Conference Session

Trends in Construction Engineering Education I

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Soller, Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis; Erdogan Sener, Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis

Tagged Divisions

Construction

Management CurriculumAbstract Assessment methodologies that evaluate student development through demonstratedknowledge assure that student education is current, relevant, and comprehensive, thus meetingthe needs of the industry, as well as, that of educational accreditation. However, if theeducational assessment method is a comprehensive exam, or a portfolio, or an exit exam, theremay be little difference in the demonstration of knowledge other than good examinationpreparation or good course work production even if a capstone course is used for the assessmentpurpose This paper focuses on an innovative assessment method used in a capstone course. Thismethod entails analyzing the management of a variety of construction projects by the

Conference Session

Trends in Construction Engineering Education I

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric Asa, North Dakota State University; Zhili (Jerry) Gao

Tagged Divisions

Construction

Page 12.470.2environment. Construction graduates must possess technical strength coupled withcommunication (written and speech), and soft skills. In most of the capstone courses, studentsare given a real-world problem to solve over a period of a semester or a year. Many programshave capstone / project-based courses, which are aimed at training students in solving real worldproblems. Some programs have courses which run for a year. Walker and Slotterbeck1, instudying the incorporation of teamwork into software engineering curriculum, concluded that: (i)there is not enough time to teach software engineering skills and also carry out a significantteam-based project in a single term, (ii) the software development process is best learnt

Conference Session

Innovation in Construction Engineering Education II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Pocock, U.S. Air Force Academy; Steve Kuennen, U.S. Air Force Academy

Tagged Divisions

Construction

Integrating Element of a Comprehensive Civil Engineering CurriculumAbstractThis paper demonstrates how construction can effectively function as the integratingelement of a comprehensive civil and environmental engineering curriculum. The UnitedStates Air Force Academy offers ABET-accredited undergraduate programs in civil andenvironmental engineering. Throughout these programs, construction is used to providerealistic experience, to teach project management, and to provide opportunities for multi-disciplinary capstone experiences.As in many other engineering programs, students at the Air Force Academy spend thefirst two years of study taking many required courses. Before beginning their junior year,students majoring in civil and

Conference Session

Innovation in Construction Engineering Education II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tulio Sulbaran, University of Southern Mississippi; David Marchman, University of Southern Mississippi; Shelton Houston, University of Southern Mississippi

Tagged Divisions

Construction

United States. Alsoin 2003, more than 16,700 people died in run-off-the-road crashes (39 percent of all roadwayfatalities), and head-on crashes represented 12 percent of all fatal crashes. In short, roadwaydepartures are a significant and serious problem in the United States.The work presented herein is a part of a project funded by the Mississippi Department ofTransportation to determine the safety effectiveness of “Rumble Stripes” in reducing roadwaydepartures in Mississippi. More specifically, this paper presents a series of assessments donenationwide to measure the impact of rumble stripes. The content of this paper will serve as thefoundation to establish the method to determine the impact of rumble stripes in Mississippi.This work followed

Conference Session

Trends in Construction Engineering II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yong Bai, University of Kansas; Oswald Chong, University of Kansas

Tagged Divisions

Construction

literature review, there are severalmethods that have been used to assess program outcomes. Some of the examples include alumnisurvey, capstone project, employer survey, fundamentals of engineering (FE) examination,graduate questionnaire, focus group exit interview, and internship report5, 6, 7. Since there areeleven attributes in the ABET Criterion 3, it would be impossible to use only one assessmentmethod to evaluate the outcomes toward attaining acceptable performance of Criterion 3. Anengineering program has to use assessment portfolio approach, in which multiple assessmentmethods are utilized, to demonstrate that the program meets the ABET requirements.Assessment’s most powerful point of impact is the individual classroom8. Traditionally

Conference Session

Innovation in Construction Engineering Education II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gunnar Lucko, Catholic University of America; Panagiotis Tsopelas, Catholic University of America; Timothy Garland, Catholic University of America; Rodrigo Gonzalez, Catholic University of America; Thomas Lee, Catholic University of America; Justin Molineaux, Catholic University of America

Tagged Divisions

Construction

the benefits inuniformity of education and professional qualification are obvious, the adverse effects are notbeing attended to. Students are learning because they are required to learn and not because theyare willing to learn.I am so refreshed to see the implementation of this course into our program. The course has theimmediate scholastic benefits similar to a capstone design course where students pool theirknowledge of simple engineering components to solve complex engineering problems. The keydifference being that these are real projects and real problems. There is now an outside drive ofcompassion and satisfactions which motivates students to learn. The structuring of the course isalso crucial to its success. For students to have any