based learning sought to increase student engagement and improve students' competencies in communication skills and engineering application ability, in line with the University's graduate attributes and Engineers Austr...
Project-based teaching software for structural design
1988
The paper describes the way in which CAL software has been developed and used to assist in the teaching of structural design, in the context of final-year project work. The software has been written specifically to enable students to design steel portal frames. which are the most common structures used in industrial construction. It is highly interactive. makes considerable use of graphics and "help" facilities. but avoids leading the student automatically towards acceptable solutions. It was developed as part of a British Steel Corporation initiative for teaching of structural steelwork at undergraduate level and runs on a BBC microcomputer. The software is used in the context of a whole-day design exercise in which students work in small groups to produce alternative designs for an industrial shed. Different confi~rations can be compared and the effect of amendments investigated, which has never previously been feasible. Its use during the last three years has shown distinct advantages over existing design teaching methods, particularly in the conceptual aspects.
2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings, 2020
is a Civil Engineer with specializations in structural dynamics and earthquake engineering. He has been a faculty member of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada since 1992. He is currently the Director of the Earthquake Engineering Research Facility (EERF) at UBC, and is the author of more than 300 papers and reports on earthquake engineering, structural dynamics and modal testing. He is a member of several national and international professional societies and advisory committees. Dr. Ventura has conducted research on effects of earthquakes for more than thirty years. His current research is focused on the development of performancebased guidelines for seismic retrofit of schools. In addition to his academic activities, Dr. Ventura is a recognized international consultant on structural vibrations and safety of large Civil Engineering structures.
Buildings
The field of the built environment is evolving, whereby the involvement of a multi-disciplinary team in the project becomes necessary. Complexities of issues keep challenging the industry of Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) and address the importance of skills in collaborative work to deliver a great building design. A building that is not only aesthetic but also durable, sturdy, sustainable, and has positive influences on the surroundings. That said, collaboration skills become essential for students in the field of AEC. Concerning this current need in the industry, it becomes necessary for the educators as well as the undergraduate programs, especially in the field of AEC, to facilitate the students with exposure to a multi-disciplinary environment, to enhance the readiness of their graduates in the industry. The current pandemic makes the efforts harder. This study presents a case study-based research on enhancing the competency and learning experience of students...
2012
The higher education system in Spain changed during academic year 2008-2009. Higher education institutions have implemented new teaching methodologies according to the requirements of the European Higher Education Area. Some of these requirements are the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) and the new teaching / learning process. The actual educational context needs to prepare prospective teachers to meet the challenges of today ́s changing classrooms by providing effective learning methods [1]. The new learning process should be based on competences, active methodologies and continuous assessment. The Universitat Jaume I in Castelló (Spain) recommended the following teaching methodologies: theoretical lectures, problem solving, problembased learning, case studies, project-based learning, cooperative learning, e-portfolios and virtual classroom [2]. As a particular case study, the Degree in Building Engineering [3] at the School of Technology and Experimental Sciences (ESTCE) has...
New Approaches in Civil Engineering Education
7TH INTERNATIONAL PROJECT AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE, 2022
The spread of the digital transformation, which started with Industry 3.0, along with the developing technology, has affected the construction and education sectors as well as different professions and industry groups. It is seen that the use of technologies such as building information modeling (BIM), cyber-physical systems (CPS), laser scanners, virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence has increased with Construction 4.0, especially in the design and construction management stages. It is inevitable that students, who are in these technological and digital transformations, need different methods in terms of perceiving information compared to other generations. While traditional methods are effective for the Y generation and the old, traditional methods lose their effect in the Z and future generations. This situation necessitated a change in education methods and revealed the concept of Education 4.0. In this study, new methods used in civil engineering education, especially in the last 10 years, were investigated. The results obtained from the use of the methods found as a result of the research in civil engineering education, and the advantages and disadvantages of these methods were examined.
Project/Problem Based Learning in Civil Engineering: the Ciudad Real (Spain) Experience
The creation of a civil engineering school in 1998 at the University of Castilla -La Mancha (UCLM) was done with the intention of being complementary with the seven existing and more traditional ones. This paper presents the limitations of the more traditional teaching system used in Spain, experiences from different countries using Project Based Learning, and the experience at UCLM at Ciudad Real. Project Based Learning can be a good alternative to conventional educational approaches, or at least, a good complement, as there is always the necessity of conventional courses to give students the required basic knowledge. There are interesting experiences in universities that will be briefly presented. In some cases the system is used in a very extended way (Aalborg), and in others has different objectives along the educational process (Trondheim). The paper compares these two systems with the one developed at UCLM, in which students are confronted with a group project every semester, from second to fourth year and with an individual one during the final year.