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

Page 15.208.3through the transformation of experience.”11 This experiential learning process is a four-stagecycle where a learner observes and reflects on a concrete experience, these reflections aretransformed into abstract concepts, these abstract concepts suggest new ideas, and these newideas are then tested so they can guide new experiences.12 Central to the theory is that learnershave different learning styles, and make different choices in educational settings.13These learning theories are used to design appropriate simulation exercises depending on thelevel of the learning objectives and the existing knowledge of the students. Ertmer and Newby(1993) suggest that behaviorism works best for introductory learning with students who

Conference Session

Sustainability in Engineering Curricula

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angela Bielefeldt, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

-class survey on sustainability.Students also responded to in-class questions during the two sustainability lectures in real timeusing a Course Response System (clickers). The new assignment specifically on sustainabilityrequired the students to read the Royal Academy of Engineering’s “Engineering for SustainableDevelopment” report and part of the “Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States”document. The second new assignment required the students to assess and compare differentbiofuel options based on journal articles that had conducted life cycle assessments (LCA). Thisassignment proved particularly challenging for the students. The reflective essays that studentswrote in the final assignment of the semester indicated that the new

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

solution within the context of this newknowledge. Students work in their design groups, review their decision worksheets, and discussand estimate the factors to consider in their design. Students submit an individual final reportwith their design.Design and Implementation of the Environmental Engineering EFFECT The initial design of the environmental engineering EFFECT occurred in 2007, was pilot-tested in Summer 2007 at a USC Science and Engineering Summer Camp offered primarily tominority high school students, and was implemented in ECIV 101 during the Fall 2007 semester.Using student feedback and instructor reflection, slightly modified versions of the EFFECT weresubsequently implemented during the Summer 2009 high school camp and the Fall

Conference Session

Enhancing Environmental Engineering Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mysore Narayanan, Miami University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

to allow greater studentparticipation. Although, some scholars say that such a method puts forth a completely differentapproach to college education compared to a traditional lecture format (Midgley, 2002). Therefore, it is important to assess the students’ learning capabilities and not just his/hermemory (Brown & Cooper, 1976). In other words, assessment of learning is not a third-partyresearch project or someone’s questionnaire; it must be viewed as a community effort or nothing,driven by a faculty's own commitment to reflect, judge, and improve (Marchese, 1991 & 1997). Hawkins and Winter’s ACORN model also helps to document ideas and providesguidelines to conquering and mastering change (Hawkins and Winter, 1997

Conference Session

Enhancing Environmental Engineering Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Roper, George Mason University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

controls.ConclusionsThe opportunity to participate in a real world project and contribute to the data analysis was verywell received by the students. It also gave them an appreciation for the constraints thatstormwater management projects can have from a governmental budget standpoint. Over all theproject objective for the course (to give students experience is using real project data to assessimpervious surface challenges for a flood control project and to provide insights for low impactwater management options) was met and was reflected in very high class evaluation ratings inthis area at the completion of the course. This project also presented the students with thechallenges that local governments often must address between longer term better

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

own include sustainability in their curricula.” “I am confident that I can identify effective ways to 3.7 4.0 include environmental sustainability concepts into the courses that I teach.” Participants were asked to rate their level of agreement with the statement on a scale of 1-5: 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = neither agree nor disagree, 4 = agree, 5 = strongly agree Statistical method notes: Data listed in the table reflect results from 14 participants with paired before and after responses. Significant differences between before and after responses for the first four questions were observed using a paired t-test at the 95% confidence level

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

; the nature of knowledge (certainty of knowledge & simplicity ofknowledge), and the nature of knowing (source of knowledge & justification of knowledge) 31. Page 15.543.8Students’ epistemological beliefs have been found to influence cognitive engagement, academicachievement, and motivation to learn32, 33. Because epistemological beliefs often reflect personalexperiences31, our study will compare engineering epistemological beliefs of students who haveparticipated in service learning projects to the beliefs of those who have not. Our aim is to gaininsight as to how students perceive engineering design and whether service learning

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

regarding various sanitation options. If a student identified that political stakeholders influence sanitation options, this was considered an advanced response.≠ Basic: Basic responses reflect course concepts from either the prerequisite course, the wastewater course or both. For example, “regulations” and “treatment processes” were covered in the prerequisite class.≠ Incorrect: An inaccurate technical or non-viable nontechnical response was considered incorrect. For example, students suggested that “time” and “cleanliness” are sanitation issues in developed countries.For both scoring schemes, responses were double scored and averaged for subsequent analysis.The first scoring was completed by the course instructor, the second by