Enriching the Learning Experience for Civil Engineering Students through Learner-Centered Teaching
Publication: Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Volume 144, Issue 4
Abstract
The role of professors has changed from being primarily responsible for delivering content to students to including deeper or more in-depth learning opportunities designed to help students develop into creative and critical thinkers who value lifelong learning. This has resulted in a shift from teacher-centered to student-centered teaching. In this paper, the introduction of learner-centered teaching in three different undergraduate civil engineering classes during the academic year 2016–2017 to provide more meaningful learning opportunities is presented. The activities introduced were designed to reinforce the students’ understanding of the content as well as encourage the development of soft skills such as public speaking and group work negotiation skills. To gauge the students’ reactions to the impact of the new approach, feedback from the students was gathered via midsemester focus group interviews and end of semester surveys. The data from the students indicate they benefited from the activities and new approach to teaching. Owing to the nature of the different activities offered in each of the three classes, some of the benefits focused on soft skills, such as improved teamwork/leadership skills as well as improved understanding of the content and others centered around the introduction of new topics and improved problem-solving skills. Students in all three classes stated that the activities helped them improve their research skills. Some suggestions and advice to professors who wish to adopt learner-centered teaching are also offered.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Ayatollah Yehia and Alana Raven for their help with the data collection.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Volume 144 • Issue 4 • October 2018
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 10, 2017
Accepted: Apr 23, 2018
Published online: Jul 14, 2018
Published in print: Oct 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Dec 14, 2018
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