Conference Session

First-Year Activities and Peer Review Strategies in Civil Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angela R. Bielefeldt, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

Education emerged. 12 The number of papers from the American Society forEngineering Education (ASEE) annual conference that included the terms “global” or“international” in their titles has been increasing, as shown in Figure 1. The diversity of thisliterature cannot be fully described here. However, the papers fall into a few general categories: - International experiences via exchanges, study abroad, and service projects - International collaboration via distance models - Developing student skills to work internationally Page 22.751.2 - Assessing global competencyFigure 1. Number of papers in the ASEE Annual

Conference Session

Program Criteria, Assessment, and Sustainability in Civil Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Allen C. Estes, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

Conference Session

Integration of the Humanities and Social Sciences into Civil Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ronald W. Welch, University of Texas, Tyler

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

the lack of certainknowledge and skills among civil engineering graduates, while at the same timeengineering programs were facing pressure to decrease credit hour requirements inundergraduate curriculums. ASCE formed a committee to study and develop a CivilEngineering Body of Knowledge (BOK)1 to document the requisite knowledge, skills,and attitudes necessary for future civil engineers. Two key areas that resulted from theBOK and an effort to demonstrate the BOK outcomes by the ASCE CurriculumCommittee2 were a need to define expected performance levels by these new engineersthrough Bloom’s taxonomy3 as well as the addition of four new outcomes focused onadditional professional topics and discipline depth. Very quickly it was determined by

Conference Session

First-Year Activities and Peer Review Strategies in Civil Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Katherine Kuder, Seattle University; Nirmala Gnanapragasam, Seattle University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

graded report is returned, their focus has likely shifted to the next assignmentand they may not even reflect on the feedback received. Peer-reviews were implemented in twoCivil Engineering laboratory classes: Mechanics of Materials and Soil Mechanics. The primarypurpose of these reviews was two-fold: (1) students were required to think more holisticallyabout their own writing and the writing process and (2) students were exposed to the technicalwriting process, which includes rough drafts, reviews and revisions. Students preparedpreliminary drafts of their reports and then exchanged reports with classmates for review. Thereview feedback from their classmate was then used in the preparation of the final report. Finalreports were submitted to the

Conference Session

First-Year Activities and Peer Review Strategies in Civil Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Luciana Barroso, Texas A&M University; James R. Morgan, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

for the course, but it is also a criticalengineering skill for students. This paper presents a model for classroom practice, which is basedon the peer review, tutoring, and teaching literature, to develop both knowledge and skills instudents.IntroductionActive and project-based learning (PBL) strategies provide a great means for students to enhancetheir learning and further develop critical engineering skills [1-6]. PBL provides complex tasksbased on challenging questions or problems that involve the students' problem solving, decisionmaking, investigative skills, and reflection. The activities are student centered and focus on real-world problems and issues, which further helps motivate students to learn. However, studentsstill struggle with

Conference Session

Civil Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Haluk M. Aktan, Western Michigan University; John Stephen Polasek P.E., Western Michigan University; Kevin James Phillips

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

Structural Analysis and Engineering Construction Management, from Western Michigan University. Graduated from Western Michigan University in Spring 2010, with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engi- neering. Page 22.867.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2011 Capstone Design Factory “Industry University Partnership in Restructuring Senior Design Course I & II” John S. Polasek P.E.1, Kevin Phillips2, Haluk Aktan Ph.D., P.E.3

Conference Session

Civil Engineering Education and Workforce Development Challenges

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chris R. Rehmann, Iowa State University; Diane T. Rover, Iowa State University; Mark Laingen, Iowa State University; Steven K. Mickelson, Iowa State University; Thomas J. Brumm, Iowa State University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

most with identifying key variables andderiving the behavior over time from causal loop diagrams.IntroductionThe College of Engineering at Iowa State University (ISU) aims to educate engineers who canaddress the grand challenges identified by the National Academy of Engineering 1. Thesechallenges include providing abundant clean water, renewable non-polluting energy, safe roadsand bridges, access to modern health care, sustainable agriculture and manufacturing, andprotection from natural and man-made disasters. The large scale of these challenges and theimportance of infrastructure make them especially relevant for civil engineers. Engineers whocan tackle such problems need not only solid technical skills but also strengths in leadership

Conference Session

Use of Technology in Civil Engineering Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Diane L. Bondehagen, Florida Gulf Coast University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

this assignment as you would like.”The raison d'être of these lifelong learning assignments was to cultivate in the students thepractice of self-learning required for true lifelong learning 5,6. The students were required toaccess new material and demonstrate they can learn this material on their own and apply thisknowledge to the course assignment. In order to evaluate and focus student efforts, an evaluationrubric (Table 1) and specific instructions were provided by the professor for both assignments7,8,9 . In the assignment instructions, the professor directed the students to write a clear, succinctanalysis of their research and chosen applications of Fluid Mechanics principles. In fact,throughout our course, written and communication

Conference Session

Integration of the Humanities and Social Sciences into Civil Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeffrey C. Evans, Bucknell University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

because theycontribute to understanding the context of problems. The solution to any given engineeringproblem depends, in part, on the richness of the engineer’s understanding of context. Thinkingmust be systematic and guided by analysis and assessment of relevant information (i.e. criticalthinking). As noted elsewhere 5 , a critical thinker 6 : 1) raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely; 2) gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively, comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards; 3) thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as

Conference Session

Use of Technology in Civil Engineering Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Taylor Halverson, Brigham Young University; Rollin H. Hotchkiss, Brigham Young University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

life; seeing and making the connections between what is learnedand everyday life).1 In response to these identified needs, accrediting agencies and otherinstitutions (e.g., ABET, ASCE) have recommended changes to engineering educationalpractices to more fully meet these needs.2,3 Team-based and project-based learning is one valideducational practice that can help learners meet these objectives.4In a fluid dynamics course taught at Brigham Young University (BYU), we introduced a team-based and project-based assignment, believing that students would recognize that such anassignment could help them develop better communication, teamwork, design, and applicationcompetencies. We also reasoned that students would report deeper understanding of and

Conference Session

The CE Profession: Perspectives from the U.S. & Canada

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Martin E. Bollo, British Columbia Institute of Technology; Carlos Estuardo Ventura, University of British Columbia

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

the undergraduate curriculum) in terms ofcredit hours in these programs ranged from 74.0% to 89.8%1. Core courses make up89.8% of the credit hour requirements at the University of British Columbia (UBC),which until 2010 was the only institution in British Columbia (B.C.) to offer anaccredited program in Civil Engineering. There is therefore limited opportunity to takespecialized and advanced optional technical structural engineering courses in the typicalCanadian undergraduate civil engineering program and in B.C. specifically.The practice of Professional Engineering in Canada is self-regulated by Provincial andTerritorial associations. Each of the associations’ Code of Ethics are modeled on those ofEngineers Canada, which contains an

Conference Session

Attracting and Retaining Students in Civil Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rhonda K. Young, University of Wyoming; Kristen L. Sanford P.E., Lafayette College; Steven W. Beyerlein, University of Idaho, Moscow; Andrea Bill, University of Madison, Wisconsin; Michael Kyte, University of Idaho, Moscow; Kevin Heaslip, Utah State University; David S. Hurwitz, Oregon State University; Shashi S. Nambisan, Iowa State University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

in this effort, including further development and assessment,are explored.

Introduction
Transportation engineering workforce development at the university level is commonlypromoted through civil engineering programs. Nearly all of the nation’s 224 civil engineeringprograms have one or two required transportation courses as part of their undergraduateprogram.1 For some civil engineering sub-disciplines, such as geotechnical, materials, structures,and hydraulics, a logical sequence of required prerequisite courses leads to the required courses.For other disciplines, such as transportation, the logic and sequence is less clear. A lack of clarityand connection with other sub-disciplines pose significant challenges for faculty, students

Conference Session

Civil Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ronald W. Welch, University of Texas, Tyler

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

anoutcome by performance level and percentage of overall grade.1.0 IntroductionThe American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recognized the lack of certainknowledge and skills among civil engineering graduates at about the same time manyuniversities were experiencing pressure to decrease credit hours and decrease time tograduation. ASCE formed a committee to study and develop a Civil Engineering Body ofKnowledge (BOK)1 to document the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessaryfor future civil engineers. This new civil engineering BOK included the ABET2 EC20003a-k outcomes (adopted in 1997). Two key issues associated with the BOK were: 1) alack of a clear definition of expected performance levels by these new engineers eventhough the

Conference Session

Program Criteria, Assessment, and Sustainability in Civil Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mikhail Gershfeld, S.E., California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Judith Ellen Sheine, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Gary LeMarr McGavin, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Department of Architecture

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

(whatexactly is “materiality”?), by their unfamiliarity with researching and learning through case stu-dies, something that the architecture students do almost every term, and with the unconventionaldesigns proposed by the architecture students. The architecture students were not comfortablewith accepting the reality of wood construction and adjusting their designs to meet the limita-tions of the material, with making basic design decisions early enough for the engineers to com-plete their analysis by the end of the quarter, and with having an elective that was structured sothat they essentially had two studio classes in one quarter.Several challenges emerged in this first class. It became fairly clear, that (1) the class should beset up as a full

Conference Session

Civil Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christianna Irene White, Iowa State University, Institute for Transportation; David J. White, Iowa State University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

thatin their study, ―above all other skills required to be ‗an effective engineer‘ communication wasranked as ‗essential‘ by more than 60% of [their] respondents.‖ They call out three themes withinthe communication skills category: ―[1] big picture awareness . . . being able to communicatewith others outside of his [sic] discipline. . . . [2] willingness to proactively seek out discussion,clarification, or even debate. . . [and] 3] being a good listener.16However, they conclude by suggesting a dissonance with these professional abilities and thecommunication practices presently assessed in engineering education.16Approaches to Teaching Engineering CommunicationTo address the need for well-prepared engineering communicators, nearly every

Conference Session

First-Year Activities and Peer Review Strategies in Civil Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Megan L. Hart, Saint Louis University, Parks College of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

accomplish these outcomes, while retainingdeclared majors as a small emerging program in an established college, innovative techniques wereencouraged and applied throughout the program coursework. Of particular concern is the first yearexperience, or freshman year, as the first year has been cited as a critical decision making juncture forretention in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) (1, 2).Completion surveys from previous students consistently pointed to the traditional common freshmanengineering introductory course as lacking in engagement. Anecdotal evidence on these surveys associatedthis course with major changes out of engineering. To achieve retention of majors and stay competitivewithin an established college, the newly

Conference Session

Civil Engineering Education and Workforce Development Challenges

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steven D. Hart, U.S. Military Academy; Ledlie Klosky, U.S. Military Academy, West Point; Joseph P. Hanus, U.S. Military Academy; Karl F. Meyer, U.S. Military Academy; Jason Allen Toth; Morgan Reese, U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

State of the Union address, President Obama declaredthat “Next, we can put Americans to work today building the infrastructure of tomorrow”[1], andhe stressed the importance of keeping pace with China, Germany and India in providinginfrastructure to support economic development. Across the spectrum of American politics,from local to federal, there is an emerging consensus about the need for greater focus on therenovation and creation of infrastructure. It would be a mistake to believe that this is just a fad.Two previous trends, environmental remediation and sustainability, serve as examples of long-term engineering issues that somewhat suddenly went through a large increase in publicawareness, and ten to twenty years later, those issues have

Conference Session

Enhancing Instructional Effectiveness in Civil Engineering: Case Studies

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Morgan Reese, U.S. Military Academy; Joseph P. Hanus, U.S. Military Academy; Ledlie Klosky, U.S. Military Academy, West Point

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

the non-verbal communication that takesplace during face-to-face interaction.DiscussionOne of the ongoing initiatives in Engineering Education is the ExCEEd program, which issponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineering. The workshop where this program istaught to new faculty members occurs two times a year in various locations, and has been offeredfor twelve years. This weeklong workshop, which typically has 24 participants each time it isoffered and is offered primarily to new faculty members with 3 years or less experience, relies onthe participants embracing and developing their skills in the six main elements of the ExCEEdModel, pictured in Fig. 1, to establish them as the class leader and a role model. The sixelements

Conference Session

Civil Engineering Education and Workforce Development Challenges

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brock E. Barry, U.S. Military Academy; Kathryn Purchase, U.S. Military Academy; Marc J. Sanborn, U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

, while the number of researchpapers was on the rise.Suggested Scholarship StandardsIn a call for continuous improvement in the scholarship of engineering education research,Streveler & Smith (2006) define rigorous research using the guidelines provided by the NationalResearch Council (NRC). The NRC has published a report titled Scientific Research inEducation (Shavelson & Towne, 2002). That report states that rigorous research in educationshould address the following guiding principles: 1. Pose significant questions that can be answered empirically 2. Link research to relevant theory 3. Use methods that permit direct investigation of the question 4. Provide a coherent and explicit chain of reasoning 5. Replicate and

Conference Session

Attracting and Retaining Students in Civil Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sameer Hamoush P.E., North Carolina A&T State University; Ellie H. Fini, North Carolina A&T State University; Mahour Mellat Parast, University of North Carolina, Pembroke; Sanjiv Sarin, North Carolina A&T State University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

,Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).1 Providing students with real-life projects and challengesrelated to their majors can therefore be instrumental in fostering and maintaining their interest inSTEM. Being exposed to real projects and brainstorming society’s current challenges providestudents with a broader perspective related to the social-environment aspect of the application ofthe basic concepts they learn.1Currently, most institutions use a pedagogical philosophy of creating a bookend curriculum thatimplements project-based courses at the beginning and end of the undergraduate engineeringcurriculum. First-year engineering courses introduce students to the basic design process and itsrole in an engineering career. Senior capstone courses aim to

Conference Session

The CE Profession: Perspectives from the U.S. & Canada

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tanya Kunberger, Florida Gulf Coast University; Steven J. Burian, University of Utah; Whitney A. Lutey, Montana State University; Audra N. Morse, Texas Tech University; Robert O'Neill, Florida Gulf Coast University; Kristen L. Sanford P.E., Lafayette College; Andrea L. Welker, Villanova University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

engineers) in 1972 to 332,700 (counting civil and environmental engineers) in2008.1,2 Projections of employment numbers into 2018 show civil and environmentalengineering possessing anticipated growth rates of twenty-four and thirty-one percentrespectively.1 These rates are considered to be much faster than the average for all occupationsand lag behind only biomedical in the engineering field which suggests that the civil engineeringworkforce will continue to be critical for society both now and into the future.In terms of percent of the overall engineering workforce, civil engineering has proven itself to bea steady to slightly increasing occupation since the final quarter of the last century. In 1972,civil and architectural engineers accounted for

Conference Session

Status of CE Education: Today & Tomorrow

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen J. Ressler, U.S. Military Academy; Daniel R. Lynch, Dartmouth College

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

policy stated that the Society “supports the concept of the master’s degree as the FirstProfessional Degree for the practice of civil engineering at the professional level.”1 Chargedwith implementing Policy Statement 465, the ASCE Committee on Academic Prerequisites forProfessional Practice (CAP3) determined that any consideration of academic degree requirementsshould derive from a more fundamental analysis of the profession’s BOK.The concept of a formalized professional BOK is well established in the sociology ofprofessions. According to Eliot Freidson, one of the principal defining characteristics of aprofession is an officially recognized BOK that is based on abstract concepts and requires theexercise of discretionary judgment.2 In Andrew

Conference Session

Program Criteria, Assessment, and Sustainability in Civil Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Melissa M. Bilec, University of Pittsburgh; Chris Hendrickson, Carnegie Mellon University; Amy E. Landis, University of Pittsburgh; Scott Matthews, Carnegie Mellon University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

engineering departments, 89% of the respondentsreported teaching sustainable engineering courses.IntroductionSustainable engineering interest has been growing rapidly in the past decade. Numerousengineering schools offer courses or programs in this general area, often with local variations toreflect faculty and schools’ specialized interests and knowledge. A survey of administrativeheads for nearly 1400 Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accreditedengineering programs conducted by the Center for Sustainable Engineering (CSE) found thatmore than 80% of the respondents (representing roughly 20% of the 1400 engineering programs)reported some level of sustainable engineering content in existing courses (CSE 2008)1.While there is

Conference Session

Use of Technology in Civil Engineering Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tanya Kunberger, Florida Gulf Coast University; Kristine R. Csavina, Florida Gulf Coast University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

new topic by solving problems inteams at the board. After a topic is introduced and a short problem solved as a class at the boardwith the instructor, students break into small groups at the instructor’s call to arms, “To TheBoards!” It has been well documented through course assessment surveys that studentsappreciate and value the time they have to work problems during class, to discuss solutions withtheir classmates, and to ask questions of the professors.1 A common critique from theseassessments is the lack of time students have to copy their work from the board into their notes.While some groups finish early and have ample time to copy their solution, many do not finishthe problem before the instructor briefly reviews the solution and

Conference Session

Civil Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert L. Mokwa, Montana State University; Zachary Lee Morris, Montana State University; Whitney A. Lutey, Montana State University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

. High quality digital images can be obtained of the microstructureduring loading or during environmental changes, such as fluctuations in temperatures ormoisture. Tomographic studies on geomaterials conducted during the past two decades(1, 2, 3, 4)indicate that x-ray CT technology provides a viable means for nondestructively observing,measuring, and quantifying the internal microstructure of geomaterials.X-ray computer-aided tomography (CT) provides an alternate approach for measuring soilmicrostructure. An x-ray CT scan consists of two processes: 1) data collection and 2) imagereconstruction. During the data collection stage, a specimen is digitally photographed frommultiple angles as it is exposed to x-ray beams. X-rays are invisible, high

Conference Session

Enhancing Instructional Effectiveness in Civil Engineering: Case Studies

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ronald W. Welch, University of Texas, Tyler; Clifton B. Farnsworth, University of Texas, Tyler

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

evaluations (Fig. 1).4 Figure 24 shows the delta in improvement over six years,and current data shows very consistent results. Interestingly, a fair number of the ASCE Page 22.1645.3ExCEEd Teaching Workshop participants are seasoned faculty who are still needing tolearn how to teach effectively. ExCEED 2007 Long Term Self Assessment Feedback Overall Assessment Lesson Organization Presentation of Material

Conference Session

Program Criteria, Assessment, and Sustainability in Civil Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ronald W. Welch, University of Texas, Tyler

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

analogies to the need formultiple assessment measures would be the need for multiple camera views during themaking of a movie or multiple camera views during instant replay calls in sports ormultiple identical tests during research. Each view or test provides critical insight into theconclusion before making the decision for a call reversal, research publication, orchanges to a program.Some of the common assessment methods used around the country are: External Exams,Internal Exams, Capstones, Surveys, Embedded Indicators, Course Assessments, andIndustrial or External Advisory Committees.1 External Exams are the most desired since Page 22.1294.2they

Conference Session

Use of Technology in Civil Engineering Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Harry Cooke, Rochester Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

of 4.0 (4.0 being thehighest/best rating) to the two survey statements that “Soils Magic was fun” and “Soils Magicwas interesting”. Both groups of authors reported that the most effective “Soils Magic”demonstrations were the ones where students were actually physically involved or assisted withthe experiments.The primary purpose of the current study presented in this paper is to investigate whether theperformance, and follow-up discussion, of soil behavior demonstrations (from the book SoilsMagic) in the lectures of an introductory, undergraduate soil mechanics course will 1) increasestudent thinking about soil behavior and 2) improve student understanding of the soil behaviorsillustrated by the experiments. A secondary purpose of the study

Conference Session

Status of CE Education: Today & Tomorrow

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kenneth J. Fridley, University of Alabama

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

credit hour requirements oftoday’s bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and closely related fields. While this paper doesnot address any historical trends, it does provide a comprehensive description of today’s degreerequirements. This include both total credit hour requirement for degree as well as a breakdown Page 22.1531.2of the credit hours required in the traditional ABET categories of mathematics and basic sciences,general engineering topics, and general education [2].Description of Survey and RespondentsA short and focused survey was developed which requested the following information: 1. Total credit hours required in “engineering

Conference Session

Status of CE Education: Today & Tomorrow

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James J O'Brien Jr., American Society of Civil Engineers; Ping Wei, American Society of Civil Engineers; Dion K. Coward, American Society of Civil Engineers

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

engineering topics, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is theLead Society for ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC). Under ASCE’s LeadSociety responsibilities, there are 227 civil engineering programs (226 bachelors and 1 mastersprograms), 17 architectural engineering programs, 11 construction engineering programs, andthree “other” engineering programs. Also under ASCE’s Lead Society responsibilities forABET’s Technology Accreditation Commission (TAC), there are 55 civil engineeringTechnology programs, 19 architectural engineering technology programs, 28 constructionengineering technology programs, and seven “other” engineering technology programs.Enrollment DataAll student enrollment and degree information provided in this