Journal of Civil Engineering Education

Engineering students require nontechnical skill sets to combat the 21st century’s complex engineering challenges in addition to possessing technical skills. To provide multidisciplinary experience to undergraduate engineering students and to study the formation of engineers, a research team at West Virginia University offered a multidisciplinary course in two academic semesters. In this course, engineering students collaborated with students from social science disciplines to solve a complex, open-ended transportation engineering problem. Focus group sessions were conducted among the participating engineering students at the end of both semesters to document their experiences and perceptions of the cross-disciplinary course. This study applied unsupervised machine learning–based text mining approaches to extract students’ relevant experiences and perceptions from the focus group text data. From the analysis, four clusters were identified, where engineering students highlighted their awareness/understanding of the cross-disciplinary majors, appreciation of the cross-disciplinary majors, and communication and collaboration issues in the group presentation and report writing tasks. Engineering students initially perceived challenges in working with cross-disciplinary majors that eased as the semester progressed. Students acknowledged their lack of nontechnical skills as engineers. They appreciated the ideas the social science students provided, which helped them improve their problem-solving skills and become more productive. Students also highlighted several improvements for the future offerings of the course (e.g., more focused and concise communication among professors and peers) and suggested possible approaches to resolve the concerns. The findings of this research provide an in-depth understanding of the potential of multidisciplinary courses in the engineering curriculum and ways to enhance the experiences of participating engineering students in such offerings in the future.

An undergraduate degree in engineering requires students to not only be proficient in engineering knowledge but also acquire comprehensive skills such as independent learning ability, strong communication skills, social knowledge, and innovative thinking. Therefore, problem-based learning (PBL), which is a student-centered approach, is getting wide recognition among academicians in institutions of higher education. PBL is one of the learning strategies in which students are guided by instructors through problem solving and develop additional generic skills and attributes, apart from the content-specific knowledge and skills that they require. This paper presents a case study of PBL in the subject of Structural Analysis and evaluates its effectiveness and acceptance by students. The main objective was to see how students evaluate this initiative and its learning potential to achieve the educational goals set for the course. For this, a closed-ended questionnaire survey was distributed among current students of civil engineering focusing on different aspects of PBL in the Structural Analysis course. The results of the questionnaire survey indicated that PBL, though time-consuming, is seen as effective, relevant, and motivating, which promotes independent learning among engineering students. Therefore, it is recommended that the implementation of similar PBL techniques be promoted by academicians for students’ lifelong learning.

The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) education communities are increasingly facing challenges caused by social, technological, economic, environmental, and political changes. Addressing these issues requires AEC educators and practitioners to systematically rethink and reform many of their current practices. Anecdotal evidence in AEC education already exists with respect to pedagogical improvements made by individual technologies such as immersive computing, artificial intelligence, robotics, big data, cyberinfrastructure, and photogrammetry. However, an effective learning-centered environment is more complex than what any single technology can accomplish. In addition, the relationship between technology-intensive learning and digital inequity in AEC education remains, to the most extent, unclear. We envision the next-generation learning-centered environment for AEC education to be technology-intensive, interdisciplinary, industry-linked, and equitable. This paper aims to present a shared vision of the next-generation learning-centered environment for AEC education. To achieve this goal, two interrelated workshops were organized with the participation of different stakeholders, including researchers, educators, and professionals from multiple disciplines of architecture, engineering, construction, computer science, learning science, education, and social sciences. This paper is based on the combined outcomes of the two workshops, organized in four themes: (1) AEC curricula and industry practice, (2) technology and learning, (3) interdisciplinary education, and (4) digital inequity. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by creating a pathway to timely reflect on new learning strategies, new technologies, and future industry and societal needs in AEC curricula, thus producing a more adaptive AEC workforce for the 21st century. The findings of this work can be adopted by educators to develop a roadmap for creating the shared vision of the next-generation learning-centered environment for AEC education.

Abstract

Traditionally, civil engineering infrastructures have been represented through two-dimensional (2D) drawings, which can lead to interpretation errors and jeopardize engineers’ understanding of complex projects. However, with the development of building information modeling (BIM) methodology, civil engineering projects can now be virtually modeled in three-dimensional (3D), offering a more accurate representation. Augmented reality (AR) tools can be linked to BIM models for educational purposes, allowing for a more immersive and interactive learning experience. While previous studies have focused on improving the visualization of mechanical and civil engineering drawings, this study presents the development of a low-cost AR tool for visualizing BIM models and its application in civil engineering courses. To achieve this, the main state-of-the-art AR software was compared for their characteristics and functionalities, and the software, Unity, was selected to develop an AR visualization tool. The application of this tool was then presented, along with an analysis of its benefits when introduced into two civil engineering courses at the University of Castilla La Mancha (UCLM) in Spain: Descriptive geometry, and Design work of a structure. Overall, the results of the study suggest that the integration of AR tools into civil engineering education can enhance students’ learning experience and improve their understanding of complex projects.

Practical Applications

Based on the insights from this study, the following practical recommendations for educators and researchers were obtained: Firstly, integration of AR tools in Civil Engineering educational curriculum: The positive appreciation of the students in the analyzed courses shows the potential benefits of implementing AR tools in other civil engineering courses to enhance the visualization of complex engineering concepts, ultimately improving students’ understanding and engagement. In this context, this study serves as an invitation to civil engineering educators to consider the use of visualization tools, like AR, into their subjects. Secondly, customized AR solutions: Educators and researchers should explore the development of customized AR solutions tailored to their specific course objectives. This customization of AR solutions with the methodology for the development of the AR app proposed in the section “AR App” is a straightforward task. Thirdly, continuous assessment: Regularly assess the effectiveness of AR tools through surveys and feedback from students. This continuous assessment allows for ongoing refinement and improvement of the tools to optimize the learning experience. Finally, dissemination of best practices: Share experiences and best practices in implementing AR tools in civil engineering education with the broader academic community. Collaboration and knowledge sharing can promote innovation and advancement in this field. By adhering to these practical recommendations, educators and researchers can harness the potential of AR technology to create a dynamic and enriching educational environment for students, fostering deeper comprehension and engagement with complex civil engineering concepts.

Completion of an escape room activity requires participants to work as a team to find hidden clues and solve challenging puzzles to escape before time expires. The use of escape rooms for active learning may produce a positive classroom environment by improving teamwork skills, encouraging engagement with course materials, fostering intellectual curiosity, and facilitating conceptual understanding beyond the prescribed procedure. An escape room was developed for the Mechanics of Materials course at the United States Military Academy. The escape room was designed based on a hypothetical theme to increase student motivation and curiosity. Students were required to complete five puzzles that involved navigating through underground steam tunnels to locate the boiler in the classroom building where their final examination would take place. This task was intended to force the cancellation of the examination. The five puzzles assessed the students’ knowledge of torsional members, statically indeterminate axially loaded members, flexural members, stress transformation, strain transformation, and thin-walled pressure vessels. The escape room was piloted in five sections ranging from 15 to 18 students. Teams of five to six students completed the escape room activity. The escape room increased active participation and made the students aware of the concepts they needed to focus on for the final examination. This case study includes details on the complete design of the escape room, including the problems presented, results of student teams, and student feedback.