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Which is more Equitable: Hands-on Labs, Virtual Labs, or No Lab at All?

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Conference

ASEE Southeast Section Conference

Location

Arlington, Virginia

Publication Date

March 12, 2023

Start Date

March 12, 2023

End Date

March 14, 2023

Conference Session

DEI and Other

Tagged Topics

Diversity and Professional Engineering Education Papers

Page Count

10

DOI

10.18260/1-2--45059

Permanent URL

https://216.185.13.131/45059

Download Count

62

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Paper Authors

biography

Charles D Newhouse P.E. Virginia Military Institute

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Charles D. “Chuck” Newhouse received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech after working nine years as a consulting structural engineer for MMM Design Group in Norfolk, Virginia. He spent three years teaching at Texas Tech University before joining the faculty at the Virginia Military Institute in 2008 where he is now the Charles S. Luck, Jr. ’20 Institute Professor in Engineering. He is also currently serving as the department head of the Civil and Environmental Engineering department.

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biography

Matthew K Swenty P.E. Virginia Military Institute Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-1166-3817

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Matthew (Matt) Swenty obtained his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Civil Engineering from Missouri S&T and then worked as a bridge designer at the Missouri Department of Transportation. He obtained his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech and worked at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center on bridge research. He is currently The Jackson-Hope Professor of Civil Engineering at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI). He teaches engineering mechanics and structural engineering courses and enjoys working with the students on bridge related research projects and the ASCE student chapter.

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Abstract

Abstract

Last year, the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department investigated the depth and breath of engineering laboratory classes both at VMI and nine peer institutions in the Virginia Region as defined by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The study concluded that engineering laboratory experiences were still valued by all institutions for several reasons including satisfying ABET and Civil Engineering Book of Knowledge (CEBOK) requirements. Strong support from most institutions could be used to justify the inclusion of laboratory experiments within the curriculum.

Although there was good agreement concerning the value hands-on laboratory experiences in the engineering programs within the Virginia Region, the presentation of the work was challenged by some. Accusations were made that institutions that provided hands-on laboratory experiments were not being equitable because students at smaller programs could not afford hands-on laboratory equipment. Some contested that virtual labs were better than hands-on labs and more equitable because no physical equipment was needed. Others argued that virtual labs required more sophisticated computer skills. A third group stated that any lab experience gives a graduate an advantage over a graduate from a program that offers no labs. This study will reevaluate the benefits of laboratory experiences considering the question of equity.

Newhouse, C. D., & Swenty, M. K. (2023, March), Which is more Equitable: Hands-on Labs, Virtual Labs, or No Lab at All? Paper presented at ASEE Southeast Section Conference, Arlington, Virginia. 10.18260/1-2--45059

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