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Integrating Upper-level Undergraduate Students with Graduate Students Through a Video-taped Course in Hydrology

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Paul P. Mathisen Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609

Abstract

This paper describes the development of a graduate-level hydrology class that was offered in conjunction with a senior-level undergraduate class at WPI. The graduate students enrolled in CE 590 (Special problems in hydrology), with three taking the course on-site, while the remaining eight students taking the course off-site via videotape. The undergraduates in this course enrolled in CE 4061 (Introduction to hydrology) and took the course on-site at WPI. For the undergraduate class, course requirements included individual homework assignments, in-class quizzes, and group projects. For the graduate class, course requirements included homework assignments, take-home quizzes, and an independent project. While the lectures are covered the same material for the undergraduates and graduates, the graduates were responsible for a more in-depth understanding of basic topics and additional advanced topics. A number of efforts using available technologies (including videotapes, US Mail, telephone, email, the World-Wide Web (WWW) and interactive video) were used to facilitate information transfer and enhance the learning experience. Graduate project topics were incorporated into the lectures so that contributed material could benefit all student, and lectures by members of the professional community were delivered via interactive video to incorporate practical aspects and to allow a wide range of students and professional to participate. A field trip to the Wachusett Reservoir (located near the WPI campus), which could easily be attended by the on-site students, was videotaped so off-site students could benefit as well. The use of technologies in the course demonstrate how alternative course delivery options can be used to develop a framework that draws the students on the WPI campus closer to members and applications of the professional community.

1. Introduction

For the last decade, there has been a growing concern that a division exists between the professional community and academia. The university or college typically provides the student with an undergraduate education, and then industry takes over and trains the student for the remainder of the student’s career. New approaches are necessary to overcome this division and better prepare both undergraduate and graduate students for their careers after graduation. Fortunately, a number of educators have taken steps toward this goal. For example, Bourham (1997) emphasized the use of research to better prepare undergraduates for post-graduate work, while Middleton and Branch (1996) established collaborative undergraduate-graduate projects to help prepare both undergraduates and graduates for work in a professional environment. Others

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Mathisen, P. P. (1999, June), Integrating Upper Level Undergraduate Students With Graduate Students Through A Video Taped Course In Hydrology Paper presented at 1999 Annual Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina. 10.18260/1-2--8137