Introducing High School Students into the Multidisciplinary World of Bridge Construction Using Project-Based Learning
Publication: Journal of Civil Engineering Education
Volume 147, Issue 1
Abstract
This article presents the application of the problem-based learning (PBL) methodology for introducing the civil engineering task of bridge design and construction to high school students with a multidisciplinary approach. The materials (toy construction system) and methodology of the workshop are first presented. Then, three examples of arch typology proposals are detailed, as an example of the evolution of the students’ designs in time while retrofitting the successive editions. A selection of the built structures along with some pictures of their most representative details in the decks and arches are included. Finally, the different experiences obtained from this activity are also reviewed. The objective of this paper is to present the observations of the authors after several years of conducting this workshop with the hope that colleagues from other institutions might benefit from the strategies exposed and adapt them to different disciplines or focus on specific topics. The key observation was that the use of construction toys, which are not usually used by teachers, proved to be a powerful learning tool, the limitations of which can be overcome, and the method used was improved annually to realize the objective.
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Data Availability Statement
No data, models, or code were generated or used during the study.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the projects FCT-17-12526 (Estructuras de Juguete) and FCT-16-11170 (Diseño de puentes al futuro) funded by the FECYT (Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology).
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Civil Engineering Education
Volume 147 • Issue 1 • January 2021
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 29, 2019
Accepted: Apr 28, 2020
Published online: Aug 17, 2020
Published in print: Jan 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Jan 17, 2021
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