Journal of Civil Engineering Education

Forum papers are thought-provoking opinion pieces or essays founded in fact, sometimes containing speculation, on a civil engineering topic of general interest and relevance to the readership of the journal. The views expressed in this Forum article do not necessarily reflect the views of ASCE or the Editorial Board of the journal.

Problem solving is a common activity for engineering students and practicing engineers as they learn and practice the use of engineering concepts. Understanding the approach to a problem provides a glimpse at unique problem-solving behaviors that can be used as a means to compare different problem solvers. Engineering education research has focused on particular behaviors to compare problem solvers and problem types, which has led to a greater understanding of the gap in student preparedness for the workplace and advances in better teaching practices. This study further explores the similarities and differences in problem-solving behaviors of engineering practitioners and students as they solve problems with multiple representations. An exploratory study was done using eye-tracking techniques to observe the problem-solving behaviors of engineering practitioners and engineering students as they solve three problems with four equivalent representations as means to solve the problems. Problem-solving behaviors were compared and explored using descriptive statistics to understand unique similarities and differences and search for patterns across multiple problems. The results show that engineering practitioners appear to be more consistent, efficient, and rigid in their approach and that students are more likely to adjust their problem-solving approach and use different representations. No observable trends in time spent solving the problems or problem correctness with respect to a particular representation were observed, which suggests that there is not one representation that is better than another. Students used formulaic representations more often than visual representations, whereas engineering practitioners had no observable use based on representation typology. Trends related to problem correctness across the three problems were observed for both students and engineering practitioners, and students began exploring additional representations as they solved more problems. These similarities and differences suggest that there is more to learn about the problem-solving behaviors of students and engineering practitioners. Understanding more about these behaviors can assist in understanding the gap in student preparedness for the workplace and help educators in further developing better teaching practices.

Abstract

Worldwide, construction site accidents cause many casualties among construction workers every year. Although many safety guidelines that construction workers are urged to read and keep in mind have been formulated, it is still difficult for the traditional construction safety education mode to quickly and accurately improve the hazard recognition ability of construction workers. Taking appropriate intervention measures in construction safety education helps improve the learning effectiveness of construction workers. Cue design is a teaching design included in digital learning resource design. Therefore, this study combines information processing learning theory with the expertise reversal effect. Eye movements of two groups, inclusive of experienced and novice workers, were monitored during a safety education mode using two different cues (i.e., visual and question cues). Average pupil diameter, time to first fixation, and recognition accuracy were used as indicators to measure the cognitive load and adaptation level and to test the outcome of all workers receiving safety education. The study results showed that (1) compared with question cues only, visual cues are more intuitive and more accessible for construction workers to understand; (2) experienced workers performed better than novice workers in all aspects of the safety education mode using two cues, and the work experience of the learning group plays an essential role in the cognitive load, adaptation level, and test outcome of workers in safety education; and (3) compared with the two cues, novice workers’ ability improved more obviously after receiving the safety education mode with visual cues. In contrast, experienced workers’ ability improved more obviously after receiving the safety education mode that uses question cues only, and this phenomenon is associated with expertise reversal effect in the field of education. This provides a meaningful suggestion for personalized intervention measures in safety education in the construction safety field in the future.

Practical Applications

Because of the difference of tacit knowledge brought by experience, novice and experienced workers have different learning styles and applicable educational modes in hazards recognition education. Cue design is a classic educational strategy in pedagogy. This study explores the effects of education cues and work experience on the safety hazard recognition of construction workers during safety training. Through construction safety education based on eye-tracking technology for novice and experienced workers, workers can recognize hidden hazards in construction sites more quickly and accurately with the help of different types of education cues (i.e., visual and question cues) from the field of pedagogy during safety education, and eye-movement data of construction workers can be monitored by eye tracking. Visual cues are more suitable for novice workers, while question cues are more suitable for experienced workers. In the future, the content and mode of construction safety education can be reasonably set based on cue design, and personalized training methods can be carried out according to the experience level of construction workers.

Construction, one of the largest industries in the world, consistently underperforms and faces barriers in leveraging the full potential of applying analytics to sensor data due to a lack of a skilled workforce. The prospects for data-driven solutions to address emerging construction challenges and enhance performance across project life cycles are therefore constrained. Through mixed-method research utilizing a survey and focus group, this study investigates the knowledge and skills required for graduating construction engineering and management students to implement sensor data analytics in the construction sector. The findings revealed that sensor data analytics knowledge and skills are required to systemically process and analyze data from sensing technologies and present them in formats for effective decision-making. The presented key knowledge areas, specific skills, and their significance can aid the construction industry and academics to streamline professional development efforts to match the actual demands, allowing for more efficacy in workforce training. The future construction workforce is expected to gain a competitive edge with sensor data analytics knowledge and skills as the ubiquitous integration of sensing technologies continues to drive the tremendous growth of sensor data.

Universities employ numerous approaches to integrate ethics into programs of study that can range from faculty-led case studies integrated into course curricula (distributed model) to standalone ethics courses (consolidated model). The approach described here enhanced a distributed model in which several courses are assigned responsibility to integrate an ethical component into the assignments capped with an integrative experience. We created a problem-solving studio (PSS) environment wherein an ill-defined current case study was presented to the students and the program’s board of advisors (BOA). The students role-played as staff engineers (early-career employees with less than three years of experience), and BOA members provided the perspective of specific stakeholders relevant to the case study (e.g., state or federal regulator, principal engineer in a consulting firm, civic leader, etc.). Both groups were provided with the same preparatory materials. Small groups (student–BOA dyads) were established to review the current state and context of the problem, investigate specified or potential ethical considerations, and propose strategies to prevent or address the ethical dilemmas identified. The session was structured around three rounds of discussion (12–15 min) to explore the problem through the ethical considerations of “willful negligence” and “acts of omission.” The session ended as a large group, and each BOA member would share one ethical consideration from their career that was evoked during this case study. Students would then submit a short paper to provide their insights into the case study (results of the dyad interactions) and how the event expanded their understanding of the ethical considerations. The ethics PSS provided an opportunity for increased interaction between students and “experienced mentors” equally valued by each group. Assessments revealed that the experience positively contributed to student confidence in meeting course objectives and integrating different perspectives into their development.

Abstract

For over two decades, faculty participants in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Excellence in Civil Engineering Education (ExCEEd) Teaching Workshop (ETW) have learned the core principles of effective teaching and put these principles into practice during the workshop. Workshop staff and leaders, namely faculty serving as site coordinators, presenters, assistant mentors, and mentors have helped support participants’ development while also developing their own teaching and leadership skills. Graduates of the ASCE ETW are widely represented throughout civil and environmental engineering programs and in academic leadership, accreditation, and professional societies. In this paper, we present the results of a study on the development of faculty as leaders through this program. We summarize skills and characteristics identified as necessary for effective leadership and examine whether leadership skills can be developed through a well-established and highly effective teaching development workshop, namely, the ASCE ETW. For this study, we examined responses to a survey addressing the effectiveness of the workshop and respondents’ roles and activities since their participation in the ETW. In total, 494 participants, staff, and leaders responded to the survey. In analyzing the data, we specifically considered evidence of leadership. Although not designed as a leadership workshop, aspects of the ETW align closely with principles of effective leadership development in terms of the content covered, delivery and conduct of the workshop, culture of mentoring, and focus on faculty development. The following research questions are addressed in this paper: To what extent do the ETW content and conduct relate to leadership skills and attributes relevant to academia? To what extent does faculty development through the ASCE ETW correlate with engagement in academic leadership? Study results indicate a strong alignment between participating in the ASCE ETW and assuming leadership positions in academia, an even more pronounced trend among those who continue their involvement in the workshop as staff. Noting the similarities in the conduct and content of the teaching workshop and programming focused on leader development, we suggest that a well-designed and well-executed faculty development workshop can also provide leadership development, even if leadership is not the principal goal. The faculty and staff development approach used in the ETW can serve as a model for including leadership training in faculty development workshops.

Practical Applications

In this paper, we describe characteristics and behaviors associated with effective leadership, with a focus on leadership in academia. We present an analysis of the content and conduct of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Excellence in Civil Engineering Education (ExCEEd) Teaching Workshop (ETW) in light of different leadership models. The ETW fosters an environment that demonstrates the importance of effective mentoring and its benefits for both the mentors and the mentored individuals. Our data analysis shows that a well-crafted, well-executed teaching workshop can help develop leadership skills, possibly providing the motivation and community environment to encourage people to take on leadership roles. Applications of this study include identifying ways to implement elements of leader development into a workshop even if this topic is not the specific workshop focus.

Humanizing engineering education is a research-based way to help students understand the origin of concepts and the people who contributed to the field’s development. This case study explores an experimental intervention to improve engineering undergraduate student knowledge and interest in fluid mechanics. The intervention incorporates the historical context and stories behind the development of Bernoulli’s equation and the Manning formula into classroom instruction. Student self-reported interest levels and performance on a standardized multiple-choice exam were analyzed in the experimental sections of fluid mechanics courses. Using the same standardized, multiple-choice final exam, no statistical difference was seen between the exam grades in the control and experimental groups in either fluid mechanic topic, though more students from the experimental group scored correctly for all problems than from the control group. Significant differences in student interest, however, were observed. The survey results indicated students who had experienced the humanizing instructional approach reported being more interested in these topics when compared to the control group. These results suggest incorporating a humanizing approach in engineering lectures can be as effective as other instructional approaches and has the additional benefit of increasing student interest.

Computing technology is reshaping the way in which professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries conduct their business. The execution of construction tasks is changing from traditional 2D to 3D building information modeling (BIM)-based concepts. The use of BIM is expanded and enriched by the introduction of advanced computing technologies. At the same time, the demands for graduates in construction management with basic computing technology skills are on the rise. One of the challenges of construction management (CM) programs is how to incorporate computing knowledge so that future graduates can gain more experience with it during their undergraduate education. This paper presents a case study on this topic from an undergraduate construction management course at Purdue University. The in-class exercises and project required the use of computing technologies (e.g., quantity takeoff software, scheduling software, and Python programming) in this case study. The performance of students was evaluated before and after the project and the exercises. The findings showed the benefits of incorporating computing into a construction management curriculum as follows: (1) introducing the students to the efficiency and accuracy of computing technologies in CM; and (2) improving students’ knowledge and skills in computing technologies and professional software applications. Based on students’ feedback, short-term (one-class-long) programming training during the semester and more detailed instructions for a project are needed improvements in this course. The practice in this study provides insights for other instructors seeking to include more computing technologies into CM courses.

In construction technology education (CTE), construction site tours play an essential role for undergraduate students to obtain familiarity with construction environments, combine content knowledge with practice, and develop their competencies to embrace construction innovations before entering the industry. Implementing real construction site visits for education purposes faces challenges in getting access to proper construction sites and ensuring the safety of visiting students. This study combined the application of Project-based learning (PBL), game-based learning (GBL), and deeper learning theories to develop TheProjectLive ePlatform for students to experience virtual site tours. In this platform, 360-degree panoramas were utilized to present the approximate complexity of construction sites and provide an immersive learning environment. The study evaluated the effects of the proposed virtual site tour approach through two years of implementation in a tertiary course: Introductory Construction Technology and Materials. The students’ knowledge acquisition and learning experience when applying the ePlatform were well measured through in-class quizzes and questionnaire surveys, respectively. Based on the descriptive and statistical sources of evidence, the developed ePlatform for conducting the virtual construction site tour demonstrated its potential to effectively improve students’ transferable knowledge acquisition. The results of two in-class quizzes designed to assess students’ comprehension of content knowledge and their competency to solve practical problems showed that the average scores of students who experienced the virtual site tour were higher than students who learned via lecture notes. Specifically, the average scores of the former were 13.3% and 17.8% higher than the latter in the two quizzes, respectively. According to students’ feedback, this case study research also provided suggestions to further improve the proposed virtual site tour approach in tertiary CTE, emphasizing the importance of clear content presentation as well as indicating the benefits of perceived helpfulness and well-designed game elements.