Project-based civil engineering courses


Autoria(s): Mahendran, Mahen
Data(s)

01/01/1995

Resumo

Problem solving is an essential element of civil engineering education. It has been observed that students are best able to understand civil engineering theory when there is a practical application of it. Teaching theory alone has led to lower levels of comprehension and motivation and a correspondingly higher rate of failure and “drop-out”. This paper analyses the effectiveness of introducing practical design projects at an early stage within a civil engineering undergraduate program at Queensland University of Technology. In two of the essential basic subjects, Engineering Mechanics and Steel Structures, model projects which simulate realistic engineering exercises were introduced. Students were required to work in small groups to analyse, design and build the lightest / most efficient model bridges made of specific materials such as spaghetti, drinking straw, paddle pop sticks and balsa wood and steel columns for a given design loading/target capacity. The paper traces the success of the teaching strategy at each stage from its introduction through to the final student and staff evaluation.

Formato

application/pdf

Identificador

http://eprints.qut.edu.au/80876/

Publicador

American Society of Engineering Education

Relação

http://eprints.qut.edu.au/80876/1/Mahen_1995_1.pdf

DOI:10.1002/j.2168-9830.1995.tb00149.x

Mahendran, Mahen (1995) Project-based civil engineering courses. Journal of Engineering Education, 84(1), pp. 75-79.

Direitos

Copyright 1995 American Society for Engineering Education

Fonte

School of Civil Engineering & Built Environment; Science & Engineering Faculty

Tipo

Journal Article