Paper ID #39532Board 42: WIP: Reflections on teaching an engineering course throughmurder mysteriesKrishna Kumar, University of Texas at Austin Krishna Kumar is an Assistant Professor in Civil, Architecture, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Krishna completed his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge in 2015 on multi-scale multiphase modeling of granular flows and was supervised by Professor Kenichi Soga. Krishna’s research interest spans high-performance computing, numerical modeling, and explainable AI of natural hazards. He has developed massively parallel micro-/macro-scale numerical
consider the diversity of learning styles [7] that exist within this population. Learningstyles according to Felder and Silverman [8] are preferences in the way one learns that can bedefined in four dimensions: Active-Reflective, Sensing-Intuitive, Visual-Verbal and Sequential-Global. Some research suggests that a good way to understand differences in individuals to supportclassroom learning is through the understanding of each person’s learning style [9]. It is noted thatlearning styles are not necessarily the only way that students can learn, but suggest theirpreferences in learning. Research also suggests that if the teaching style of teachers and learningstyles of students match, learning can best be achieved [10]. Among literature on
cognitively but also in the affectivedomain, fostering students’ identity as engineers who have an entrepreneurial mindset. We presenttwo accounts of how story-driven learning and focused team development were integrated intodifferent courses and highlight how they can amplify the impacts of activities fostering curiosity,connections, and value creation (the 3Cs), which nurture entrepreneurial mindset. In one, thisresults in students who have more clarity regarding their own engineering identity and the uniqueperspectives their peers can contribute. In the other, students learned and applied principles ofeffective teaming and used stories to reflect on their experiences. Student reflections, individuallyand in teams, show augmented self-awareness
reflection implementation asks students to submit initialattempts at the homework problems to earn credit for completion. Then the students use aninstructor-provided solution to check and correct their work, also for completion-based credit.Alongside the dual submission homework problems, students may develop their metacognitiveskills by completing short reflections on their learning. To increase student responsibility forcontent mastery in a junior-level course, initial submission with immediate assessmentimplementation asks students to check their own work without granting credit for corrections. Ina senior-level course, an auto-graded with rework submission implementation gives students anopportunity to earn 100% credit regardless of initial
and Professional Field Trips Development Leadership team of campus org Objective: Create a Case competitions stackable-units digital Complete LinkedIn and badge program Handshake profiles Research Read and reflect on transportation careers & certifications
around the globe, economically,culturally, socially, and ethically. In the present project, we have launched and have begundevelopment of a web platform open to the world that focuses on economic, ethical, andcommunity issues in global oil production. Development of the web platform, titled PetroleumEngineer, is modeled on the highly successful web platform for students’ reactions toengineering ethics, the Ethical Engineer: https://EthicalEngineer.ttu.edu. The PetroleumEngineer website is being developed through a required undergraduate course in the PE major.The primary materials for the Petroleum Engineer website are petroleum engineering casestudies, approximately 1000 words in length. Students read and reflect on a case study, post acomment
engineering services” as this was the intent of the terminology they used. Thischange will be reflected in future editions of the CEBOK.The preface goes on to state: All civil engineers, including students studying civil engineering, those who teach civil engineering, early career civil engineers, those who mentor early career engineers, those who employ civil engineers, those who design civil engineering projects, those who lead and manage groups of civil engineers and civil engineering projects, and those who conduct research in civil engineering should be interested in the CEBOK3, as we all, as members of an amazing and exciting profession, should be committed to and supportive of preparing the next
and intuitively.Lib [1] described a series of steps used to develop high levels of skill in a sport. These stepsincluded drills and practice, a coach, and most importantly by playing the sport. Lib contrastedthese steps to a conventional engineering classroom approach wherein a person is being talked toabout the sport and rarely, if ever, plays. In the context of the engineering classroom, formationof engineers, and development of subject mastery we summarize these simple steps proposed byLib as: 1) a series of iterative tasks repeated many times until correct, 2) by working with expertswho observe and instruct and correct and provide a structure of iterative and progressiveconstructive failure, and 3) by reflecting on their progress and
theirdemonstrated success in effecting academic change; we are particularly interested in learningfrom their experiences with and suggestions for creating DEIJ-focused changes. This papersynthesizes what we learned in a series of semi-structured interviews in which we asked about 1)their perspectives on community of practice as a theory of change and whether it is appropriatefor this work, and 2) their reflections on and examples of effective DEIJ efforts as well asbarriers to operationalizing change theories in practice.The following section introduces the CIT-E CoP in the context of the literature on communitiesof practice as a theory of change. Then, we describe our methods and results; this is followed bya discussion of what we have learned so far
mindfulness(see [6] for a detailed review). The first author's (instructor's) experience through end-of-semester student reflections in her other classes and classroom observations strongly supportsstudents' receptiveness to practice mindfulness in the classroom. It is worth noting that theinstructor has been utilizing mindfulness activities in sophomore to senior-level civil engineeringand fundamental mechanics courses for the past four years.Mindfulness practices, innovation, and creativity: Cognition is all forms of knowing andawareness, such as perceiving, conceiving, remembering, reasoning, judging, imagining, andproblem-solving [7]. A research study [18] in psychology revealed that brief mindfulnessinterventions in novices could improve mood
implemented in the respective firstyear classes this semester, Spring 2023. The team is piloting several assessments this semester. Toassess the perceived impact on learning and perceived difficulty we will be asking the students tocomplete a simple survey (See Appendix D.) To assess a delta in comprehension of diversity,equity, inclusion, and social justice, we will be giving the same pre- and post-assessment askingstudents to define each of the above. (See Appendix E.) After the hands-on activity students willalso reflect on how they think the activity is related to diversity, equity and inclusion. The teamseeks to investigate if there is any correlation between a student’s learning style and theircomprehension of DEI and justice. Hence, each
motivate and retainthose students in a program of study. Ensuring that students remain motivated by theireducational program greatly increases the likelihood that they will successfully complete themajor.The study presented within this paper used a course-generated student essay that reflects on whystudents at a particular academic institution selected the civil engineering major. The essayassignment has been used over multiple course administrations during a five-year period. Essayswere reviewed for reference to a series of nine specific motivations for selecting the academicStudents at the United States Military Academy (West Point) select their academic major duringthe spring of their first year. They start coursework in their major during the
wasjust one among several other seminars that touched on topics such as a review of resumes andLinkedIn, the role of licensure, leadership lessons from top-level civil engineering executives,the role of business and public policy in civil engineering, negotiating, job benefits, taking theFundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam, ethics, and graduate school and continuing educationoptions. It was offered as a one (1) credit course meeting for an hour once a week. Assignmentswould consist of writing exercises including some professional in nature (resume, LinkedInprofile, career plan), an ethics essay, reflections responding to various speakers’ seminars, and abook review.The first year the course was introduced, spring of 2020, there was one seminar
topics of ethics and sustainability, as well as being a stand-alonetopic in 2020-2022. Each of these three topics had an associated individual homeworkassignment supported by readings and/or online videos. The specific prompts and readings/videos changed over time. The DEI teaching practices aligned with self-determination theory(e.g., autonomy). Evidence of the effectiveness of the DEI integration approaches is provided viacontent analysis of a homework assignment and the final reflective essay. In addition, there wasno evidence of student resistance to DEI topics in the course. The results provide specificexamples that can support civil engineering programs in fulfilling the new proposed ABET civilengineering program criterion related to
. Since then, there have beennumerous adapted definitions proposed and used by various researchers and educators [1]. Thedefinition used in this paper was proposed by Bringle, et al. in 2006: Service learning is a credit-bearing educational experience in which students (a) participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and (b) reflect on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of personal values and civic responsibilityThis definition of service learning works well for engineering classes because it explicitlydescribes the goal of students both identifying and working
design to collect and analyzeboth quantitative and qualitative data from faculty and students. The recorded data included adiverse group of individuals, including females, males, and multiple races. The demographics arepresented in Figure 4. This research surveyed all Ph.D. students and faculty within the disciplineof WE working at the natural hazards engineering research infrastructure (NHERI) Wall of Wind(WOW) Experimental Facility. This facility, which is funded by the National ScienceFoundation (NSF), is one of the largest ABL wind tunnels worldwide and the only one that cansimulate hurricane wind speeds up to and including Category 5 Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpsonscale [33], [34]. Thus, rendering and reflecting the sample to be
given to assessstudent learning. Pre-module and post-module voluntary climate literacy surveys were conducted.The surveys had a good participation rate, and the preliminary results are presented in this paper.The surveys provided a general picture of civil engineering students’ perception/engagementwith climate change and identified areas needing to be strengthened in teaching and learning ofclimate change. Survey data, learning assessments, and teaching reflections will guide futureimprovements to integrating the topic of climate change into the university’s civil engineeringprogram, including other courses, such as Capstone senior design, in the curriculum.IntroductionAnthropogenic climate change is affecting the planet in an irreversible way
make can reveal their interests. For example, rational choice theory indicates thatchoices are based on a cost : benefit analysis of alternatives [47], [48]. So choices may reflectperceived costs like requiring more time or difficulty, rather than intrinsic interest in the topic.However, students’ choices can also reflect other factors such as primacy bias, which results inpreferential selection of options listed first [49], [50].For local context, over the past ten years the overall number of undergraduate students majoringin civil engineering at CU has declined from a high of 294 in 2012, making up 8.8% ofundergraduates in the College of Engineering, to a low of 219 in 2022, making up only 3.8% ofthe undergraduates in the College of
) experience.Though in the early stages of the data analysis, we believe that tools such as this are incrediblyimportant in times of online learning and decreasing retention rates. Anecdotally, students areciting lack of engagement as a reason for leaving higher education. We believe that a mixedreality gaming educational model may help mitigate the impact of COVID-19-like crises.Student and instructor reflections captured quantitatively and qualitatively through mixed modes 8revealed confirmation of this belief. GeoExplorer is a tool that is still under development toinclude more practical experience and opportunities for students to develop
PowerPoints and light board writing videos resulting in 105 videos (2 to 13min each; M=6.75min.).For the AE 530 flip, videos were mostly PowerPoints due to the graphical complexity with a total of 115videos (2.5 to 13.25min each; M=6.75min.). Flipping each class freed up a total of 12hrs for AE 401 and16hrs for AE 530 across a 15 week duration. Examples were still done in class. It was debated early onwhether to flip examples but it was not done so that real-time engagement and reflective questioningopportunities remained. Having shifted 12 or 16hrs to pre-class time allowed for more interactive examples/ scenarios, as well as, time to work on assignments. Here, examples were increased by approximately 10%.Table 4 provides a larger perspective of the
; Clarke, S. (2009). Doing interdisciplinarity: motivation and collaboration in research for sustainable agriculture in the UK. Area, 41(4), 374–384. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1475-4762.2008.00859.XHorn, A., van der Meij, M. G., Willems, W. L., Kupper, F., & Zweekhorst, M. B. M. (2022). Developing interdisciplinary consciousness for sustainability: using playful frame reflection to challenge disciplinary bias. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 18(1), 515–530. https://doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2022.2095780Jepsen, A. L., & Eskerod, P. (2009). Stakeholder analysis in projects: Challenges in using current guidelines in the real world. International Journal of Project Management, 27(4), 335–343. https
three courses. Approximately 91% (75out of 83) of the invited students in CE 3110, 33% (21 out of 64) in CE 3220, and 37% (29 out of80) in CE 3510 responded to the surveys.Students responded to a series of questions to reflect on their learning experience such as if theprojects enabled them to use their strengths/talents, enhanced the skill of applying theirknowledge to real life examples, and if they used their creativity. It was investigated if thetimeline, the instructions, and the feedback system were appropriate for the projects. Finally, aquestion on the accessibility and approachability of the instructors and teaching assistants wasasked. The results of the surveys are described below.Figure 1 shows that a majority of the respondents (69
theories.Constructivism Learning Theory:Constructivism - a theory based on observation and scientific study about how people learn. Thetheory states that through experience and reflection on various experiences, individuals areguided to construct their understanding and knowledge of the world [11]. Experiment-centeredpedagogy integrates problem-based activities and constructivist education by allowing studentsto actively engage in the learning process by drawing on their prior experiences andunderstanding to generate new information or understanding.According to constructivism, learning takes place under the following four assumptions: 1. Learning involves active cognitive processing. 2. Learning is adaptive. 3. Learning is subjective, not objective
in the number of units and modes of instruction for individual courses. • There are many university level committees making decisions (common courses committee, university conversion committee, undeclared majors committee, calendar committee) that effect the program. Get faculty to serve on those committees. • There was no formal methodology used. The program did prepare a reflection report looking at five other programs before starting.Our a priori expectation was that this is a parallel process and a once-in-a-generation opportunityto take a fresh holistic look at the curriculum. It was surprising that both programs interviewedtold us not to do that. There was not time in the conversion schedule to do that
Australia – EUR-ACE system Accreditation Washington Accord Duration civil engineering Four years Five years programThis multiple-case design has also been underpinned by a constructivist paradigm, whichacknowledges that the researcher (lead author) has created meaning based on interpretations ofthe educational responses in the civil engineering curriculum. These interpretations are context-dependent and guided by people’s actions under particular contextual settings [14]. Therefore,the findings of this research reflected the subjective construction of knowledge between theresearcher and the interpretation of the data [15].A cross-case analysis explored similarities and
questioning if she should bean engineer, which seemed to be a common feeling within her social circle. Today, as a recentgraduate, she explains that she sees engineering as a career and something that she is passionateabout, but not as an integral part of her because this status could change over time.Lastly, when reflecting on her identities within the context of civil engineering, Camille sharesthe following thoughts: “I think about when I was a kid, and I didn't see people who looked like me or who were like me. I wonder if I had met someone who was like me, would that have helped me? That makes me want to be that for someone else, I want to motivate people. You can't change anything if you don't start with yourself. I
-reflection summary on their scoring results and howthey plan to improve on three specific areas. Students also watch a portion of the ASCE [21]video on “Recognizing the Importance of Leadership during Covid-19 and Beyond” to makeconnections of how practicing engineers use leadership skills to address current real-world publichealth issues. For the ethics section, since all fourth-year students have already been exposed toengineering ethics in previous courses, the discussion focuses on real world “day-to-day”engineering dilemmas that may be faced. First, the ASCE Code of Ethics [22] is presented anddiscussion of any updates to the code are provided. Then, “Suggested Tests to Evaluate Action”are provided to give students methods for coping
). o Consider scaffolding learning objectives or ordering the learning objectives/report sections according to cognitive levels, for instance, formatting conventions, introduction, methods, graph/table, interpretation, ideas, and conclusions. o Consolidate some module contents to support a new organizational scheme. Editorial changes o Change module titles (e.g., Primary and Secondary Sources becomes Discussion). o Replace “lab report” with “lab writing” to allow for more genres (reports, memos, letters, reflection question responses, fill-in-the-blank, etc.) while still achieving one or more of the lab-writing outcomes. o
among participants with variouslevels of problem solving and engineering fieldwork experience in defining being creative (or not)in solving ill-structured engineering problems. The collected data reflects that the three groups have a variety of definitions of beingcreative (or not) throughout the problem solving process. Common themes include the following:Undergraduate students focus on relating creativity to generating multiple original ideas, andgenerating ideas that are extravagant and/or out of the box. This is different from faculty memberswhich consider creativity to come from accumulated background knowledge and past experiences,and engineering practitioners which more often consider the safety- and risk-related
story, there has been action and adventure,as well as reflection and thoughtful application (of the engineering principles). Just as he reachesthe end of the lesson and is about to close with a thought-provoking question, one of the studentsin the back corner of the classroom nearest the door stands up. Ace pauses mid-sentence and staresfor one second, crestfallen that the student is about to walk out on him. While thoughts of failureand ways to improve race through his mind, a sudden “CLAP!” grabs his attention!Act V: Resolution (or Catastrophe)The clap is followed by another clap, and then another, as student after student begins to stand andapplaud his performance. While it certainly might not have been what they were expecting,students know