Journal of Civil Engineering Education

Gamification has emerged in recent years as an application of game mechanics to improve learning processes through increased motivation and engagement. Civil engineering is a suitable field for gamification because it encompasses a variety of areas involving both management and fieldwork tasks. To gain insight into the use of gamified approaches in civil engineering, this study developed a scoping review of the publications released during this century in this field. A data analysis using text mining and statistical techniques suggested that gamification has great potential to support educational and training civil engineering practices. The results identify construction safety and project management as the two most suitable areas for gamification, due to their implications in terms of human factors and economic impacts. Simulation games and virtual reality were found to be the most recurrent gamified approaches, due to their capacity to emulate complex situations inherent in real projects and construction works.

Conducting K-12 outreach programs on university or college campuses focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines is an essential part of the multifaceted effort for preparing future generations of engineers and scientists. However, the lack of structured frameworks to design and deliver activities and programs that maximize potential impacts poses a challenge. This case study contributes to filling this gap by presenting a six-step adaptable pedagogical framework whose intent is to provide meaningful structure for on-campus STEM outreach activities that emphasize collaborative, hands-on learning experiences for pre-college students. Successful implementation of the framework is demonstrated through the design of a civil engineering workshop on sustainable and hazard-resistant earth masonry, and its evaluation through the analysis of the feedback of 85 participants from three summer workshops for high school students between 2017 and 2019.