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Student Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence and Relevance for Professional Preparation in Civil Engineering

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Conference

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Portland, Oregon

Publication Date

June 23, 2024

Start Date

June 23, 2024

End Date

July 12, 2024

Conference Session

Civil Engineering Division (CIVIL) Technical Session - Instructional Technology 1

Tagged Division

Civil Engineering Division (CIVIL)

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/48014

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Paper Authors

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Mary Kay Camarillo P.E. University of the Pacific Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-9522-5127

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Mary Kay Camarillo is an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of the Pacific in Stockton. She specializes in environmental engineering and has worked on research in the areas of water reclamation, biomass energy, geothermal energy, oil and gas production, watershed modeling, environmental monitoring, and engineering education.

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Luke S. Lee P.E. University of the Pacific

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Luke Lee is Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of the Pacific, where he teaches courses in structural mechanics and structural design and conducts research in infrastructure renewal, structural health monitoring, and durability of composites.

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Ciara Swan MFA-W University of the Pacific

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Ciara Swan is the Writing Center Assistant Director for University of the Pacific and an occasional adjunct instructor for undergraduate academic writing. Ciara is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Psychology and hopes to merge assessment, writing, and psychotherapeutic interventions in future practices.

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Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer an emerging technology, and many industries are integrating AI tools into their workflows. In civil engineering, machine learning and optimization methods are being developed and applied to assist with decision-making in design, development, evaluation, maintenance, and operation of infrastructure systems. While it is difficult to gauge the progression of AI technology within the industry, it seems likely that generative AI is in use. Given the ongoing integration of AI methods and tools in civil engineering, it is important to consider how civil engineering students view AI, how they interact with AI tools as part of their education, and how prepared they are to work with AI in the profession. Using survey data, we assessed civil engineering students’ understanding of AI and how they are experiencing AI in their education. The results indicate that approximately one-third of students surveyed use AI tools. On the survey, students indicated uncertainty regarding fairness and safety issues of using AI in education and in the profession. Overall, the survey results indicate that students would benefit from the introduction of AI applications in civil engineering and guidance on the ethical issues of AI use. In addition to reviewing the survey results, we recommend strategies for integrating AI into existing courses using the following examples: infrastructure monitoring, writing assignments, and engineering ethics curriculum. This study provides valuable information on how students view AI and provides a framework for instruction of AI in existing civil engineering courses. AI holds great promise for civil engineering, but caution is necessary when applying this technology so that it is incorporated in a way that preserves the reliability and reputation of the profession.

Camarillo, M. K., & Lee, L. S., & Swan, C. (2024, June), Student Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence and Relevance for Professional Preparation in Civil Engineering Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/48014

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