Student Perceptions of Project-Based Learning as Applicable to the Formation of Trusted Professionals

Jennifer Retherford; Sarah Mobley; Brad McCoy; Aaron Hill

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Conference: 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Publication Date: August 23, 2022
Start Date: June 26, 2022
End Date: June 29, 2022
Conference Session: Civil Engineering Division - Changing How We Teach: Flipping, Project-Based Learning, and More!
Page Count: 16
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--41362
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/41362
Download Count: 189

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Paper Authors

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Jennifer Retherford University of Tennessee at Knoxville

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Currently serving as a Distinguished Lecturer at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Jenny is a graduate from the University of Nebraska and Vanderbilt University. Jenny's home discipline is structural engineering, but serves in professional development training for undergraduates in the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department at her current institution.

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Sarah Mobley University of Tennessee at Knoxville

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Sarah J. Mobley is a Lecturer in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, as well as a Master of Science in Geotechnical Engineering and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Structural Engineering from the University of South Florida, Tampa. Sarah is a registered professional engineer in the state of Alaska where she worked as a staff engineer for the Department of Natural Resources. She has been a faculty member at the University of Tennessee since the Fall of 2019 where she serves as a laboratory specialist in the fields of materials, geotech and structures. Sarah mentors students by serving as an advisor for the student chapter of the Society of Women Engineers.

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Brad McCoy United States Military Academy

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U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Brad McCoy is the Associate Dean for Research at the United States Military Academy at West Point and an Academy Professor in the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering. As the Associate Dean for Research, he is the Director of the Academic Research Division and leads the research enterprise across 15 departments and 27 research centers and institutes. He also he teaches civil engineering courses in Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering’s nationally ranked, ABET accredited program. Lt. Col. McCoy holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering (USMA, 2001), and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Civil Engineering, from North Carolina State University (2011 and 2019 respectively). Additionally, he serves in leadership on multiple academy and professional service committees, most notably as Chair of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Sustainable Infrastructure Standard Committee, a national-level committee charged with creating and maintaining ASCE 73: Standard of Practice for Sustainable Infrastructure. His research interests include sustainable infrastructure development, sustainable concrete materials, composite materials and structures, and engineering education. Lt. Col. McCoy’s research is published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, refereed conference proceedings, and technical reports. Additionally, he has given multiple invited lectures, featured presentations, and panel discussions for academia and industry. Lt. Col. McCoy holds a Professional Engineer license in the state of Missouri and is a credentialed Envision® Sustainability Professional with the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure.

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Aaron Hill United States Military Academy

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Colonel Aaron Hill is the Deputy Department Head and Professor, U.S. Military Academy in the Department of Civil & Mechanical Engineering responsible for teaching, scholarship, and leadership at the Academy and Department levels. He was commissioned as an Engineer Officer from the U.S. Military Academy in 1997, where he majored in Civil Engineering. He has served in a variety of assignments around the world including Afghanistan, Sinai Peninsula, Bosnia, and Croatia. COL Hill served in the department from 2006 to 2009 and again from 2016 to the present. Along the way, he earned Master’s degrees in Engineering Management (Missouri S&T) and Civil Engineering (Virginia Tech) and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (The University of Texas at Austin). He has taught several courses in the civil engineering curriculum ranging from structural engineering and steel design to infrastructure systems and construction management. Each spring, he co-teaches Project Management Professional prep classes to the West Point community. His research interests include topics in structural engineering and engineering education. He serves as the Vice-Chair of the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Partners in Education Committee and as a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Committee on Education and Committee on Faculty Development. A portion of his cadet development is dedicated to serving as an Officer Representative for Women’s Volleyball and Men’s Basketball, and as a small group leader within Officer Christian Fellowship. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Virginia and a Project Management Professional.

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Abstract

Project-based course experiences enhance the student learning atmosphere through the application of lesson content and may prove as an advantageous educational technique in developing engineering students into trusted professionals, better prepared to serve the profession immediately after graduation. Applied action in Project-Based Learning (PBL) coursework extends lessons beyond the technical content of the course and creates professional skills development, ideally offering a more holistic training platform for junior engineers. Projects often require students to collaborate with one or more peers, therefore introducing applications of teamwork, leadership, project management, and communications components. Personal development in time management also tends to be introduced in project-based course assignments because of the duration and process of work required to satisfy the comprehensive series of tasks. The opportunity for professional skills development cannot come at the expense of technical skills development. Ideally, not only will the project enhance technical competency, but students completing project-based work should be more capable of solving ill-defined problems and complex problems. Considering project-based learning as an opportunity for the wholesome development of engineering students as trusted professionals, this study collects student perceptions of enhanced learning in professional and technical skills through PBL coursework. Students were surveyed across two distinctly different institutions so comparisons could be drawn between the unique populations. The U.S. West Point Academy was selected to include populations of students seeking professional military careers and supported by curriculum experiences formalizing learning in many professional skills such as teamwork and leadership. The University of Tennessee Knoxville population includes students pursuing civil engineering careers and experiencing fewer structured learning experiences in typical professional skills topics. The data collected shows positive student perceptions towards project-based learning courses which supports this pedagogy as applicable in training trusted professionals. Some variations were observed between the two populations, but general trends showed agreed positive value to professional skills and technical skills development through PBL experiences. This paper includes a brief contextual definition for PBL, a summary of student populations and course structures captured in this study, and a summary of survey responses. Conclusions identifying trends in student perceptions of their learning, competency, and confidence as influenced by PBL are shared and comparisons across the two institutions are discussed.

Citation
Format

Retherford, J., & Mobley, S., & McCoy, B., & Hill, A. (2022, August), Student Perceptions of Project-Based Learning as Applicable to the Formation of Trusted Professionals Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--41362

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Project-based course experiences enhance the student learning atmosphere through the application of lesson content and may prove as an advantageous educational technique in developing engineering students into trusted professionals, better prepared to serve the profession immediately after graduation. Applied action in Project-Based Learning (PBL) coursework extends lessons beyond the technical content of the course and creates professional skills development, ideally offering a more holistic training platform for junior engineers. Projects often require students to collaborate with one or more peers, therefore introducing applications of teamwork, leadership, project management, and communications components. Personal development in time management also tends to be introduced in project-based course assignments because of the duration and process of work required to satisfy the comprehensive series of tasks. The opportunity for professional skills development cannot come at the expense of technical skills development.  Ideally, not only will the project enhance technical competency, but students completing project-based work should be more capable of solving ill-defined problems and complex problems. Considering project-based learning as an opportunity for the wholesome development of engineering students as trusted professionals, this study collects student perceptions of enhanced learning in professional and technical skills through PBL coursework. Students were surveyed across two distinctly different institutions so comparisons could be drawn between the unique populations. The U.S. West Point Academy was selected to include populations of students seeking professional military careers and supported by curriculum experiences formalizing learning in many professional skills such as teamwork and leadership. The University of Tennessee Knoxville population includes students pursuing civil engineering careers and experiencing fewer structured learning experiences in typical professional skills topics. The data collected shows positive student perceptions towards project-based learning courses which supports this pedagogy as applicable in training trusted professionals. Some variations were observed between the two populations, but general trends showed agreed positive value to professional skills and technical skills development through PBL experiences. This paper includes a brief contextual definition for PBL, a summary of student populations and course structures captured in this study, and a summary of survey responses. Conclusions identifying trends in student perceptions of their learning, competency, and confidence as influenced by PBL are shared and comparisons across the two institutions are discussed. 
AU  - Jennifer Retherford
AU  - Sarah Mobley
AU  - Brad McCoy
AU  - Aaron Hill
CY  - Minneapolis, MN
DA  - 2022/08/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Student Perceptions of Project-Based Learning as Applicable to the Formation of Trusted Professionals
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/41362
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--41362
ER  -