Conference Session

Sustainability in Engineering Curricula

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary McCormick, Tufts University; Kristina Lawyer, Michigan Technological University; Meredith Berlin, University of Colorado - Boulder; Chris Swan, Tufts University; Kurt Paterson, Michigan Technological University; Angela Bielefeldt, University of Colorado, Boulder; Jonathan Wiggins, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

. Concurrently, the National Academy of Engineers (NAE) 1, 8 created theTechnology and Sustainable Development program, aimed at illuminating the relationshipbetween ecology, economic growth, and the environment. In 1994, the American Society forEngineering Education (ASEE) issued a statement recommending that “Engineering studentsshould learn about sustainable development and sustainability in the general educationcomponent of the curriculum as they are preparing for the major design experience” 9,10. Thebasis for these calls for “reformation” can be traced to Our Common Future, also known as theBrundtland Report, issued by the United Nations World Commission on Environment andDevelopment (WCED) in 1987. The Brundtland Report alerted the world to the

Conference Session

Engaging Students

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nicole Berge, University of South Carolina; Joseph Flora, University of South Carolina

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

engineering education shouldevolve from traditional lecture style instruction to models involving student centered (or activelearning) techniques, such as collaborative, inquiry, and problem-based learning. Incorporationof activities invoking student involvement during class meetings has been shown to fosterdevelopment of critical thinking and problem solving skills, as well as creativity and innovation,while enhancing retention of course material.1-5 The type of activity employed will likely dictatethe degree of critical thinking and problem solving skill development, as well as the degree ofmaterial retention. Integration of such activities may occur within a class meeting (such as relatively shortactivities) or may play a more major role

Conference Session

Engaging Students

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kristen Sanford Bernhardt, Lafayette College; Sharon Jones, Lafayette College; Christopher Ruebeck, Lafayette College; Jacqueline Isaacs, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

educational games and simulations. The followingparagraphs briefly review what is known in these areas of inquiry and relate them to simulationexercises in general and our work in particular.Behavioral theory is based on the belief that we learn that certain behaviors are good (or bad)based on the rewards, and/or punishments we receive for repeated actions; in other words desiredbehavior is repeated until it is learned.1 Skinner (1976) suggests that students learn better whenthey are forced to practice certain actions until they reach mastery.2 The behavioral theory oflearning became a key part of the early design of technological teaching aids (includingsimulation) for the military because of the ability to ask the user to repeat tasks multiple

Conference Session

Enhancing Environmental Engineering Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alanna Storey, Western Kentucky University; Andrew Ernest, Western Kentucky University; Jana Fattic, Western Kentucky University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

residentialdwellings (See Figure 1). Its economic base is primarily from antique retail establishmentslocated within a community Historic District. The surrounding area has seen some growth withsubdivisions being developed to support the Elizabethtown urban area. No centralizedwastewater services exist, and the proliferation of on-site residential units, along with the Page 15.824.3existing base of older installations has limited the expansion of the retail establishments due toreluctance by the Health Department to permit new septic units in the “downtown” area. TheGlendale community lies within…miles of Valley Creek, which is one of the 39 segments listedin

Conference Session

Engaging Students

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Junko Munakata-Marr, Colorado School of Mines; Jennifer Schneider, Colorado School of Mines; Barbara Moskal, Colorado School of Mines; Carl Mitcham, Colorado School of Mines; Jon Leydens, Colorado School of Mines

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

engineering students often failto appreciate critical interrelations between technical and nontechnical aspects of sanitation. Toaddress this deficiency, a case-study module on sanitation for the developing world wasimplemented in a senior/graduate level onsite water reclamation course. The goal was to increasestudent awareness of the interplay between technical and nontechnical complexities whendesigning and implementing sanitation systems in both the developed and developing world.Learning objectives included increasing student familiarity with (1) perceptions and treatmentoptions of sanitary waste in developing countries and (2) nontechnical constraints and issues(such as economic, social, cultural, political, and ethical) associated with

Conference Session

Engaging Students

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Leslie Hadaway, Norwood High School; Megan Urbaitis, Norwood High School; Regina Lamendella, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Daniel Oerther, University of Cincinnati; Andrea Burrows, The University of Cincinnati; Mike Borowczak, The University of Cincinnati; Anant Kukreti, The University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

-cultural theory as the framework of this research. We look to the process oflearning, not the product constructed as evidence of authentic practice. There is an emphasis onthe interaction between learners and learning tasks. Since STEM education is currently in thespotlight, gaining insights into Project STEP’s sustainability, using a socio-cultural perspective isimportant. Working with the urban youth in Cincinnati, Roth and Lee’s [1] statement that “aresearcher… does not separate the poverty or culture of urban students’ home lives fromconditions of schooling, consideration of the curriculum, problems of learning, or learning toteach under difficult settings” (p. 218) becomes vitally important. Wertsch [2] also shows therelationship between all

Conference Session

Enhancing Environmental Engineering Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Roper, George Mason University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

areas of: 1) sustainable site planning, 2)safeguarding water and water efficiency, 3) energy efficiency and renewable energy, 4)conservation of materials and resources, and 5) indoor environmental quality. A critical elementfor a successful sustainable building policy and program is an integrated building planning anddesign process. Integrated planning and design refers to an interactive and collaborative processin which all stakeholders are actively involved and communicate with one another throughoutthe design and construction practice. These processes provide a broader understanding ofsustainable options for infrastructure changes that may occur in various Base Realignment andClosure (BRAC) planning and implementation situations. A number of

Conference Session

Enhancing Environmental Engineering Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mysore Narayanan, Miami University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

Likert Scale. Please refer to Appendix D.One can observe from the bar chart that the two “traits”Characteristic # 1 (Environment: Fundamental Knowledge and Concepts) andCharacteristic # 4 (Depth of Understanding of the Importance of Environment)both show a respectable mode values of 4, indicating that the students have had an adequateunderstanding of the concepts and importance.However, the following other four other characteristics show mode values of 2 indicating thatthere is plenty of room for improvement:Characteristic # 2 (Ability to Address the Consequences Pertaining to Environment) Page 15.211.6Characteristic # 3 (Integration with Relevant

Conference Session

Sustainability in Engineering Curricula

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen Hoffmann, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Inez Hua, Purdue University; Ernest Blatchley, Purdue University; Loring Nies, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

goals of normalized sustainability.Introduction:The broad popular concept of sustainability has grown from its roots in the United Nations’“Brundtland Commission” on sustainable development over two decades ago, which providedthe classical definition of “meet[ing] the needs of the present without compromising the abilityof future generations to meet their own needs.”1 Subsequent formulations of sustainability indifferent contexts have diverged from the initial Brundtland wording, but the basic themes ofintergenerational equity and long-term planning, often cast in terms of renewability, havegenerally remained as core concepts. The introduction of the “triple bottom line” of social, andenvironmental, and economic considerations2, and the related

Conference Session

Enhancing Environmental Engineering Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jess Everett, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

is stored in content areas. A content area can cover topics that arebroad (e.g., Engineering) or narrow (e.g. a composting windrow). At a minimum, a content areahas a ca.xml file containing a name and definition, e.g., “Engineering” and “Application ofscience and math to solve problems”. The ca.xml file can also identify other content areas thatare “based on” or “lead to” the content area. Figure 1 shows examples of “leads to” and “basedon” relationships. The content area at the base of an arrow leads to the one at the head. Thecontent arrow at the head is based on the one at the base. Figure 1: Leads to relationships

Conference Session

Sustainability in Engineering Curricula

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angela Bielefeldt, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

engineering (EVEN) nationwide4 and at theUniversity of Colorado at Boulder (CU). For example, the enrollment figures from CU areshown in Figure 1. The largest boost in recent enrollment at CU has been from first yearstudents. Page 15.544.2 160 3000 First year students 140 First year course enrollment 2500 120 Total CU EVEN Enrollment CU # students Nationwide Enrollment

Conference Session

Engaging Students

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bette Grauer, Kansas State University; Diana Grauer, Kansas State University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

have been highly favorable. The class is offered only in the fall and a study to evaluatethe effectiveness of the activity for engagement and learning is planned for fall 2010.Problem-Based LearningProblem-Based Learning, PBL, is a constructivist learning approach that is used to stimulate andimprove learning by presenting problems about topics of interest to students. Learning is shapedby direct experience and is most effective when students are presented with a compellingproblem.1, 2 The problem-based learning approach allows students to study a problem of interestin a team-based setting. A PBL study is student directed with opportunity for discussion, andoften the students rather than the instructor select the problem. Much of the new